Born in Europe, Reva’s childhood was an unhappy one, and depression set in so badly she tried taking her own life at age 13 by swallowing 100 aspirins. She survived her suicide attempt, but upon waking from a deep sleep she learned nobody in her family noticed she had tried to kill herself. But it wasn’t until she turned 21 while in New York City for college that she started drinking. Instead of class, she was at a bar – any bar. The booze helped quell her anxiety. Sobriety came later, and only with the clarity that came from controlling her disease did she realize her own mother was also an alcoholic.
