Renowned wrestling personality, Jake Roberts, known as ‘The Snake’, was candid about his battles with the bottle and the consequential self-inflicted punishments. Not only did his struggles cause him pain but it also adversely impacted his close confidant, former WCW World Champion, Diamond Dallas Page.
Roberts had been grappling with the difficulties linked to substance abuse for many years and would face recurrent relapses, even after being under the supportive care of Page.
While discussing his alcoholism on a recent episode of the “Six Feet Under” podcast, Roberts was remorsefully forthcoming about his self-imposed punishments time after time. He declared,
“The sense of guilt consumed me, therefore, I felt defeated…as soon as I was aware that I was intoxicated…I felt the need to penalise myself. That’s where it gets challenging when you begin to punish yourself… I was cognizant of who my safe haven was, and I knew he would persist in his support.”
Roberts admitted his harmful lifestyle caused not only his own downfall but also deeply affected his friend Page, who had been relentlessly striving to ameliorate Jake’s life. He added,
“Each lapse led to even greater pain, because I disappointed not just myself but my brother as well, who was fervently advocating for me, standing by my side, taking all the right measures, it was heart-wrenching to let him down.”
There is a silver lining, as Roberts has seen considerable improvement in recent times, a success he attributes to Page’s indefatigable attempts to help others.
In recognition of his contributions, Roberts was bestowed with the honour of being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014, with Page receiving the same tribute three years afterward.