HGTV Star David Bromstad Says He Spiraled After Home Was Destroyed By Storm: ‘I Knew I Was in Trouble’

David Bromstad is getting candid about a painful chapter in his life.

In My Lottery Dream Home: David’s Happy Ending, the longtime HGTV star, 52, opens up about coping with overwhelming stress after a storm destroyed his Florida home during construction. Per, People, in the one-hour special — which focuses on Bromsted’s four-year journey of renovating his pad — the designer reveals that the devastation forced him to start the renovation from scratch, triggering a spiral he struggled to control.

In a clip obtained by the outlet, Bromstad explains that he felt emotionally tied to the home, saying whatever happened to it felt like it was happening “deep within” him. After mold issues required the house to be gutted to the studs, mounting insurance battles, financial pressure and creative chaos took a toll.

“I was losing control,” he admits in the clip, acknowledging that he fell into unhealthy behaviors while trying to escape the stress. “Using substances has been … it’s a real easy escape to take yourself out of a stressful situation. I knew I was in trouble.”

The emotional strain eventually led Bromstad to step away from the project for a year. During that time, he traveled to Norway, where he began rebuilding himself alongside his dream home.

My Lottery Dream Home: David’s Happy Ending debuts Friday, December 19 at 9 p.m. on HGTV.