Kurt Angle Took Unhealthy, Massive Amount Of Vicodin Each Day During Height Of Issues

In a shockingly revealing interview on the Dan Le Batard show, former WWE star Kurt Angle admitted to taking 65 extra-stength Vicodin per day during the peak of his struggle with addiction.

On Friday morning, the 47-year-old explained during a phone call, "I was on a lot -- there was no way I couldn't get out of it." He continued, "The only thing I could do was eventually go to rehab and try to fix my life again. But I actually beat it on my own. I stayed in my house for about 10 days and didn't leave, and I was able to get through the withdrawal."

Angle was a six-time world champion with the WWF after joining back in 1998. Two years prior to joining professional wrestling, he won an Olympic gold medal for freestyle wresling in 1996. Angle recalled that his struggle with addiction began back in the days leading up to the Atlanta Olympic Games after he fractured two of his cervical vertebrae at the national trial, according to ESPN.

In 2006, Angle departed the WWE after the organization wanted him to continue full time despite the fact that he had requested a part-time deal. In September of the same year, Angle made the decision to sign with American wrestling promotion TNA. His stint in professional wrestling was plagued by injury and various health setbacks, which eventually lead him to a painkiller addiction that spiraled out of control.

"The thing is, everybody drank down there [in TNA]," Angle recalled. "So I started drinking with my meds. And then I started manipulating my meds. I would save all of them until the evening, and drink it with alcohol. And it got me in a lot of trouble -- four DUIs in five years."

After the last of those DUI's, Angle was convinced to check himself into Rehab. He stayed at the St. Joseph Institute for Addiciton in Port Matilda, Pennsylvania for 30 days, but he stated that he overcame the addiction on his own.

"I finally got the right help." Angle said. "I tried to do it myself, but when you're that deep into that stuff, you can't do it on your own. You need somebody else's help, and I finally reached out and I did what I had to do to get it done."

Angle has been clean and sober for 3 years now, and is enjoying a lighter schedule with the TNA making the occasional appearance on the wrestling circuit.

[H/T ESPN]