Zac Efron on sobriety: 'What I found is structure'

LOS ANGELES, May 20 (UPI) -- Zac Efron says sobriety gave him structure and a renewed purpose.

The 28-year-old actor discussed how going sober changed his life in the June issue of Elle magazine. Efron committed to sobriety in 2013 after seeking treatment for substance abuse.

"What I found is structure," the star revealed. "That let me to a balance of opposites: You get out of life what you put in. There was a moment when my morning routine was, like, Get up and Google yourself. But that stopped, dramatically and instantly, probably three years ago."

"I realized that viewing yourself through other people's pictures is not living your own life," he elaborated. "I wasn't really being myself. A lot of my hobbies had gone out the window. I couldn't skateboard or surf for fear of being followed. Crossing the line of fear is what leads to greatness."

Efron, who came to fame in Disney's High School Musical film series, previously told The Hollywood Reporter it was difficult to be "so public and so scrutinized" while struggling with his alcoholism. The actor said he "wouldn't take anything back," however, explaining he "needed to learn everything" he did.

"When you have success so young, and you accept the good things, you have to accept all of it," the star said. "You have to accept the moments of glory but also a great responsibility. And that responsibility, to some degree, involves being a role model."

"At the same time, I'm a human being, and I've made a lot of mistakes. And I've learned from each one," he qualified. "I'm much more comfortable in my own skin. Things are so much easier now."

Efron will next star in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, which opens in theaters Friday. The movie is a sequel to the 2014 film Neighbors and co-stars Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne and Chloe Grace Moretz.