Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Breakups 'Million Dollar Listing's' Fredrik Eklund Reveals He's 160 Days Sober: 'It Feels Amazing' "I'm a work in progress, still," the Bravo star said By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 26, 2021 03:04PM EDT Fredrik Eklund is speaking openly about his sobriety. On Thursday, the 43-year-old Million Dollar Listing star revealed that he is "160 days sober" in a candid Instagram post about his struggle with alcohol addiction. "Today marks 160 days sober and it feels amazing," Eklund wrote in the caption of his post. "The basic stuff is that I have more energy and clarity, look and feel younger, sleep better with less stress and no anxiety. My body is singing, not aching." Detailing that he was a "high-functional addict," Eklund noted, "It took me a while to realize and admit that." "I'm a work in progress, still. The decision to stop wasn't easy. But once I really decided, it was actually freeing," the reality star added. "The pressure was off in a way. The pressure of not being honest. The pressure of often putting up a facade. The pressure and pain of not trusting myself towards the end." Rob Lowe Reflects on Being 30 Years Sober: 'You Have to Want to Do It' "160 days later and I don't feel alone. The world is huge and full of possibilities," Eklund continued. "I don't worry about the future like I used to. I don't question my ability as a father the way I used to." Singling out a "surprising thing" about himself, the father of two said he is "actually more fun" now than he was before. Detailing a story from a recent night out, Eklund said he was able to laugh "hysterically," go "deeper into the conversations" and remember "every detail of the night" the next morning. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Also, I felt something entirely new: being Proud of myself!" he added. "When [you] stop drinking, people around you can get defensive as in 'well I don't have a problem, I don't even drink that much,' as if I'm critiquing them. I'm not," Eklund also noted. "This is about me. Sharing my reality and hoping to inspire those who need it." "So here we are. I guess a new chapter is starting for me now. Life 2.0 – a life that's bigger than alcohol," he continued. "I'm excited to see where it brings me." RELATED VIDEO: Fredrik Eklund Shares 'Bittersweet' Message About His 2½-Year-Old Twins' First Day of School Back in January, Eklund initially revealed that he was sober in an earlier Instagram post. Sharing a carousel of photos of himself with his young daughter, Milla Eklund, the Bravo star said that he was "77 days sober" at the time of that message. "I've given up alcohol and though it's still pretty early I wanted to share with you how I feel about it," Eklund began his post at the time. "It was simply time to stop, actually overdue, and if you know me well you know it's been the one and only thing that's given me extra weight as a father, business man and health-nut for way too long." "It's true what they say: it's not easy but totally worth it," he added. "I'm not going to oversell you on it but it is night and day." Eklund shares twins Milla and Fredrik "Freddy" Jr., 3, with husband Derek Kaplan, whom he married in 2013. The family recently relocated from New York City to Los Angeles.