ABC/Craig Sjodin Zac Clark is one of the men vying for Tayshia Adams' heart on 'The Bachelorette.'
The Bachelorette contestants are narrowing down. Bachelorette star Tayshia Adams has 12 men left, and with the new season of the Bachelor premiering January 4, Adams is starting to get serious about who she wants to choose.
One of the men left, Zac Clark, is an addiction specialist from New Jersey, according to ABC. Clark is sober and began a recovery program to help, “reintegrate people back into the world after rehab, which has become his life’s purpose,” per ABC. Clark, “knows that life is short and he plans to make the most of it, no matter what obstacles are thrown his way.”
Clark’s recovery program is called Release Recovery, and its motto is, “Give thanks. Live life. Release.” Its website reads that, “Release is more than just a place to live. Release is a community dedicated to helping clients discover their potentials and live their best lives.” Since 2017, Release has expanded to three different sites and 25 employees.
Here’s what you need to know, but beware of spoilers.
Release Offers Various Services
Clark co-founded Release Recovery in 2017 with his close friend Justin Gurland. The two met seven years ago and realized they both have a shared passion for recovery. “Drawing from their years of experience in the recovery field — as well as from their own personal journeys in recovery — Zac and Justin have made it their life’s work to share the gift of recovery with as many people as possible,” the website reads.
Release Recovery has individualized programs that, “guide clients toward a life of accountability.” They provide around-the-clock supervision during a client’s first month of residency. The program offers structured days of volunteer work, recovery meetings, and group activities, according to its website.
There are three residences where people can seek treatment: the flagship residency in Westchester, New York for men, the newest residency in New York City for men, and an Upper East Side townhouse residency for women. The recovery services include recovery coaching, a sober companion, case management, safe transportation, and interventions. Many of the services span from individuals mostly sober to individuals who need intensive support, per its website.
Clark Himself Struggled With Substance Abuse
Clark will get to go on his first one-on-one date with Tayshia Adams on the newest episode of the Bachelorette. During the dinner portion of the date, the 36-year-old opens up to Adams about his past. Clark reveals to Adams that he has had a history of addiction.
“Don’t let this suit fool you. I am a degenerate alcoholic and drug addict,” Clark said during a speech at Alvernia University, as reported by a 2014 Reading Eagle story. Clark explains that he began drinking when he was in high school and lied about it. “It set off like 15 years of lying,” he added.
After high school, Clark played college basketball, graduated, and got married. Doctors discovered a brain tumor in Clark, and he thought, “Now I had something I could go to doctors with, legitimate,” he said. Later on in life, Clark’s substance abuse issues escalated and at one point, Clark found himself at the hospital telling the doctors he needed his gall bladder removed, so he could get painkillers.
Clark snorted and smoked OxyContin, according to the Reading Eagle. Clark recalled knowing he had a problem when he was preparing to go on a honeymoon in St. Thomas and didn’t know how he would get drugs. “I have got to leave the country for 10 days and for a guy with a serious, serious drug problem, that’s not cool,” he said. Clark eventually got arrested for possession of crack and driving while intoxicated, according to the Reading Eagle.
After spending over four months in a treatment center, Clark became sober and has dedicated his life’s work to helping others. Clark has even ran six consecutive New York City Marathons in the name of recovery.
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