HGTV star David Bromstad opened up about "using substances" and starting to "spiral" when his dream home renovation turned into a nightmare. "I got into some unhealthy behaviors and it's really easy to go there when you're under distress," Bromstad, 52, revealed in a preview of his new HGTV special, which was published by People on Thursday, December 18. "Using substances has been ... it's a real easy escape to take yourself out of a stressful situation. I knew I was in trouble.