James Argent said his mum constantly fears he will die after relapsing with drink and drugs.
The 34-year-old, who shot to fame on The Only Way is Essex, admitted his journey to recovery has had a massive effect on his friends and family, who are fearful he will be overcome by addiction.
He said his mum Patricia and his best friends worry he will die, and he’s vowed to take his recovery seriously.
James suffered an “awful relapse” last month, leaving his loved ones “shocked and worried”, and he’s determined to battle his drink and drug demons.
“My using has terrible effects on other people like my mum and close friends cos they panic thinking their son or best mate's gonna die,” he told the MailOnline.
“I'm giving other people anxiety and sleepless nights and other people have had to have therapy off the back of my issues,” James added.
He said his family and friends are “happy” he’s doing so well and working hard, but he is still worried he will relapse, so he needs “to just be humble and take my recovery seriously”.
James confessed he would “beg” his manager to stop stories of his previous relapses from hitting the headlines, as he feared his “career would be over” if fans knew about his struggles.
Now, he understands he has to work on his recovery for the rest of his life, something he has had to “learn the hard way” in the past.
The reality star has battled drink and drug addiction since making his debut on the hit ITV2 show, and revealed he reaches out to his sponsor and BFF, former TOWIE co-star Mark Wright, when he’s struggling.
James was suspended from the reality show in 2014 when he failed a drugs test, and spent three months at a facility in Thailand in 2016 to deal with his addiction.
He returned to rehab in 2019 following his split from Gemma Collins, and underwent a third stint in 2020 before having gastric bypass surgery.
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