Mike “The Situation” has always been open about his pain killer addiction.
But not everyone is down to hear what he has to say.
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Recently, the reality star clapped back at a fan who criticized his recovery.
Mike “The Situation” has been a household name ever since “Jersey Shore” premiered in 2009.
The hit MTV show, which ran for six seasons, followed a crazy cast of “guidos” and “guidettes” as they all lived in a house together and partied practically for sport.
After the show ended in 2012, the reality star faced a truly tragic situation: he was battling pain killer addiction.
On the show’s revival, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation , Mike spoke to his co-star, Jenni (JWoww) about some of the low points he faced during this time.
“There was one time I was attempting to get sober and I had a doctor and a nurse at my house,” he recalled.
“They were detoxing me, and after four or five days, I had the ‘[expletive]-its,’ they call it. Where you’re like, ‘[expletive]it, I don’t want this anymore. I want to go party, I want to feel better.’ “
He ended up jumping in his car and taking off to the party.
It was his now-wife Lauren Pesce who got into her car and took after him, refusing to leave the star during his low point.
Mike married Lauren, who’s actually his college sweetheart, last year.
It was after he completed eight months in prison for tax invasion.
Thankfully, Mike is sober these days and has been for four years.
“Being sober really taught me how to be at peace. It taught me to be more accepting,” he told E! News back in 2018.
“I live my life today at peace. I try not to have any arguments.”
“I mean, everything in my life has changed. I don’t speed. I don’t get into fights. I don’t get into arguments. I really feel awesome today.”
Being four years sober is something that the star recently celebrated online with his followers.
But not everyone has been down with The Situation sharing his story of recovery.
When he recently shared this sweet image of himself and his wife, along with the caption, “Difficult Roads often Lead to Beautiful Destinations,” a fan had some critical things to say.
“Most people do not come out of treatment the way you have!!! I’m happy you have an amazing life. People don’t live like you!! If you want to talk about treatment, maybe you should live humble,” they wrote.
This was clearly a situation for The Situation to deal with, as he quickly clapped back at the fan.
“Don’t make a comment about someone’s recovery when you don’t know where there [sic] story or what hole they had to dig out of to get where they are now,” he replied.
“That is true that I have beat the odds and I am living my best life,” he continued.
“I am showing anyone watching that you can beat the odds and be successful.”
He continued: “Stay in your lane and run your own race. You can’t be bitter and expect life to be sweet. There is enough out there for all of us.”
He concluded his message by telling the fan to “stay positive.”
Right away, so many fans defended the star’s right to share his recovery.
They also praised his classy response to the troll.
“This comment is literally why your fans LOVE you. I’ve been a day one fan, but appreciate who you’ve become now even more. Keep being great and inspiring.”
In addition to being open about recovery on social media, Mike and Lauren inspire others in different ways.
The couple recently partnered with Banyan Treatment Centers, an addiction treatment center that provides drug and alcohol detox and treatment programs all over the country.
“We are both recovery advocates and speakers,” Mike told “People.” My job is to spread awareness about substance abuse and the disease of addiction.”
“Also, we want to shed light on the fact that there are positive stories out there — we do recover,” he said .
“Most importantly, the comeback is truly greater than the setback.”
