The actor, who split from wife Courteney Cox in October (10), entered the Betty Ford clinic in California over the New Year weekend (01-02Jan11) to tackle his alcohol and depression issues.
Arquette had been seen out partying on numerous occasions after his separation from Cox, and a new report suggests his decision to tackle his problems came following a painful fall at Los Angeles' Trousdale nightclub shortly after Christmas (10).
A source tells New York Post gossip column Page Six, "David has not handled the split well. He's been drinking heavily and just went wild. At Trousdale, he got wasted and tried to do the worm (breakdancing move), but ended falling on his face and smashing up his nose. There was blood everywhere... He ended up a total mess."