Jessica Simpson Marked 4 Years of Sobriety with Candid Photo from Her Past

Jessica Simpson marked a sobriety milestone on Monday with a raw look back at her past.

In a new Instagram post, the mother of three — who has been sober since Nov. 2017 — shared an "unrecognizable" photo of herself from a challenging time in her life.

"This person in the early morning of Nov 1, 2017 is an unrecognizable version of myself. I had so much self discovery to unlock and explore," began Simpson on Instagram. "I knew in this very moment I would allow myself to take back my light, show victory over my internal battle of self respect, and brave this world with piercing clarity."

Simpson, 41, said that in order to take that step forward, she "needed to stop drinking alcohol" as it kept her "heart and mind circling in the same direction." "I wanted to feel the pain so I could carry it like a badge of honor," she continued on Instagram. "I wanted to live as a leader does and break cycles to advance forward- never looking back with regret and remorse over any choice I have made and would make for the rest of my time here within this beautiful world."

Simpson, who addressed her past struggles in the 2020 memoir, Open Book (Buy It, $12, amazon.com), added that she "can't believe" four years have passed since that poignant moment in time.

"There is so much stigma around the word alcoholism or the label of an alcoholic. The real work that needed to be done in my life was to actually accept failure, pain, brokenness, and self sabotage," she shared on Instagram. "The drinking wasn't the issue. I was. I didn't love myself. I didn't respect my own power. Today I do."

The fashion mogul concluded her message by telling her 5.6 million Instagram followers that she has "made nice with the fears" and has learned to accept "the parts of [her] life that are just sad." "I own my personal power with soulful courage," wrote Simpson. "I am wildly honest and comfortably open. I am free."

In response to the post, Simpson received an outpouring of support from fans, some of whom even opened up about their own sobriety journeys. "So proud of you! Love this! I'm at 50 days today!!" shared one commenter on Instagram while another posted, "One day at a time! That's what I've been telling myself everyday since I got sober 10 years ago. Keep going!"

Simpson detailed in her memoir, Open Book, that she had been sexually abused by a young girl. To cope with the emotional pain, as well as other stresses in her life, she turned to alcohol and pills, according to People. "Giving up the alcohol was easy," she said. "I was mad at the bottle. At how it allowed me to stay complacent and numb."

To be brutally honest on a public platform takes courage, and the vulnerability Simpson displayed Monday should be commended. Her words have the potential to be read by millions, including those who may also be struggling.