Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is celebrating his milestone of a decade of sobriety.
“10 years ago, I made a decision that changed everything. A decision to stop running, stop numbing, and finally face my life head-on,” the Jersey Shore star, 43, wrote via the Instagram page for his recovery organization, The Archangel Centers, on Wednesday, December 24. “It wasn’t easy. There were moments I doubted myself, moments I felt broken beyond repair. But one day at a time, I chose recovery, and those days added up.”
Sorrentino shared that choosing to become sober gave him his “life back.”
“It gave me clarity, purpose, faith, family, and a mission bigger than myself,” he continued. “It gave me the ability to turn my darkest chapters into a platform of hope for others who are still struggling.”
Now that Sorrentino is on the right path, he expressed his gratitude for everyone who stayed by his side during those dark times.
“Today, I celebrate this milestone with gratitude, for my support system, my wife and family, my team, and everyone who believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself,” he said. “And I celebrate it by continuing the work, founding the Archangel Centers, and helping others see that recovery is possible and worth fighting for.”
Sorrentino added that if there is anyone feeling hopeless about making change, he hopes his story inspires them.
“If you’re reading this and wondering if change is possible for you, let me be living proof that it is,” he shared. “One day. One choice. One step at a time. The comeback really is greater than the setback. 🙏.”
Sorrentino rose to fame as one of the main cast members on Jersey Shore. While filming the MTV series, Sorrentino struggled with substance abuse, which he has since been candid about.
“I had an obsessive personality and everything I did was zero or a hundred,” the reality star exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2023. “Once you get into that life of excess, whether it’s drugs, women, money, success, a lot of people don’t make it out.”
Sorrentino also previously served eight months behind bars in federal prison for tax evasion after failing to pay $8.9 million in taxes. He was released in 2019.
Last year, Sorrentino announced that he was opening his own mental health and addiction recovery centers called The Archangel Centers. The first facility opened in New Jersey earlier this year.
“If you had told me 10 years ago that the U.S. government would send me to prison, strip me of my passport and voting rights, and hit me with millions in penalties, I would’ve thought it was game over,” he wrote via Instagram in September 2024. “But here I am — living proof that the comeback is always greater than the setback.”
Sorrentino continued, “Against all odds, I turned my life around,” his statement continued. “Today, I’m happily married with three amazing kids, a published author, nine years sober, and about to launch my own treatment centers: @thearchangelcenters. What once seemed impossible is now my reality.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
