You probably remember the video. It’s grainy, shaky, and honestly hard to watch. Stephen "Steve-O" Glover is slumped in a chair, surrounded by hundreds of empty silver canisters. He’s inhaling gas from a whipped cream dispenser, his eyes rolling back, his body twitching in a way that looks less like a "party" and more like a medical emergency. For years, Steve-O on nitrous oxide was the poster child for a specific kind of Hollywood downward spiral—one that felt like it was being live-streamed to a car crash audience.
But here’s the thing about those videos: they weren't just about someone getting "high."
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Nitrous oxide, often called "laughing gas" or "whippits," is frequently treated like a joke. It's the stuff you get at the dentist to make a cavity filling less scary. It’s the cheap thrill teenagers find in the back of a grocery store. Yet, for Steve-O, it became a literal nightmare that nearly ended his life. He wasn't just using it; he was living in a localized atmosphere of it.
The "Fishing Out" Reality
In his many interviews, including a pretty raw sit-down with Graham Bensinger, Steve-O describes the sensation of "fishing out."
It’s a terrifying term for a seizure-like state caused by oxygen deprivation. When you're huffing that many canisters—Steve-O has mentioned using hundreds in a single sitting—your brain basically stops receiving the oxygen it needs to function. You start convulsing. Your limbs flail like a fish out of water.
Most people think nitrous is harmless because it's over in 30 seconds. They're wrong.
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Why Steve-O on Nitrous Oxide Became So Dark
The transition from "funny Jackass guy" to "man in a psychiatric ward" didn't happen overnight, but the nitrous played a massive role in the speed of the decline.
By the mid-2000s, his use had shifted from recreational to a full-blown dissociative break. He wasn't just chasing a giggle; he was chasing a complete exit from reality. He’s spoken about hearing "voices" or "frequencies" that he believed were communicating with him. This is a known side effect of heavy, chronic nitrous use: it can induce a state of psychosis that mimics schizophrenia.
- The Vitamin B12 Factor: Nitrous oxide literally inactivates the B12 in your body. This isn't just about being tired. B12 is what keeps your nerves’ protective coating (the myelin sheath) intact.
- The Physical Toll: Chronic users can end up with subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord. Basically, you lose the ability to walk because your nerves are "short-circuiting."
- The Social Cost: By 2008, Steve-O was sending emails to friends that sounded like suicide notes. He was ready to jump off a balcony. He was convinced the world was ending, or that he was already dead.
Honestly, it’s a miracle he’s still here.
The Intervention That Actually Worked
March 9, 2008. That’s the date everything changed. Johnny Knoxville and a group of his closest friends didn't just show up to talk; they showed up with a plan to physically move him to a hospital.
At that point, Steve-O was so far gone he actually hallucinated the intervention before it happened. He thought it was just another "episode." But when the real guys walked through the door, the reality of his situation finally pierced through the nitrous haze. They got him into a 72-hour psychiatric hold, which turned into a lengthy rehab stay.
He didn't just "quit." He had to rebuild his entire brain from the ground up.
The Long-Term Damage and the Recovery
If you listen to Steve-O talk today, you’ll notice his voice has that signature rasp. While he’s attributed some of his throat issues to a "vocal cord deformity" and years of screaming/barfing for stunts, the chemical irritation of inhaling freezing-cold gas from pressurized canisters certainly didn't help.
He also deals with what he calls "early-onset everything."
Years of drug use, including the heavy Steve-O on nitrous oxide era, combined with the physical trauma of Jackass, left him with a body that feels much older than it is. He’s mentioned degenerative disc disease and concern over CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).
But the mental recovery is where the real work happened.
Steve-O has been sober for over 15 years now. He’s a vegan, he’s a dedicated dog dad, and he’s one of the most vocal advocates for recovery in the entertainment industry. He doesn't hide his past because he knows that for some kid watching YouTube, his story might be the only thing that makes them put down the canister.
What We Can Learn From His Story
Nitrous oxide is often labeled as "hippie crack" because of its short duration and addictive potential. Steve-O’s experience proves that even "minor" drugs can have catastrophic consequences when used to mask deep-seated trauma or mental health issues.
If you or someone you know is struggling with inhalant use, it's not a joke. It's not just "laughing gas."
Actionable Insights for Recovery:
- Check the B12: If someone is using nitrous heavily, they need a medical evaluation of their Vitamin B12 levels and neurological function immediately. Supplementation under a doctor's care is often necessary to prevent permanent paralysis.
- Look for the "Why": Like Steve-O, most people don't huff gas until they pass out because they're happy. Address the underlying depression or anxiety.
- Isolation is the Enemy: Steve-O only got clean because his friends refused to let him hide. If you're struggling, tell one person you trust.
- Professional Help is Non-Negotiable: Inhalant withdrawal can involve intense cravings and psychological distress. A supervised detox or rehab program, similar to the one Steve-O attended, provides the structure needed to break the cycle.
The "Professional Idiot" found a way to become a professional survivor. His journey from the floor of a drug-filled apartment to a healthy, sober life is proof that no matter how many canisters are on the floor, you can still get up.
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Next Steps: If you want to understand the clinical side of this, look into the specific neurological effects of nitrous oxide on the myelin sheath. For a deeper look at Steve-O's personal journey, his autobiography Professional Idiot provides an unfiltered look at the cost of fame and addiction.