Columbus Short, who’s best known for playing Harrison Wright on Scandal, recently opened up about his drug and alcohol abuse that led to the troubling behavior that saw him booted from the hit ABC drama.

Columbus Short On Drug, Alcohol Issues

“I’ll be candid. I was struggling with drugs,” Short told Access Hollywood. “I had a lot on my plate, and you know, I was using unhealthy ways to kind of self-medicate and deal with a lot of heavy duty stuff in my life.”

“The real drugs – I did cocaine,” Short explained. “I was doing cocaine and drinking a lot, and trying to balance a 16-hour work schedule a day, and a family, and, I just lost myself back then.”

Through the early stages of Short’s personal troubles, he remained employed by Scandal and its showrunner Shonda Rhimes. According to Short, Rhimes and his costars were aware of his drug and alcohol issues and tried to help him get his feet. But, ultimately, what Short needed more than anything – especially after losing his close friend Lee Thompson Young to suicide – was to slow down and regroup.

“I moved to Atlanta. I’ve been living there for the last five months, five-and-a-half months, and it’s just been great. It’s been life changing,” Short said, adding of the buildup that led him to rock bottom, “It was numbing stuff, it was just numbing – a lot of things I really don’t want to talk about. I was going through a lot, going through a lot in my marriage, I had a lot of loss, tragic loss, so it’s tough.

While in Atlanta, Short has been working on his music and will soon be releasing an EP. As for suiting back up as Harrison Wright, Short is hopeful that Rhimes will welcome him back on Scandal.  “I’m really ready to get back to work,” he said. “As far as Shonda’s shows, I would love nothing more to go back to Scandal. It’s my family.”