Zac Efron Explains Drug Addiction on “Running Wild with Bear Grylls”

Given his meteoric rise to fame, it’s no wonder Zac Efron had a hard time coping with the rapid changes in his life and career after “High School Musical.”

And during his episode of “Running Wild with Bear Grylls,” the “Hairspray” hunk attempted to articulate the contributing factors to his struggle with addiction.

Zac began, "It was just so quick -- it was shocking. The challenging part was never the work, that was never it. It was sort of the in-between work -- the social aspects outside of it; everywhere you go [there are press and people watching] … and it can be confusing … and pretty soon you need a social lubricant.”

"Once it became that … it got to the point where I was caring less about the work and waiting more for the weekend where I couldn't wait to go out and let loose and have fun. But when Monday and Tuesday were difficult to get through, I thought, 'This is bad.'"

Now, Efron is determined to stay clean. "I just really never again want to take anything from the outside in to feel … comfortable in my present skin, and that takes a lot of work. It's just meditation and stopping and slowing down your brain."