Reality television shows are notorious for turning ordinary people into huge megastars, often because their unscripted antics, meltdowns and outlandish personalities are enough to keep viewers coming back week after week. However, many of these stars begin struggling with substance addiction due to the pressures and temptations of fame. Reality stars and addiction are a dangerous combination, but many stars who are in recovery serve as shining examples for the healthy life that’s possible after addiction rehab.
Reality Stars and Addiction
For many reality TV stars, overnight success can take its toll, and all too often, addiction becomes part of the equation that gets them through the constant attention and relentless demands of their newfound stardom. For many of these reality stars that have battled addiction, inpatient rehab and detox centers have provided the needed lifeline for them to find sobriety and salvage their careers.
Here’s a few reality stars who have struggled with addiction and are now working to stay sober.
Steve-O from Jackass
Steve-O rose to fame by performing dangerous stunts on Jackass that audiences couldn’t look away from. Eventually, and often to ease the pain his stunts caused him, excessive drug abuse became a regular part of his routine.
In 2009, MTV aired the documentary Steve-O: Demise and Rise which outlined his regular use of cocaine and nitrous oxide, the “laughing gas” often associated with dental surgery. During the prior year, Steve-O’s Jackass counterparts held an intervention and pushed for him to enter rehab. According to the documentary, at first, Steve-O said wanted to become sober for others who dealt with addiction and kept the cameras rolling during his recovery, hoping to become a poster child for sobriety. However, camera, reality stars and addiction don’t always mix.
After three months, however, he realized that he needed to become sober for himself, so he put down the camera and got serious about his road to sobriety.
Steve-O has been sober since 2008. He still performs his stunts – drug free.
Alexis Neiers from Pretty Wild
Neiers starred on the reality show Pretty Wild, which gave an inside look at the Hollywood social scene through the life of Alexis and her sisters. Unfortunately for Neiers, the party came to dramatic halt when she pleaded no contest to charges of involvement in a high-profile string of burglaries called the “Bling Ring.”
Neiers legal troubles were compounded when she was found with heroin while on parole. According to reports, the former reality star had a $10,000-a-week heroin habit and ultimately ended up in rehab for heroin addiction.
Neiers considers herself blessed to be sober now. She says that “the truth of the matter is that, for the majority of heroin addicts out there, we don’t get sober. We don’t get healthy.”
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino from Jersey Shore
Sorrentino’s troubles with addiction started in 2010 when he suffered a back injury while participating on Dancing with the Stars. By 2012, he realized he was addicted to prescription opioid painkillers.
Sorrentino’s addiction to painkillers had gotten so bad, he said, that when his pills ran out, he couldn’t even get out of bed to shower or dress himself. Realizing that he was in a dire situation, Sorrentino checked himself into rehab, detoxed from opioids, and now says he is focused on remaining sober one day at a time.
Are You Looking for an Inpatient Rehab Center?
While your life may not be like a reality television show, your challenges with addiction can be just as serious. At Morningside Recovery, we provide real treatment to real people.
Our state-of-the-art inpatient rehab facility is fully capable to helping you get clean, and whether you need to detox from drugs or alcohol or need specific types of therapy due to religious or health reasons, we work with you to create a personalized treatment program that will get you on the path to a long-term life of sobriety.
If the combination of reality stars and addiction can end positively, then your story can, too. For more information about how we can help you achieve sustainable sobriety, call us at 855-631-2135. Our helpline is open 24/7 and our specialists will work with you to help find the treatment option that works for you.
