YouTube star Mike Majlak recently published his memoir, ‘The Fifth Vital,’ where he opens up about his past struggles with substance abuse — a subject he discussed during a shocking May 4 episode of Logan Paul’s ‘imPaulsive’ podcast.
Majlak is more than a co-host for the imPaulsive podcast; having founded his own YouTube series “The Night Shift,” he’s become an online entertainer in his own right, later becoming part of Logan Paul’s crew of social media celebrities.
However, his road to internet stardom wasn’t laid out for him from a young age. Majlak explained that he became addicted to drugs in 2010, and reached “rock bottom” when offered illegal substances as a kid in the suburbs.
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“My rock bottom, my true rock bottom, was in 2010,” he began. “I started a new drug because I was offered it in my lowest, non-thinking point in my life.
“Crazy! Think about what I’m saying to you now, bro. I was just a regular, white Connecticut kid.”
Citing the ensuing months as the “worst year of my life,” Majlak also revealed that his addiction coincided with his grandfather’s struggle with Parkinson’s and Dementia — making for a perfect storm of tough times for both himself and his mother.
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His mother asked him to watch over his grandfather — a task that led to a heartbreaking moment during the worst period in Majlak’s addiction.
“There was a day when my grandfather was in his recliner,” the star recalled. “He was downstairs, and he was just screaming, ‘Help me, help me!’ He was stuck in the chair and he couldn’t get up. …I was in the attic, smoking. I was paranoid. And I couldn’t help my grandfather.”
The tearful confession comes as part of a hopeful story for others in similar situations, with the YouTuber reminding readers that his book opens with a message to “those who struggle.”
(Topic begins at 26:30 for mobile readers)
Now a successful entertainer with over one million subscribers to his name, Majlak has overcome his demons and is spreading his own story in the hopes that those in need of encouragement will find the strength to carry on.