In an interview for ESPN, that was aired on Wednesday, wrestler Scott Hall opened up about his struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.

The former WWE and WCW player is kept alive at the aid of a pacemaker and several medicines which control his pain and anxiety. In his own words, he finds it a miracle he is still alive since he should have been dead a hundred times so far. The 52 year old has been fighting with his alcohol and drugs addictions for several years.

Hall received help from the WWE as well. Stephanie McMahon, the executive vice president of creative development and operations of the organization, declared for the press that after 2002 when Hall appeared for the last time in front of his fans, he received medical treatment and aid worth a “six figures” sum. This was the largest amount the World Wrestling Entertainment has ever invested in the care of anyone. “I just want Scott to get help and to decide for himself that he needs help”, she said in the same interview.

Even though, to the day, Hall considers drinking and taking drugs as being fun, he wouldn’t advise anyone to use them as that always leads to addiction and alienation. The abuse hurts not only the addict but everyone around. “It’s a family disease and then you can’t keep a promise to anybody. What sucks the most is when you can’t even keep a promise to yourself”.

The list of wrestlers who have died in the past years from overdoses, suicide or complications derived from alcohol and drugs abuse is alarmingly long. According to a story published in 2007 by Washington Post, since 1997, 60 wrestlers under the age of 50 died in such conditions. The most recent was Eddie Guerrero, who passed from heart complications in 2005 and Chris Benoit who committed suicide in 2007.  Everyone hopes that Hall won’t have his name on the same list in the near future.

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