"It wasn't easy": Jersey Shore star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino opens up about reaching 10 years of sobriety

Jersey Shore alum Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino has hit a new milestone in his sobriety journey.

On December 24, 2025, Mike took to his recovery center’s Instagram (The Archangel Centers) to celebrate his decade-long sobriety. 

“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,” he wrote.

According to a 2013 TMZ report, Mike’s addiction emerged after he started taking painkillers for a neck injury he suffered on Dancing with the Stars in 2010. 

It put things into motion, pushing him into a vulnerable spot, from where it became difficult for him to recover. 

The dependency on painkillers turned into substance abuse, and exceeded the point where he even smuggled drugs into the sets of Jersey Shore, spending over $500,000 on them. 

Mike checked into a rehabilitation center multiple times, but relapsed. It was only after he hit his lowest point, doing hard drugs, that he decided to put an end to it all. He has been sober since December 2015. 

Since then, Mike has been open about his struggles and even encouraged others not to repeat the mistakes he made.

In 2025, the Jersey Shore alum opened a recovery facility in New Jersey called The Archangel Centers, and in December, celebrated 10 years of sobriety. 

Jersey Shore star Mike Sorrentino reflects on his sobriety journey, noting all the ups and downs he had to experience

In the Instagram post, Mike wrote that he made one decision ten years ago that changed his life forever.

It was a decision to stop going down the road paths and to face the reality, overcoming it. 

“A decision to stop running, stop numbing, and finally face my life head-on,” he wrote. 

The Jersey Shore alum added that it was not an easy journey as there were moments when he doubted himself and even questioned the progress he had made, but he did not stray. 

Mike remained true to his recovery journey, and his efforts finally paid off. 

He confessed that sobriety gave him his “life back.”

“It gave me clarity, purpose, faith, family, and a mission bigger than myself. It gave me the ability to turn my darkest chapters into a platform of hope for others who are still struggling,” he said.

Having been sober for a decade, Mike expressed his gratitude to his “support system,” his wife Lauren, children Romeo Reign, Mia Bella, and Luna Lucia, and his team for standing by him throughout his journey. 

He also thanked everyone else who believed in him and supported him during a dark phase of his life. 

Mike wished to continue his work in the mental health and addiction recovery field, hoping to help others “see that recovery is possible and worth fighting for.”

“If you’re reading this and wondering if change is possible for you, let me be living proof that it is. One day. One choice. One step at a time,” he wrote. 

The Jersey Shore alum concluded his message by noting that the “comeback” is always better than the setback. 

On his personal Instagram profile, Mike posted another picture with his wife and children, in which he held a funfetti cake to celebrate his milestone.

Earlier in November, Mike posted about the opening of a new Archangel location in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, calling it one of the “biggest days” of his life.

Stay tuned for more updates.