General Hospital actor Jacob Young has opened up about his seven-year struggle with opioid addiction, describing it as a period where he lived a double life. The 46-year-old, best known for playing Lucky Spencer on the long-running soap, shared his story on the Imperfectly Perfect podcast.
Young revealed that his addiction began after a dental procedure, when he was prescribed Vicodin. “I started getting hooked on opioids and I went through seven years of my life wasted on opioids,” he said. He admitted that he used the pills to feel numb, but insisted his drug use never affected his work: “I always showed up, I always did my lines.”
Despite maintaining a professional facade, Young said he was “living an absolute lie.” He hid his addiction from everyone, including his wife, Christen Steward, until he finally broke down and confessed. “I was like, ‘Look, I’m addicted. And I can’t get off this because I don’t want to get sick, but I need help,’” he recalled.
Young sought counselling to understand the root causes of his addiction, which he attributed to undiagnosed depression and old wounds. He also spoke about past struggles with alcohol and cocaine, which he overcame after meeting Steward. The couple married in 2007 and have three children.
Young earned a Daytime Emmy in 2002 for his role on General Hospital and has also starred on The Bold and the Beautiful and All My Children.
