Adam Hicks Opens Up About 'Secret' Addiction

Former child and Disney star, Adam Hicks, has revealed his struggle with substance abuse, having been arrested multiple times, one of which led to him being incarcerated for four years. 

Now six years sober, he is opening up about his addiction to alcohol and Xanax, saying he is proud it's in the past. 

"I feel good about myself, I do. I do feel good because I know how far I've come and I know what it was — and stuff like this, you never get over. I think the people I let down and the people affected, this is going to live with me forever. It's always going to be there as a reminder of how bad things can get."

As a child star on Disney Channel, he claims he "never drank" on set, as acting was a "high in itself" throughout his "incredible" experience. 

He did admit to feeling as if he was living a double life, as out of the studio he was secretly battling substance abuse. 

"The major issue is that I tried to keep it a secret. I tried to keep it to myself because of the pressure of having to sustain. The career, everything was going as planned, but mentally, I was struggling."

"That is a hard balance, especially when you're not seeking any help. And I think that was the major issue. I didn't get the help I needed, and it just spiralled into a mess, it really did."

He considers his "lowest moment" to be when he was sent to a state hospital after he was "deemed incompetent to stand trial."

"When I did come around, everything hit me at once. It was the gravity of the situation, the people I had let down, how sorry I was for what had happened and my actions. And knowing that I wasn't in my right state of mind, but still knowing that that's not an excuse."

He was eventually sent to prison, where he "learned a lot about myself being in a cell" on "24-hour lockdown" for four years.

"I'd always masked my emotions, masked my feelings with substances or whatever it may be. And that was the first time that I actually was in tune with my own self and trying to figure out what to do from here on out." 

"So that was the start of my sobriety. From the hospital to getting out to now, I've been sober six years, and I've made a commitment to try to help people."

Adam now wants to share everything he's learned. Through American Addiction Center's Addiction Talk series, he has hopes to impact others who may be struggling with the same issues. 

He has also launched a non-profit 'Soundtracks of Life.' 

"It's focused on people who have been formally incarcerated, people with addiction problems or mental health issues and basically, it's therapy through music." 

"The love of my life has been acting — I've always been an entertainer, and music. So I started this to try to connect with people and get the word out there and get them some help before they end up back in this cycle."