Seven years ago, I never imagined I’d be sharing my story of addiction and recovery. I grew up in a family scarred by my father’s addiction to alcohol and gambling. I carried that trauma into adulthood. Externally, for most of my addiction, I looked fine, but internally, I was falling apart. To cope, I turned to drugs – first cocaine, then a twelve-year battle with Ketamine.
In 2018, my life hit a new low. I was made redundant from a job I loved, and my sense of purpose was gone. Yes, that’s right, despite being a person who used drugs, I also held down a very respectable role. For 7 years, I worked as a Business Development Executive within the Education Sector. I know, you thought “Druggies” never worked!
I isolated myself, became homeless, and felt like an utter failure. I saw only two ways out: suicide or rehab. Thankfully, I fought for rehab. On 2 November 2018, I entered Phoenix Futures, weighing just six stone. I was exhausted, broken, and scared shitless, but I believed I would beat this!
Rehab was brutal; even getting out of bed felt impossible. Gradually, I began to confront the pain and guilt I’d numbed for years. I learned to feel again and to forgive myself (mostly). I even faced stigma inside rehab, some peers said I wasn’t a “proper junkie” because I “only” used ketamine. That hurt and confused me, yet it strengthened my resolve to prove that every recovery journey is valid. After 6 months in rehab and 9 months in their resettlement programme, I left the service in February 2020, just in time for COVID-19 – YIPPIEE!
In recovery, I rediscovered a dream I’d abandoned: going to university. No one in my family had ever gone, and I doubted myself, but I applied to the University of Glasgow to study Community Development and cried with joy when I was accepted. Being a “mature” (lol) student was daunting but exhilarating. Education gave me structure, purpose, and a new path to follow. In June 2025, I stood in Glasgow’s infamous Bute Hall as the first person in my family to graduate with a First-Class Honours Degree. That moment proved how far I’d come.
My recovery has brought me my greatest blessing. In 2023, I became a father to a beautiful boy, my son Sebastián. A joy I never imagined in my darkest days. Being a dad is also challenging; I often fear I’m not good enough for him. But that fear pushes me to be present and give him the loving childhood I never had.
Now, almost seven years clean and sober, I speak out to help others. I share my story to shatter stigma and show that people can change. I’m sharing this as part of Sheffield’s Recovery Month this September to challenge perceptions and offer hope. No matter how far gone you feel, there is ALWAYS a way back.
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