Ally McBeal beauty in battle with bottle....now AA meetings are helping her start over. Beautiful CTS played a drunk on Melrose Place--but she never let a soul know she'd become one in real life too. Pals now say the 30-year-old actress, who is currently helping to make Ally McBeal the year's hottest show, beat her demons with the help of therapy and Alcoholic Anonymous.

Courtney's life began spinning out of control when she began hitting the bottle and partying to help heal the hurt of her shattered romance with Merlose co-star Andrew Shue, according to friends. "Courtney was broken up that things didn't work out with Andrew--she really loved him," says a pal. "She was staying up late, drinking and going to parties. "Then she started dating this other guy and he turned out to be a bad influence. Her looks started to suffer and she piled on the pounds. Luckily she realized in time that she was on a self-destructi ve binge. She showed him the door and sought help."

Now the star attends AA meetings whenever she gets a chance. "She usually goes to a center near her home before work at around 7am," says a friend of the actress, who has played attorney Georgia Thomas since last fall. "She arrives with no fanfare, casually dressed and wearing little makeup, her blonde hair unstyled like she just tumbled out of bed. She's just one of many celebrities who attend--but they're there as part of the healing process, not to discuss their latest roles.

"The great thing about AA is that everyone is in the same boat and they understand. It's a great support system." And also on that's paid off for the tormented beauty. "She's lost a lot of weight since she stopped drinking. She began to look puffy but she's just stunning now," says the source.

According to the friend, Courtney left MP last year because she wanted "a fresh start." Nor is Courtney any stranger to therapy. After her parents divorced when she was a kid, she spent a great deal of time coming to terms with her feelings. "We are an extremely therapy-minded group, my mother and sister and I," says Courtney. "We've been involved in it for a long time. My mom's a therapist now."

Text is courtesy of Melroseman and was used with written permission.