Actor Jeremy London has admitted to PEOPLE that his rise to fame on the hit shows ‘Party of Five’ and ’7th Heaven’ in the late 1990s and early 2000s led to a prescription pill addiction that jeopardized his career and his family.

London moved to Los Angeles with his identical twin brother Jason, who’s also an actor, in 1993. He said that after playing Griffin Holbrook on ‘Party of Five’ and Chandler Hampton on ’7th Heaven,’ he developed a “dangerous tendency to abuse drugs.” The 37-year-old actor added that he treated drugs like “royalty.”

Even marring actress Melissa Cunningham in September 2006 and having a son, Lyrik, a year later didn’t even stop London from abusing drugs. “There were times I didn’t care if I died. I felt like I was losing everything,” he said, which led to his marriage, relationship with his son and career being put into jeopardy.

London and Cunningham are now going through a divorce. Along with significant financial trouble, he decided to enter a rehabilitation center last September. He hopes the stay will prove he could be a good father to Lyrik, with whom he currently sees twice weekly. “I’m learning it’s much easier to deal with life with a clear head,” he also said. “There are so many things I wish I could have done differently.”

Written by: Karen Benardello

Jeremy London