WWE Superstars fight many of their battles inside the ring, but over the years there have been stars that have had to battle addiction in the personal lives as well. Kurt Angle openly speaks about his addiction to prescription drugs, and since getting sober he’s shared his story in hopes that it will inspire others to take control of their lives and overcome addiction.
Now another WWE wrestler is sharing their story, as SmackDown Live star Mike Kanellis recently took to Instagram to open up about his battle with prescription drugs. According to Mike, addiction was something that haunted him for 3 years after he dislocated his knee cap, and he credited his wife Maria for helping him work through it. Mike posted the following:
“This picture was taken this year. It symbolizes my decision to get clean from an addiction to prescription drugs. A problem I kept hidden from my wife, my family, my friends, everyone. It has haunted me for almost 3 years, ever since I dislocated my knee cap. It really started to spiral out of control this past year and a half. I almost lost everything. Finally I decided I couldn’t keep hurting my wife or myself this way and I was going to get my life back. This picture was my way of making my beautiful wife laugh, during one of the most difficult times in our life. Without her, I would be lost. She is the strongest, toughest woman I know. She has been my rock and my reason for fighting. She has been with me every step of the way and I’ll say it again, I would truly be lost without her. It feels so incredibly wonderful to have my life back and to focus on what truly matters. Life has never been better, and everyday is a blessing. I wanted to write this as a symbol of hope, to anyone who is battling addiction. It can strike anybody, in any place, at any time. It does not discriminate. It can and will take everything from you. If you are struggling, please don’t give up hope. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, you are not alone. I have your back.”
Even though WWE stars may at times look like super heroes inside the ring, they are human beings, and unfortunately addiction can become a problem that’s all too real. But the good news is that Mike is happy and healthy now.
Hopefully his story will serve to inspire others who may be dealing with their own addiction issues.
