Sitting down with In Touch for an exclusive interview on February 8, Tara Reid looked relaxed, toned and healthy - a far cry from the party girl she once was. "I didn't like the person I was," she tells In Touch. "I was sad and conflicted."

So on December 8, 2008, she checked herself into Malibu's Promises rehab center for substance abuse. "Some people get forced to be in rehab," says the American Pie star. "I went there by myself. I put myself there. It was the greatest decision I ever made." But it wasn't an easy decision. "The hardest thing was walking through the door for the first time - finally admitting that I had a problem. I had been in such denial," she adds. But it was definitely worth it. "Rehab saved my life," admits Tara, who stayed at the facility for 60 days. "Before I used to think about tomorrow and I hated it. Now I can't wait because I am clean and sober and I am excited."

Read Tara's interview in its entirety in the new In Touch.