Jason Wahler Details 'Struggle' with OCD as a Teen and Turning to Alcohol for 'Relief' (Exclusive)

When Jason Wahler first joined the cast Laguna Beach as a high school senior, his mental health and addiction struggles were already underway.

Although the former reality star, now 37, starred in a spinoff of the MTV show, Hillsfrom 2006 to 2008, he was in the midst of dealing with substance abuse and addiction, which led to several trips to rehab, as well as trouble with the law. His addiction also “made me suicidal,” he revealed to Party tonight in 2016.

However, he continued his recovery in the public eye, even appearing on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew 2010 and openly discusses his ups and downs in the years since, including a 2018 comeback and another low point when he ended up on the “first floor of Hoag Hospital while my wife [Ashley] gave birth on the third floor with my daughter,” Delilah Ray,

But now, Wahler tells PEOPLE that his mental health issues date back long before he ever stepped in front of a camera, beginning in his childhood. “I struggled with OCD, an obsessive compulsive disorder, where I would wash my hands until they bled,” he recalls. “I would have to wear neoprene gloves at night and put Neosporin in them.”

Jason Wahler in 2005.

Frederick M. Brown/Getty

Jason Wahler says Laguna Beach ‘fueled the fire’ of his substance abuse problems

He says dealing with the disorder while trying to maintain his “popular kid” persona at school was difficult. “There’s one way the public perceives you, not that you go home to mom and dad and have a completely different life,” he says. “So I was literally, at 12 or 13 years old, living a double life.”

Although he was in therapy and took medication to “alleviate the symptoms,” he says he “never addressed the underlying problem.” He recalls: “A couple of years, fast-forwarding, I find alcohol: ‘Oh my God, who needs drugs, right? This is a relief.’ ”

More than 20 years later, Wahler, who now has two children and is expecting a third with his wife, says medication and therapy have gotten him to the point where his “OCD no longer controls my life or affects me on a daily basis.”

The Laguna Beach alum now devotes much of her time to addiction and mental health advocacy and awareness. “Every day when I wake up, I have purpose, I have passion, I have motivation, and there’s nothing better than giving back and not asking for anything in return,” he says.

His openness about his struggles means that every day people reach out to him on social media to share their own stories of addiction or their loved ones in crisis. For a while, he tried to answer most of them – but found that not being able to hold boundaries was taking a toll on his mental health.

“I have a big heart and I want to be able to help as many people as possible, but that has also been my biggest downfall,” he says, explaining that it is his “inability to take care” of himself while supporting others. role in his comeback a few years ago.

From left: Jack Osbourne, Richard Blair, Jason Wahler, Dr. Raghu Appasani and Danny Sgro on September 18, 2024.

Charley Gallay/Getty

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“Helping people didn’t make me go back to rehab,” he explains. “Not taking care of myself, failing to set boundaries, and not prioritizing my sobriety were the main reasons that led to my relapse, which ultimately led to me going back to rehab.”

Now, to be more “intentional” in his work, Wahler has committed to more speaking engagements, including upcoming appearances at Ole Miss and about a dozen school districts in Kentucky, giving speeches to youth on the topic of substance abuse and mental health.

“If I can influence a few hundred people instead of just one, I’d rather do it,” he says of his renewed focus on speaking to groups. “I want to help as many people as possible with my heart.”

He also works with organizations including The Red Songbird Foundation, Change Your Brain Foundation and ALYST Health, where he works as a recovery advocate.

“My whole goal is to educate people in the best way possible [my] the ability to give them an informed opportunity to make a decision,” Wahler says of her advocacy for an organization that provides home-based treatment for those facing substance abuse. “My job is to give them options, to give them peace of mind about what’s going on there and let them see what really fits.”

Jason Wahler recalls being treated for a relapse while a woman was giving birth in the same hospital 3 floors above

From left: Ashley and Jason Wahler in April 2024.

Jason Wahler/Instagram

Another important boundary he maintains to preserve his sanity and sobriety? Sticking to a routine — as “simple” as it sounds, he believes it’s true that “consistency and structure create security.”

For him, this may include meditation, Bible study, and exercise. At the end of each day, he also checks in with himself to discover any areas where he may have “failed” – and is also sure to highlight what went well. “I think many of us are too hard on ourselves,” he says.

He says the things he’s focused on now, like gut health, exercise and checking off his gratitude list, are a far cry from what he worried about two decades ago. “I’m so grateful that these are my problems today,” he says. “I have quality problems compared to the fact that 20 years ago I was looking for which treatment to go to, which lawyer to hire, which prison to go to? It’s very different, but it’s really given me this opportunity to literally have a very meaningful life that I love.”

Wahler adds, “I think that’s the great thing about this, that sobriety has really helped me identify who I am and reconnect with myself.”

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the text crisis line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education