Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino Says He’s ‘Still an Addict’ and ‘Will Always Be in Recovery’

The journey never ends. Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino spoke about his struggle to get sober and admitted that it will always be a challenge for him. “Things are good right now. We have a lot to be grateful for,” he exclusively told In Touch for its newest issue, on newsstands now. “I’ll always be in recovery, and I’m still an addict, but now I’m addicted to being my best self and living my best life.”

Previously, Mike, 37, struggled with an addiction to painkillers and completed two stints in rehab to kick it. But he’s come out the other side stronger than ever.

“I’ve turned my addictive personality into a superpower,” the Jersey Shore star told In Touch. “I’ve become addicted to implementing balance and being the best husband for my wife and a good friend to my friends out there.”

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But Mike has also overcome other hardships in his life. In January 2018, he pled guilty to one count of tax evasion. He was sentenced to eight months in a correctional facility plus two years of supervised release in October 2018. He was released from prison in September 2019, and he opened up to In Touch about what it was like jumping right into filming his hit MTV reality series, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, after he left jail. “I would’ve liked a breather, but at the same time, I love my job,” he admitted. “When they wanted me to work, I was like, ‘It’s important to document this in an authentic way.'”

From Sobriety to Prison: Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino Sure Has Changed a Lot in the Past Few Years

One of the best things to come out of Mike’s struggle is his new passion for helping others with the same addiction issues he struggled with. He is now an official recovery speaker for Banyan Treatment Centers, and he describes both himself and his wife, Lauren Pesce, as recovery advocates. “We go once or twice a month and speak a message of hope,” he explained.

As for his own journey to get to the happy, healthy place he now finds himself, the reality star said the biggest lesson he’s learned is, “With whatever obstacle you’re facing, you have the choice to become better or to become bitter. You have the choice to choose positivity or negativity — and I choose positivity.” You’ve got this, Mike!