Most people know Andrew Zimmern from Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, but his dramatic ride from riches to rags and back to riches may come as a shock to his fans. Growing up on Manhattan's Upper East Side, Andrew enjoyed the privileges of private schools and family vacations. But during his teen years in the '70s, Andrew got caught up in the drug experimentation that was socially acceptable among his circle of friends. "For those of us who have an addictive nature," he explains, "things got worse really quickly." Andrew went from sharing an apartment with friends after college to living in a drug house, to squatting in an abandoned building. "At the very end," he recalls, "I found myself in a flop house hotel trying to drink myself to death."

In a moment of desperation, a call to a friend led Andrew to the Hazelden addiction treatment center in Minnesota, where he began what is now 19 years of being chemical free. "I'm a very lucky human being," he says. "I'm a functioning, contributing member of society. I've got a great TV show, a wife, a son, a family, a home, and today I have an incredible life. I definitely think everything is meant to be and that my greatest asset is my story."

Watch the video above to see Andrew tell Rachael how he has turned his life experiences into a force for helping others in need, including Travel Channel's 100,000 Homes Campaign.

Related Links

100,000 Homes Campaign

Andrew Zimmern: Bizarre Foods

The Retreat