Mike “The Situation” Sorrentinohadhis fair share of issuesonthe first run ofJersey Shore. Since the show’s released, heserved jail time for tax evasionandalso returned toJersey Shore: Family Vacationa sober man. Sorrentino has beenopen about his addiction issueson the show, but now he is telling his story to help others who might need it. Talking withAmy Gopel,thePicatinny Arsenal’ssubstance abuse program manager and employee assistance program coordinator, Sorrentino was there to bring awareness to addiction issues on International Overdose Awareness Day.
The day is meant tohelp reduce addiction-related and drug-related deathsby hoping others who have found sobriety will share their stories.Sorrentino was thereto share his. “There’s always an elevated or different version of yourself that you’re able to dig deep and find,” Sorrentino said to those in attendance.
“If you fight, and you’re determined to find it, you will find that you elevate yourself in almost anything.“This is not the first time that he has shared detailsof his addiction and his journey to sobriety. He released a memoir titledReality Check: Making the Best of The Situation — How I Overcame Addiction, Loss, and Prisonthat detailed his situation.
The Moment That Showed Sorrentino He Needed Help
Sorrentino shared a storyabout the day thatmade him realize he needed help. He had lost his lawyer for his tax evasion case because he could not pay him,he was broke, and he was driving around with friends to get drugs. At that moment, he wasoffered heroin for the first timeand knew that it would be a dangerous step for him to take and his girlfriend at the time, who is now his wifeLauren Sorrentino, was at home when he went to be alone. There, he thought he’d try a little heroin and, at the time, his mother called to check on him and his now wife started banging on the door. It was the wake-up call that he needed, and he has been sober since 2015.
“My eyes and my ears were opened just a little bit to understand what was happening,“said theJersey Shorestar “And what was happening was God was saving my life.” He went on to talk about how he made the decision to stop. “I made a decision upon myself that if I wanted to get out of the hole, I needed to put down the shovel,” Sorrentino said. “You have to help yourself in order for the universe to see that, for family and friends to see that, and that’s when you start to get the help coming in.” Sorrentino reminded the audience that their addiction doesn’t define them. “One bad chapter in your book does not mean your story is over,” he said. “You have the power to say that this is not how my story is going to end, and you change it.”
You can now watch Sorrentino onJersey Shore: Family Vacation.
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation
Past members of the cast of “Jersey Shore” reunite to live together and go on vacation in Miami and other destinations.
Watch on Paramount+
