A MUM who grew up as a typical middle-class girl has revealed how boozing at 14 sent her life on a different trajectory.
Olivia Taylor first began boozing at 14 in the park with friends, but her addiction soon turned darker when she was introduced to crack, which led to her setting herself on fire while her boyfriend filmed it and laughed.
Olivia Taylor now 30, warns others to seek addiction help after sharing her own story[/caption]
She recalls drinking at least alitre of vodka a day as well as crack cocaine[/caption]
She shared the shocking moment she set herself on fire[/caption]
Now, 30 years old, the mum revealed she had a ‘normal middle-class upbringing’ but when her parents divorced when she was 18 her addiction spiralled.
To get through a day of sixth form, she recalls waking up and chugging vodka in the mornings.
She said: “When my parents divorced at 18, it brought up a lot of mental health issues and my addiction just spiralled very quickly out of control.
“The amount I was drinking, my body very quickly became dependent on it.
“I didn’t realise I had all this underlying trauma, all I wanted to do was escape. Everything started falling apart very quickly.”
Olivia, from Bridgnorth, Shropshire says that at its worst, her addiction saw her drink a litre of vodka a day and ‘binged’ crack cocaine and heroin.
The mum claims she suffered from postnatal depression and started drinking even more when she had her daughter at the age of 21.
The mum added: “I had postnatal depression which impacted my drinking even more.
“I managed to get away from a controlling relationship but what I found then, I was left on my own with my daughter in a small house.
“Thankfully, I had an amazing family which helped take care of my daughter. They got me into a rehab centre at the age of 23 but unfortunately because this rehab centre didn’t deal with the root cause and the mental side of things, it was just about getting you off the drink.
The mum had constant issues with drugs until she went to rehab for a second time[/caption]
“I ended up spending time on the streets taking drugs after coming out of there because it made me feel even worse. I had never done hard drugs before, it was just a horrific time.
“I was drinking up to a litre of vodka a day. I would binge crack cocaine but it was always the alcohol that was a daily thing.
“Crack and heroin would come in and out of my life if I had gotten myself around certain people.”
The former addict claims she ended up in such a state that she set herself on fire while lying in bed during an argument with an ex-boyfriend.
Now, Olivia advocates for addicts to get therapy and deal with the root cause[/caption]
Help for mental health
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support.
The following are free to contact and confidential:
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- CALM (the leading movement against suicide in men) www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Papyrus (prevention of young suicide) www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Shout (for support of all mental health) www.giveusashout.org/get-help/, text 85258 to start a conversation
Mind, www.mind.org, provide information about types of mental health problems and where to get help for them. Call the infoline on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary).
YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline on 0808 802 5544 for parents or carers worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. The website has a chat option too.
Rethink Mental Illness, www.rethink.org, gives advice and information service offers practical advice on a wide range of topics such as The Mental Health Act, social care, welfare benefits, and carers rights. Use its website or call 0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate).
Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk, is the a mental health initiative spearheaded by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales.
The shocking footage shows Olivia under the burning duvet, in a drug-induced state while her partner films her – which she claims he sent to his friends as he thought it was ‘funny’.
Olivia is now sharing the distressing recording as a warning against drug use.
Olivia said: “At the time, I was with a guy that I’d met through recovery services when I was trying to get sober and we relapsed together and had a very toxic relationship.
In the end he put the fire out, after he filmed it laughing at me and sent it to a couple of his friends.
Olivia Taylor
“We were using crack cocaine and drinking at the time.
“I set fire to the bed. I was just in a drug-induced mental state.
“He started filming it and was laughing at me while I’m on fire. It was all just a joke to him but I was on fire.
“In the end he put the fire out, after he filmed it laughing at me and sent it to a couple of his friends.”
Now finally clean, Olivia claims she has ‘not touched’ alcohol for two years and has not done drugs for three years.
At the age of 27, Olivia said she got a ‘divine’ phone call from an alcohol support worker who referred her to a different rehabilitation centre.
The mum-of-one said she spent six months in the centre and came out a ‘completely different person’, after having intense therapy.
Olivia said: “Whether it was a divine intervention or miracle, somebody called me when I had shut myself away, not answering my phone and having a breakdown.
“This lady, who was an alcohol support worker I used to work with, said I found a rehab centre that will help not only with the drink but with the mental side of things.
“I went into that rehab centre for six months as an absolutely broken woman and I came out a completely different person with intense therapy and behaviour therapy.
“I completely rebuilt my life to the point where I’m now trained in addiction coaching and have my own business.
“My daughter and I have a fantastic bond. She can’t remember that much but she is so supportive in what I do. There needs to be more help out there to help addiction and mental health at the same time.
“I’m a massive advocate for getting people off substances but unless you get to the root cause, they’re just going to keep going back there.”
The mum even works as an addiction coach to help others and Olivia is advocating for rehabilitation in the UK to take a focus on addicts’ mental health and find the ‘root cause’ of the problem.
GETTING HELP:
If you think that you have a drug addiction then please contact your GP.
You can also visit FRANK for honest information about drugs and to find local treatment services.
If you are having trouble finding the right help, call the FRANK drugs helpline on 03001236600
Or click here to visit the NHS website for more advice and support
