AceShowbiz -

Mike Tyson opened up about his problem with alcohol and drugs in an interview with Matt Lauer on "Today" show which was aired on Thursday, August 29. In the TV interview, the heavy-weight boxing champion told Matt that he would not survive if he did not get help.

"When I start drinking and I relapse, I think of dying. You know I'm in a real dark mood. I think of dying and I don't want to be around anymore. I won't survive if I don't get help," Mike said. Sitting only a few inches apart from Matt, Mike revealed that he had been sober for 12 days.

"It's tough," Mike said of battling his inner demon. "I'm mean, I'm irritable. It's a real challenge because I don't know if I like this sober guy. It's hard for me to live normal, straight is hard," he explained. "No one's failed more than I did. I'm a king of the barbarians. There's no one that could surpass me in the pain that I've endured. I can deal with it. I can handle it," the athlete added.

On Friday, August 23, Mike told reporters at the Turning Stone Resort in upstate New York that he was still battling alcohol and drug problems. "I wanna change my life, I wanna live a different life now. I wanna live my sober life. I don't wanna die. I'm on the verge of dying, because I'm a vicious alcoholic," he said.

Mike added, "I've been lying to everybody else that think I was sober, but I'm not." Reporters gave Mike an applause after he promised not to touch liquor and drugs again.