Hulk Hogan has recently gotten candid about his struggles with prescription pill addiction… And what he has to say is truly heartbreaking.
The 70-year-old WWE legend opened up about his past in a new interview with Muscle And Health, where he said that he had an extreme addiction to painkillers after going through 25 agonizing surgeries.
He continued by saying he sadly became stuck in what he calls a “vicious cycle” where he was not able to function normally without taking the pills, despite making a full recovery from the surgeries.
Hogan underwent 25 agonizing surgeries, which saw him eventually become addicted to painkillers. Credit / John Parra / Getty.
“I was hitting the pain pills hard because I’d had to endure 25 procedures, including 10 to my back, facial operations from being kicked, knee and hip replacements and abdominal and shoulder surgeries,” the former pro-wrestler told the magazine.
“There was a period of time, about five or six years ago, where I was in crazy pain to the extent I couldn’t even function. When you have back surgery, it takes a good year for your body to recover, yet they were cutting on me every four months,” he added.
Hogan – whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea – admitted that he did need the painkiller medication initially, but that after he was starting to heal, he was still being given the same pills.
“It got to a point where I’d recovered from the 10th back surgery and the pharmacy would call me and say, ‘Your prescription’s ready,’ and like a dog chasing a bone, I’d go pick it up,” he revealed.
Hulk Hogan posing with his championship belt in 1980. Credit / Darlene Hammond / Hulton Archive / Getty.
Eventually, however, Hogan told the magazine that he’d had enough one day: “Finally, I just looked at myself, and I said, ‘I’m not in pain. I don’t need this. My body hurts from all the wrestling injuries, but I’m not in this excruciating pain that I can’t live with.’”
The retired wrestling legend also revealed elsewhere in the interview that he gave up alcohol at the start of the year, saying: “About seven months ago, I decided not to drink any more alcohol. I was at a New Year’s Eve party, and I saw a bunch of stuff that I didn’t condone or like. I saw myself in this environment and I went, ‘You know what? I don’t know how I got here, but I’m done.’”
How brave of Hulk Hogan to come out with his story of addiction. I’m so glad he managed to overcome all those obstacles, and look forward to seeing what he gets up to next!