The Bachelorette’sZac Clarkhas always been open about his battle with addiction. Though his fans may have already known the reason behind his past heroin use, thereality starhas once again shed some light on his past struggles and how it all began.
Now celebrating over 11 years of sobriety, Clark is known for speaking his truth and his story, having spoken about his sobriety journey in various interviews and on social media. Just recently, Clark revealed onTikTokthe surgery scar he got from a brain tumor surgery he had at 24 years old. The surgery introduced Zac to opiates, a strong painkiller that is often used for surgeries. But apart from taking away the pain, the drugs also made him experience some kind of “high” he had never experienced before.
It All Began When the Medical Prescription Ran Out
In the video, the reality star said:
“What happened during that brain tumor is I was introduced to opiates—really, really strong opiates—and a high that I had never felt before. Despite the fact that I loved to party in college and after college, this was new, and it was exciting—and I felt great.”
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Even after having something “chopped out” of his head, the painkiller felt great, according to Clark. But the trouble began at the same time the medical prescription stopped. “So what happened from there is I got out of the hospital, I started to recover, and the doctors stopped prescribing me the opiates. I quickly started to feel like sh-t [and] I went into withdrawals,” Zac continued. “No medical professional sat me down and explained that I was probably [going to] be addicted to opiates. And I took matters [into] my own hands.”
Taking Matters Into His Own Hands
Zac ventured out into the streets and began purchasing Oxycontin. Even though it costs more than $60–70 per pill, his habit persisted for two years. But when the said drug “got really expensive,” he learned to instead “reset his tolerance.” However, his definition of resetting his tolerance was finding something cheaper but one that could give him the same high the Oxycontin provided him. And thus, he started buying heroin. “I learned that a $10 bag of heroin gave me the same effect that a $60 bag…or a $60 pill of Oxycontin gave me,” he added. “So naturally, I had more money to go out and do more drugs.”
Even more, he started exploring shooting heroin, which, he explained, got him to “a deep, dark place quicker than maybe someone who drinks alcohol.” After sharing his story, Zac claimed that he didn’t do it to trigger anyone but rather because it will always be a part of him, his story, and his experience. “I hope that it is helpful and educational to someone who is getting surgery . . . hooked on opiates . . . someone who’s out there using heroin today and is really ashamed by it because I’m not ashamed of it. It’s part of my story, and I lean into it.”
After overcoming drug abuse, the reality star and addiction specialist went on to co-found three addiction treatment centers. He appeared on the 16th season ofThe Bachelorette, where he met his ex-fiancéeTayshia Adams.
