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Former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter married Lauren Kitt in Santa Barbara on April 12. The ceremony took place outdoors with the bridal couple surrounded by white and purple flowers. The bride’s father did walk her down the aisle, but it’s not clear how many of the groom’s family members were present on his big day.
Carter has been open about struggles with alcohol and drug use, which started in childhood. In his memoir, entitled Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It, he wrote that alcohol was a familiar presence in his home growing up. His parents used it as a way to relieve stress about family finances, and Carter writes that he was shocked to see himself mimicking their behavior in home movies where he pretends to be drinking at the age of nine or 10.
Heavy Alcohol Use Began In Teens
He began drinking heavily in his teens and added drugs into the mix at the age of 18 or 19. Marijuana was the first one, followed by cocaine, Ecstasy, and prescription pain medication.
Getting arrested in 2002 for resisting arrest without violence after a night of partying at the Pop City bar in Tampa didn’t slow down Carter’s alcohol and drug use. He continued to use, and was arrested again in 2005 for DUI. This time, he was sentenced to 13 AA meetings. While he learned something about his addiction problems, he was still not living a sober lifestyle.
Wake-up Call And Heart Problems
For Carter, his wake-up call to seek addiction counseling at a rehab facility was after yet another night of heavy partying when he was hallucinating that people on the street were zombies. He had gained weight from drug use, lack of exercise and poor diet.
Carter was also diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle which causes weakness over time. This disorder killed singer Andy Gibb and actor Chris Penn. Now Carter is committed to a healthier lifestyle but admits that he does slip up when it comes to alcohol use – proof that dealing with addiction requires a long-term strategy.
Get Help For Drug And Alcohol Addiction Now
Are you looking for help with a substance abuse problem for yourself or a loved one? The New Beginnings Recovery Center offers intensive outpatient program (IOP), which includes mental health services and counseling. Follow us on Twitter @NewBeginningsRC!
Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious lifelong illness that attacks the liver. It results from infection with the Hepatitis C virus, which is spread primarily through contact with an infected person. Hepatitis C can either be “acute” or “chronic”. Acute Hepatitis C infection is a short term illness that occurs within the first six months after someone is exposed to the Hepatitis C virus. For most people, acute infection leads to chronic infection.
When this new coverage is combined with the effects of the Addiction Equity Act and the effects of the Mental Health Parity, the federal government estimates that over 62 million people will receive expanded substance abuse benefits by the year 2020. And over 32 million of them will be getting those benefits for the first time.
