If you are struggling with addiction and feel like you’re alone…
Don’t.
Thousands of others, probably quite a few around you that you don’t even know about, struggle with addiction every day. And, even several stars – athletes, musicians, race car drivers – struggle with addiction, too.
In 2007, Aaron Fike was arrested on suspicion of heroin possession. Following this event, his story unraveled.
ESPN Magazine Interview
In an interview with ESPN Magazine, Fike, who was 25 at the time, told the media outlet that he had been for eight months. Moreover, his heroin addiction came after a six-year addiction to painkillers. Fike said his drug addiction stemmed from injuries he suffered in a sprint car crash.
In the weeks leading up to his arrest, Fike’s heroin usage which began as a once-a-week experiment had become a daily routine. Fike has also admitted that not only had he secretly been struggling with drug addiction for years, but that he had also shot up with heroin even on some race days.
At the time of his arrest, Fike was with his fiancée. The two were found at an amusement park in their car in possession of an array of drug paraphernalia, including bloody napkins, a 100-count box of syringes and black tar heroin.
Addiction in The Automotive Industry
However, Fike is not the only NASCAR driver who has been found to struggle with substance abuse. Since 2000, there has been a total of seven NASCAR drivers who have been found to have substance abuse problems and have been suspended indefinitely. Of those seven drivers, four failed or missed a drug test and the other three, including Fike, were caught by police.
Wrapping It Up
These events just go to show that nobody is above addiction and you cannot safely assume that someone is not susceptible to it. Addiction can cost you so much more than money – it can cost you your freedom, and in the event of these NASCAR drivers, their job.
Fike’s story is a great example of how addiction usually begins with something small – a gateway. Oftentimes, with drugs, an addict begins regularly taking an easy to obtain and less harmful drug. After that, the addiction and drug of choice just continue to escalate.
For alcoholics, it might begin with only drinking on the weekends, then switch to drinking a few days during the week as well, and before they know it they are binge drinking on a daily basis.