'I Am An Alcoholic,' '20/20' Anchor Elizabeth Vargas Reveals Her Struggle With Alcoholism

Elizabeth Vargas, who anchors the TV magazine show "20/20" on ABC, opened up about her struggle with alcohol addiction in an interview with George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America." The 51-year-old American journalist admitted she is an alcoholic.

"I am. I am an alcoholic," Vargas said, USA Today reported. "It took me a long time to admit that to myself. It took me a long time to admit it to my family, but I am. The amount of energy I expended keeping that secret and keeping this problem hidden from view was exhausting."

Vargas said that although she did stories about alcohol abuse on "20/20," she still remained in "denial" about her own problem.

"I started thinking 'Well, you know, I'll only drink, you know, on weekends," Vargas said in the GMA interview which aired Friday, USA Today reported. "I'll only drink, you know, two glasses of wine a night. I won't drink on nights before I have to get up and do Good Morning America. But those deals never work."

Vargas explained that her reason for drinking is related to panic attacks she suffered as a child. Her father, who served in the Vietnam War, was not at home. Neither was Vargas' mother, who would leave to go to work, USA Today reported. The panic attacks Vargas suffered continued when she became an adult.

"I dealt with that anxiety, and with the stress that the anxiety brought by starting to drink. And it slowly escalated and got worse and worse," Vargas said, USA Today reported.

Wine, or "Mommy's juice" as her son puts it," became her comfort drink. Vargas' husband tried to get her to see that she needed help. But Vargas ignored him.

It wasn't until one day during a "20/20" shoot when Vargas realized she had a problem. She showed up "in no shape to do that interview," Vargas said.

Vargas left "20/20" and checked herself into rehab. After two rehab stints at the end of last year, Vegas says she no longer drinks and is now ready to return to her job.

"I'm part of AA," Vargas said about her Alcoholics Anonymous membership. "I have a sponsor. I have great, great friends who I love and who love me," Vargas said, USA Today reported.