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Why Mackenzie Phillips Turned to Drugs

Season 5 Episode 511
CC | tv-14
As a child, Mackenzie Phillips appeared to have it all. She starred on the TV hit One Day at a Time and was the daughter of folk music legend John Phillips.

However, from a young age, Mackenzie's life was fueled by drugs. She was 10 years old when her father taught her how to roll a joint. She had her first taste of cocaine at age 11. At 14, she landed a role in the film American Graffiti, and one week after her 18th birthday, she was arrested for the first time.

Today, Mackenzie is sober and even works as drug rehab counselor in Pasadena, California. But what exactly drove her to drugs at such a young age?

"I come from a long line of undiagnosed mental illness, rampant addiction and alcoholism, so there's the genetic component," Mackenzie says. "And then there's the introduction to these types of behaviors at a very young age."

Watch the above video as Mackenzie explains how her life got so "twisted" from such a young age.