Johnny Manziel needs help.

Johnny needs serious help. Take that from someone who knows what it’s like to have an addiction.

It isn’t funny anymore. The Johnny jokes are over and done.

This kid simply does not get what he is doing to his life. He will learn, and let’s all be civilized and hope he doesn’t learn the hard way.

This will be the first time I ever say this publicly. Yes, I have struggled with an addiction more than once in my life.

Until you have been there, it is hard for any who has been clean for his or her entire life to understand what addicts go through on a daily basis.

It is a battle. It is a fight.

Addiction can rip your world apart before you even know what is going on. You sit back and think life is golden, and there is nothing that could go wrong — and in the background you don’t realize the damage is already done.

The first problem with addiction is you lie. You lie to anyone about anything. An addict’s biggest lies are to him or herself.

Johnny Manziel is staring us all in the face and lying. He isn’t well.

How can a guy who is supposed to be a professional football player skip town and head to Vegas for the weekend during the season? He reportedly put on a wig and fake mustache to dodge being caught.

He went by the name “Billy” and posed for photos with attractive women and his buddies. These people are not his friends. Johnny needs new people in his life.

Manziel countered by posting a photo with his dog back in Cleveland to somehow prove he was not in Vegas.

At this point, ask yourself which story is easier to believe.

Johnny needs help. He has all the potential in the world, and he is close to wasting it over making sure he doesn’t miss a party.

You can’t do both, Johnny.

Take it from me, you’re lying to yourself if you think you can.

I was able to beat my addictions. I can honestly say I am clean and only see a bright future ahead of me.

The struggle is still real. It never goes away but with time and drive it can be a thing of my past.

I hope Manziel gets the message and turns his life around before it is too late.

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Gabriel Pruett can be reached at 721-2436 or gabe.pruett@panews.com. On Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews