Ray has been no stranger to Hollywood and the spotlight. Many of her fans fondly remember her as the infamous CeCe Drake on the popular series Pretty Little Liars. Of course, holding down her recurring role since 2013, audiences have enjoyed watching her take on the part of Eddie in Blue Bloods, a series centered around a family of New York cops.

The long-running CBS series has been on the air since 2010, but Ray joined the cast a few years later for Blue Bloods‘ fourth season. Throughout the series, much of Ray’s stories line revolved around her romantically charged relationship with her co-worker, Jamie Reagan.

Ray’s character Eddie has become a definite fan favorite over the years. Despite all of the actor’s tremendous success, she has admitted that with it has come some unexpected and additional struggles.

About a year ago, Ray was a guest on Women On Top. The podcast is hosted by Tammin Sursok, Ray’s former Pretty Little Liars co-star, and Roxy Manning, and while sitting down with the hosts, Ray opened up about many of her “demons.”

From navigating bipolar disorder to exploring her relationship with alcohol, seemingly no stone was left unturned in the 53-minute episode featuring Ray. Alcohol and drugs definitely seemed to play a role in the actor’s journey, but it wasn’t as black and white as many might have thought.

When it came to Ray’s drinking habits, she admitted that a few different factors were at play. Before joining Blue Bloods, Ray said she probably had 1 to 3 drinks a year. Yes, a whole year. Upon moving to New York, that eventually changed.

At first, the star was so booked and busy she didn’t even have the time or want to risk messing up performances by staying out late and indulging in the city’s nightlife. However, once she became a staple in Blue Bloods, focusing on just one role, Ray’s schedule wasn’t so jampacked anymore.

With her husband living on the opposite coast, Ray said her idle hands got the best of her, and this marked a turning point in her relationship with alcohol. Realizing she was drinking almost every day, Ray knew she wanted to stop but was hesitant when the Blue Bloods actor wasn’t 100% sure about what would take the vice’s place.

Vanessa Ray’s journey with sobriety

Happy birthday to #BLUEBLOODS star, Vanessa Ray! https://t.co/2pJHfWgk1h pic.twitter.com/ns7DJFtz6O

— Blue Bloods (@BlueBloods_CBS) November 2, 2016

When on Women On Top, Ray admitted that she does still struggle with shame and sometimes beats herself up on why she couldn’t “have gotten her s*** together” sooner, but, ultimately, it all is a part of the journey.

At the time, Ray relayed how scary everything felt, and the star was searching for something, anything, to make her “unaware.” Ray reminisced about the tough times it brought for her new marriage and the tumultuous memories of her crying at the bar after being cut off.

Although Ray acknowledged that it was embarrassing, she also was incredibly grateful to be at such a low, ultimately forcing the celebrity to end the facade, seek real help, and be honest with herself and everyone around her.

Vanessa Ray’s future

Though it may be hard to believe, Blue Bloods is currently airing the series’ 13th season, and as for Ray, she is still an active cast member. Fans of the procedural drama can look forward to seeing more of Ray in Blue Bloods. The actor doesn’t appear to be working on other projects at this point, based on her IMDb.

As for Ray’s personal life, though it wasn’t always easy, she and Landon Beard are happily still together. The pair have been married since 2015.