Alex has bravely shared the story of how he hit rock bottom this time last year (Picture: Alex Simpson)
Five years ago, Alex Simpson had everything; a roof over his head, a good job, great relationships, and was the picture of health.
But just a few months later, his life began spiralling out of control.
It began in the summer of 2018, when he tried cocaine for the first time on a weekend with some friends. What he thought was just a ‘harmless’ social experiment would end up sending him down the darkest path of his life.
Alex, who had never been much for alcohol, soon found himself drinking more frequently and his cocaine use increased steadily over the years. But it was 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, when things really went downhill for the former journalist from Toronto, Canada.
‘I’d just gone through a breakup with my partner of almost seven years, so I was feeling alone and then the pandemic hit,’ the 28-year-old told Metro.co.uk. ‘While everyone else was making banana bread and learning TikTok dances, I was drinking and using cocaine all the time.
‘My life became really unmanageable and I started to go through crazy withdrawals. The only way to stop those withdrawals was to keep drinking and using.
‘My rock bottom came in July of 2022 and I was in such a dark place that I tried to kill myself.’
Alex hit rock bottom in 2022 and attempted to take his own life (Picture: Alex Simpson)
Alex was rushed to hospital and remained there for two weeks as he recovered, but unfortunately, following his release things didn’t get better.
‘I was still drinking and using, so I guess that was the first part of my rock bottom. The second part came a few weeks later after I got out of hospital.
‘I had just moved in with somebody that I’d met at a new job and we went to a Lady Gaga concert together. I drank way too much and had some pills in the mix there too, and I blacked out.
‘When I came to, I was sitting on the side of the road and had no idea what happened. I found out that I had become violent and punched my friend in the face and I was so shocked to hear that, I didn’t even believe it happened at the time.
‘That was my real rock bottom moment because that night I became homeless. I wasn’t allowed to go back to the house as they didn’t want anything to do to me.’
Alex ended up on the streets, but was eventually able to crash at another friend’s house. Despite finally having somewhere to sleep, he was still unsure what he was going to do next.
But little did he know, a few hours later, that friend would change everything for him.
‘The next morning my friend, who is kind of like my second mum, she and her husband sat me down and they were like “You have a problem”.
‘They drove me to the hospital and that kind of kicked everything off. Honestly, if it weren’t for them I don’t know if I would even be here right now.’
He’s totally turned his life around after losing everything (Picture: Alex Simpson)
Alex spent a further two weeks in hospital and while there, he met a doctor who said he might be able to get him into rehab for free — but there would be a bit of a wait.
This wait meant he ended up in a harm reduction shelter which was a ‘pretty scary’ experience that left him feeling ‘unsafe’.
‘I watched people overdose almost every other night,’ he recalls. ‘But while I was there, I knew that I just had to wait to get the call from the treatment centre.’
It took a further two months for that call to come in, but when it did getting into rehab ‘changed his life’.
‘When I got there, it was the first time I could actually see a way out of the life that I was living,’ he admits.
‘Addiction is a disease of the mind and it really rewires your brain. So I became angry and violent, I was in such a deep psychosis I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t.
‘During treatment, it was the first time I had actually been sober in a long time and I was able to see a way out.’
While in rehab, Alex’s biggest fear was going back to living on the streets or in a shelter, so when he came across the concept of sober living, he jumped at the opportunity.
He applied to several sober houses before leaving the treatment centre and was accepted to one – where he has been living with five other people for the last year.
Alex has been living in a sober house for the last year (Picture: Alex Simpson)
Counsellors also live in the house and Alex and his housemates have to attend regular meetings and stay sober in order to remain there. They are also given random drug tests, and know they will be kicked out if they fail.
‘It’s nice living with people who are also going through it,’ Alex says. ‘They get it, and we go to meetings together. It’s so helpful.
‘The last year is the longest I’ve been sober in a very long time and it feels really good. I’m involved in a 12-step programme, I have a sponsor and I have a sober community that’s like a family.’
As well as having a great support network, Alex has also managed to start thinking about his career again, and is shaking things up.
‘Recovery has been my full time job for a while, but I’ve also been able to start doing some fun things on the side here and there that I’ve always wanted to do, like work in film and television and make music.
‘I’ve been doing auditions and started booking stuff, so that’s cool — it feels like a reward. Every time I book something, it’s because I’ve put all this time into working on staying sober and now I can actually enjoy things.’
The rest of the year is also looking very positive for Alex, who is looking forward to celebrating Christmas for the first time in four years.
‘The last time I actually celebrated Christmas was in 2019. Every year after that was a complete disaster, and last year I had just gotten out of rehab so I honestly didn’t have any friends.
‘This Christmas looks very different and while I’m still working on making amends with my family, I’ve got my sober family here so I’m going to spend it with my sponsor and friends.
‘The nice thing about AA is that someone always has a door open and is there to help.’
Alex also recently found a supportive community online, after sharing an incredibly vulnerable post about his struggles on X (formerly Twitter).
He shared a snap of himself sitting on a staircase, adored with Christmas garlands, and wrote: ‘A year ago I was homeless, addicted to drugs and alcohol and extremely suicidal. With the help of a doctor I got off the street, into rehab & I’ve been living in a sober house for a year now. There’s still a long road ahead but I’m proud of myself for making it this far!’
His words resonated with so many, with 38,000 people liking his post and thousands taking the time to reply and share well wishes.
Alex couldn’t believe the reaction he garnered, but he’s glad the post captured people’s attention as he hopes it will help ‘dismantle the stigma around addiction’.
‘A lot of people think addiction is a choice and that you can just stop, but I want people to see it as a medical condition rather than a moral failing,’ he added.
‘I’m hoping by sharing my story people will see that this can happen to anyone. I had a good job, I had everything I wanted and I lost it all and I’ve only just started to get it back.’
If you’re struggling and need to talk to someone, the Samaritans is available 24/7. Call 116 123, email [email protected] or head to the website to find your nearest branch.
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He’s very lucky to be alive.