TV host David Bromstad has opened up about “using substances” after a storm destroyed his Florida home, forcing him to renovate from scratch.
In a clip from My Lottery Dream Home: David’s Happy Ending shared with People, the HGTV star explained how much his house meant to him, and the toll of having to tear the property down to the studs.
He said in the video how he was “emotionally attached” to the house and how he felt destroying it was a reflection of what was happening to him internally.
“Whatever happens to the house feels like it’s happening to you deep within,” Bromstad said.
“With all of the drama, the house, the stress, insurance claims, needing money — I just had to keep busy. My vision for the house was no longer clear. Everything was in chaos.”
As Bromstad waited on some aspects of the home, he prepared other items off-site.
“I called it art in the moment, but it wasn’t. It was a cover-up to what was really happening. I was losing control,” he said.
However, the process became increasingly stressful, as he said his “mind was going crazy.” “I was starting to spiral. I got into some unhealthy behaviors and it’s really easy to go there when you’re under distress,” he added.
“Using substances has been…it’s a real easy escape to take yourself out of a stressful situation. I knew I was in trouble.”
In the upcoming one-hour special, My Lottery Dream Home: David’s Happy Ending, viewers will see the four-year process — including a year-long break to take a trip to Norway — of Bromstad fixing up his destroyed Florida house into his dream home.
Bromstad has previously discussed his substance abuse issues in an interview published with TV Insider on Wednesday. “This isn’t the first time art has saved my life,” he told the publication. “Through substance abuse and not being kind to myself, the one thing that’s always remained secure and steady has been my creative talent.”
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He also explained why it was important for him to use the upcoming television special to talk about his mental health during that period of his life.
“I think it’s important for people to understand that I’m human, that I struggle, that I am innately a bright and shiny person,” Bromstad said. “You can’t have the bright and shining times without the darkness. I don’t push away the darkness. I bring it in because I know the darkness only makes my bright and shiny parts shine that much bigger.”
My Lottery Dream Home: David’s Happy Ending will be available to watch on HGTV on December 19 at 9 p.m. ET.
In the U.S., the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
