In his new book, Cake Eater, Carl Radke fills in some gaps for Summer House fans about his battle with substance abuse and beyond. The 40-year-old reality star's memoir, out Tuesday, December 30, chronicles how he got sober after years of partying on and off screen. He reveals he tried cocaine for the first time in college, more than a decade before he revealed his addiction on Bravo. "It's so easy to see the red flags now," he wrote of his early days of partying at Syracuse University. "Blackouts were becoming increasingly frequent. So were risky behaviors, like the time I ended up with blood all over my face with no recollection as to how after a drunken hookup, or the night I slept in a bed soaked with piss because neither I nor my partner could wake up enough to deal with it. These weren't just wild college stories; they were signs of a serious problem brewing under the surface." Things only escalated for Carl when he landed on Summer House, which premiered in January 2017, and he continued to abuse alcohol, cocaine and Adderall. Summer House's Carl Radke's Battle With Addiction in His Own Words "What viewers didn't see was how often I'd hide in the bathroom, splashing water on my face, giving myself pep talks to make it through another day of filming," he wrote of season 1. "I'd stare in the mirror, barely recognizing the bloodshot eyes looking back at me, and think, 'You can do this. Just get through this weekend.' Then I'd pop an Advil, put on my sunglasses and head back out to party." Like most reality TV memoirs, Carl addresses various hot topics in the book, including his former costar Stephen McGee sharing intimate details about Carl's sex life on the show and Carl's past engagement to current costar Lindsay Hubbard. One difference is you can tell Carl is being careful with his words; he is not throwing shade or dropping any bombshells about anyone but himself. The book's purpose is clear: Recovery and healing are possible if you put in the work to recognize how you got so lost in the first place. Cake Eater: Getting High, Hitting Low: And Trying to Stay in the Middle is available now. Keep reading for some of the biggest takeaways: Carl Radke Kareem Black/Bravo via Getty Images Carl Details His Relationship With Brother Curtis Carl explained that his brother's addiction struggles began when they were in high school. He described the "painful cycle" of living with someone who was struggling with substance abuse and the stress it caused on their family. Trying Cocaine for the 1st Time Carl revealed that he did cocaine for the first time during his sophomore year of college despite knowing that Curtis had a problem with the drug. Carl and his fellow students used "Adderall for all-nighters during finals, weed to chill after stress and cocaine to keep partying." Carl subsequently revealed that he also struggled with body image issues. Summer House's Carl Breaks Down Over 'Railing' Into Late Brother on Show "I would binge eat while high, then purge because I felt guilty and terrified of gaining weight," he wrote. "It was a vicious cycle, fueled by booze and drugs and hidden behind what looked like typical college partying. Nobody questioned it because everyone was doing something in excess." Carl Reveals Past DUI, Money Struggles Before Summer House After graduating college in 2007, Carl moved to Los Angeles and got a job at production company World of Wonder - which meant he was crossing paths with Bravo talent a decade before he would end up on the network. He also got a DUI during his first stint in Hollywood, admitting it was not his first time driving drunk. Carl Radke Rich Polk/Bravo "As I turned onto Hollywood Boulevard, I cut off a police car like an idiot. I remember frantically putting pennies in my mouth because I'd heard somewhere that it would mask the smell of alcohol," he wrote. He spent the night at Van Nuys County Jail after failing a sobriety test. Things escalated for Carl when he witnessed a man fall to his death in the Bahamas. In his recovery, he discovered that he was dealing with PTSD and using substances to cope. His drug addiction also prompted him to struggle financially as he spent "way beyond" his means during his time at a sales job. Summer House's Carl Radke Given Bottle of Wine Hours After Lindsay Split "I started to rack up credit card debt, bounce checks and dodge calls from bill collectors. I'd tell myself I'd figure it out later, that the next commission check would solve everything," he wrote. When he started filming Summer House in 2016, his drinking only got worse. "There were mornings I'd wake up, my hands would be shaking until I had a drink. I started hiding bottles around the house so I always had easy access," he wrote. "I'd pregame before filming to 'take the edge off,' not realizing I was just digging myself deeper into addiction." Carl Details the 'Best Head' Story and Fallout In the book, Carl recalled working for a small theater company after college a