Martin Sheen believes son Charlie, despite being 45, is "still emotionally a child"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Martin Sheen's latest movie, "The Way," co-stars son Emilio Estevez, who wrote and directed the father-son drama.

(PEOPLE.com) -- Martin Sheen understands the "hell" son Charlie Sheen is going through.

He believes that Charlie, despite being 45, is still "emotionally" a child. "Because when you're addicted, you don't grow emotionally. So. when you get clean and sober you're starting at the moment you started using drugs or alcohol," the actor tells the UK's Telegraph magazine. "You're emotionally crippled."

Sheen, 70, has been through similar difficulties, he concedes: "I know what hell he's living in. I've had psychotic episodes in public. One of them was on camera -- the opening scene of "Apocalypse Now." ... I know what Charlie is going through. And when you do something like that, that is out of control, that's the most difficult thing. You have to have courage."

Estevez, meanwhile, is optimistic his brother can beat his problems. "There's always hope, and there are so many examples of people pulling themselves out of the sh-- and having a rebirth," he toldThe Sunday Times. "So you just pray for him and hope he has that moment of clarity."

http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/03/21/martin.sheen.ppl/index.html?hpt=T2

[RavensChick]

1. Spoken like a true father!

I can only hope he said the same thing to Charlie in private because this dude is off the chain right now, so eventually he'll be calm but the "aha" moment has yet to happen.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Spoken like a true recovering alcoholic, too.

He has publicly admitted being a recovering alcoholic. I imagine this has helped with his insight, a lot.

[brendan120678]

3. I know that Emilio has made some bad choices in life as well...

Such as:
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