Jersey Shore’s Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino says pill addiction began with Dancing With the Stars injury

Before Snooki takes the Dancing With the Stars stage, fellow Jersey Shore alum Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino likely has some advice… That’s because The Situation’s own DWTS appearance led him down the dark road of opiate addiction.

After suffering a neck injury on the dancing competition in 2010, Mike was prescribed painkillers. He began taking more than the recommended dose and quickly became dependent on the opiate relievers. (He didn’t address whether he previously dealt with addiction, which is what his family claimed.)

Yesterday, Mike told The AP that rock bottom came during a February 2012 trip to Australia.

“All I had to do was get dressed for a family function and I couldn’t do that. The shirt was laid out, the belt, the pants, everything. The shower was on. I couldn’t even get out of bed,” he explained, adding that’s when he knew the problem was serious. “If I can’t [get dressed], how am I going to continue?”

He checked into rehab the next month.

“I want to set the record straight. I have voluntarily taken steps to get control of a prescription medication problem I had due to exhaustion. I have spent the past several weeks getting treatment for this problem and recuperating from my work and appearance schedule. I appreciate my fans support and love you guys,” Mike said at the time.

After completing rehab, Mike joined the rest of the Jersey Shore cast to film the final season. Remarkably, he was able to stay sober.

“Ever since I’ve been out, I’m not gonna lie… It’s not easy,” he said in an interview shortly before season six. “But at the same time, where I’m at right now, I’m at a good place. But it took a little bit to get there. In the beginning? A lot of rainy days, so to speak. A lot of rainy days.”

Since the final season wrapped in 2012, Mike has laid pretty low — with the exception of endorsement deals with Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (manufacturer the recovery medication he uses) and Reset Reality (an awareness group for recovering opiate addicts).

He is also taking his own recovery on a day-by-day basis and is working to be “the best person I can be for those 24 hours.”