Tracing his finger along a scar down the back of his neck, Bachelorette star Zac Clark explained how he became a heroin addict. It all started with a brain tumor he had at 24 years old.
As so often happens, Zac’s surgery to remove the tumor introduced him to strong painkillers (opiates), prescribed by his medical team. Tayshia Adams’ ex-fianacé said the drugs not only took away his surgical pain, but he experienced “a high that I had never felt before.”
“Despite the fact that I loved to party in college and after college,” the addiction recovery counselor admitted, “this was new and it was exciting and I felt great.”
Until the prescription ran out
Even though he’d just had a growth “chopped out of [his] dome,” everything was great. But then the drugs ran out. Once he was released from the hospital and began to recover, the doctors stopped prescribing the opiates.
“I quickly started to feel like sh*t,” Zac said. “I went into withdrawals. No medical professional sat me down and explained that I was probably going to be addicted to opiates. [So] I took matters into my own hands.”
In order to feed his addiction, the Recovery Release founder went “out into the streets” to buy Oxycontin, the brand name of the painkiller released by Purdue Pharma in 1996. Despite paying $60-80 per pill, he was able to continue that habit for a couple of years, until it just got too expensive.
Resetting his tolerance
Along the way, Zac learned that he could “reset his tolerance” by using heroin. To his surprise, he could achieve the same high with a $10 bag of heroin that he could get from a $60 pill of Oxy.
“So naturally,” the New Jersey native realized, “I had more money to go out and do more drugs.” Eventually discovering the needle, he began shooting heroin, something he’s now grateful for, as it accelerated his descent to the bottom of the proverbial barrel.
Shooting heroin, Zac said, “got me to a deep, dark place quicker than maybe someone who drinks alcohol, and that’s how I became a heroin addict.”
Claiming that he didn’t share the video to “trigger anyone, I share it because it’s my story and my experience,” he continued. “I hope that it is helpful and educational to someone who is getting surgery … or hooked on opiates … or out there using heroin today and is really ashamed of it.”
“I’m not ashamed of it,” Zac said proudly. “It’s part of my story, and I lean into it.”
The Bachelor Nation alum ended the video on a positive note: “That’s my story. Keep going, have a great day and don’t do drugs!”
If you or anyone you know struggles with addiction, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish). It is a free and confidential service for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Call: 1-(800)-662-HELP (4357).
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ZAC’S RECOVERY STORY? DO YOU THINK HIS RECOVERY MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN HIS BREAKUP WITH TAYSHIA?
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This story originally appeared on Realitytea
