Nick Carter’s Success Story
Celebrities are role models. That’s it, simple as pie. Often, our current celebrities become role models for tomorrow’s youth. Unfortunately, celebrities don’t always lead the sort of life we want our children to follow. Fame, fortune, and money can throw anyone into a whirlwind. When you live in front of a camera, that whirlwind is broadcast for the whole world to see.
Amy Winehouse, Heath Ledger, and Whitney Houston are examples of celebrities behaving badly. They’re also three people we watched die. Lindsey Lohan and Amanda Bynes are celebrities we watched grow up. We’ve experienced their growing pains and struggles. Once in a while though, well, once in a while we get to witness positive change. We get to see a celebrity return to health right in front of our eyes. We get to see someone move from self-destruction to helping others. Nick Carter is one of these success stories.
You Mean the Backstreet Boy?
Yep, that Nick Carter. By now you’ve probably heard, he’s an addict! Nick Carter, teen heartthrob extraordinaire, recently opened up about his addiction. He let everyone know what he experienced and how hard it really was.
Nick began drinking in his early teens. By the time he was nineteen, right around when the Backstreet Boys blew up, he’d moved onto harder drugs. Nick admits to abusing cocaine ecstasy, and prescription pills. In an interview with Dr. Phil, Nick told the world “I drank, did drugs, and partied until I was paralyzed and passed out.” He went on to talk about how his family blames him for the death of his older sister, Leslie, who overdosed. Leslie’s death, and his family’s resentment, led to estrangement.
Nick’s use began to make headlines around 2005. He was arrested and charged with a DUI. Still, Nick insists there wasn’t anything that could stop him. By 2006, his weight had ballooned to 224 pounds. He was dating Paris Hilton and says that she played a large part in his addiction. They two would often use together. Nick also admitting to suffering depression, due to his heavy ecstasy use and unhealthy relationship.
Not long after, he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a heart condition. All his drinking and drugging had led to a buildup of toxins in his heart, which weakened it severely. Sort of a good metaphor for addiction, huh?
The Road to Recovery
Nick’s journey to recovery began after he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. His was way overweight, had a weak heart, and couldn’t stop getting high. He decided it was time to change! His former bandmate, Kevin Richardson, suggested reading his book, “Why Some Positive Thinkers Get Powerful Results.” Nick read this and started to become healthy, one small step at a time. Soon, Nick wanted to write a book of his own. He wanted to share his struggles and successes with the world.
Nick’s memoir is called “Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It.” It details his fight with substance abuse and addiction throughout his life. It also examines his early alcohol use. He admits to taking his first drink at two years old!
Today, Nick’s been sober over five years and is living a much different life. Nick’s brother, Aaron Carter, is also believed to have gone to treatment. Apparently, Nick’s positive change is rubbing off on his entire family! The family is no longer estranged and life is good. Nick is engaged with fitness guru Lauren Kitt. When asked about his new life, he often responds by saying he’s taking it one day at a time.