A normally-private Demi Moore is getting candid about her life. The actress received the Woman of the Year Award at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Oct. 27, and during her acceptance speech, she revealed she found recovery early in her career.

“I was spiraling down a path of real self-destruction and no matter what success I had I just never felt good enough,” Demi, 55, shared while accepting the award given by LA-based women’s recovery center and sober living program Peggy Albrecht Friendly House. Demi’s highly-successful career first kicked off in 1985 when she starred in St. Elmo’s Fire and ever since, she’s been one of the most famous faces in Hollywood.

Demi Moore
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Demi in 1986.

She continued, “I had absolutely no value for myself and this self-destructive path, it really quickly brought me to a real crisis point. It wasn’t clear at the time, maybe it was divine intervention, but two people who I barely knew stepped up and took a stand for me and presented me with an opportunity, which I guess was more like an ultimatum — unless I was dead, I better show up.”

Not getting into too much detail, Demi added, “It gave me a chance to redirect the course of my life before I destroyed everything. Clearly, they saw more in me than I saw in myself and I’m so grateful because without that opportunity, without their belief in me, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

And it all taught her a life lesson. “Life is certainly not a straight line and I think everybody here has dealt with not feeling good enough at some point in their lives. I know that in a moment of great struggle for me, I reached out to a wise teacher and I expressed my fear that I wasn’t good enough and she said, ‘You will never be good enough but you can know that value of your worth. Put down the measuring stick.’

The mom-of-two — who reportedly previously sought treatment for an eating disorder and addiction in 2012 — concluded, “So today, I put down the measuring stick and I thank you for this beautiful acknowledgment and the opportunity to know the value of my worth.” You go, girl!