My £1,000-a-week cocaine addiction nearly killed me and left me with £10,000 worth of debt - I did a line as soon as I woke up every day
Charlee Hill, from Oxford, snorted her first line of cocaine aged 21 while enjoying a night out with friends 10 years ago.
The mother-of-one admitted her habit began as a 'social' activity before Charlee began using the drug alone as an energy boost to get through the day.
At the height of her addiction, Charlee revealed she was snorting four bags of the drug a day, spending more than £1,000 a week on her hidden habit.
The 31-year-old believes she's spent around £20,000 on cocaine over the years and fell into £10,000 worth of credit card and payday loans debt thanks to her addiction.
One shocking photo shows Charlee enduring one of her daily nose bleeds due to the sheer quantity of cocaine she was using.
Charlee, who described cocaine at the time as 'like her best friend', admitted she would be dead if she hadn't stopped using the drug for good four years ago.
Now, Charlee is warning others to steer clear of the illegal drug for fear of falling into a lifelong addiction.
Charlee said: 'I don't think I actually touched drugs until I was about 21. I used cocaine for the first time on nights out with friends, it was just a social thing to start with.
'It was just a few lines throughout the night. It was probably like that for two years, it was around once a month socially with friends.
'One time I think I had some left over from a night out. I'd had a really bad night's sleep and just decided to do some while I was sober.
'It made me awake. That started every other day then it built up to me doing a bag a day. Towards the end, if I had the money, I was probably doing three to four bags a day.'
Within two years of trying her first line, Charlee was snorting cocaine most mornings.
Charlee said: 'I was easily spending thousands of pounds a month on it, I got into a hell of a lot of debt with it.
'I had a credit card and was getting payday loans out. I got into £7,000 to £10,000 worth of debt, which luckily I've been able to pay off.
'When I was using, I almost couldn't imagine my life without it. I thought "I'm going to use this for years and years". I was quite happy with that at the time.
'I'd wake up and the first thing I'd do in the morning was a line, which is insane. That's what I'd have to do to almost get out of bed.
'I would never do it around my [child]. It gave me a confidence boost, it makes you think you're amazing.
'Cocaine was like my best friend. I would cut everyone off, I would much rather stay at home and do lines on my own.
'I wouldn't be able to get through any normal day-to-day thing without it. I wouldn't be able to go to the shops or talk to people without it.
'I always had a blocked and sore nose. In the worst times, I was getting nosebleeds every single day.'
Determined to kick the damaging habit, Charlee went into a rehab facility in February 2019 but relapsed less than six months later.
It wasn't until August 2021 that Charlee chose a 'better life' for herself and her child, ditching cocaine for good four years ago.
Charlee said: 'It probably would've ended up killing me. My nose would've probably ended up caving in and I would've ended up dying.
'I don't know if I'd be alive now if I didn't stop when I did. I was spending so much money on it, I wanted a better life, not just for me but for my [child] too. Eventually, I would've lost custody.
'I was so fed up of living like this and still doing line after line. I'm so proud of myself that I've managed to come out the other end, a lot of people don't.
'I'd say to someone struggling, talk to someone. If you relapse, keep starting again and don't give up.
'It's not worth it. I wouldn't wish an addiction on my worst enemy. Don't even try it, it's not worth ruining your life over.'
FRANK is a support service that offers information about drugs, plus advice for people who use drugs. Call the FRANK helpline on 0300 123 66 00.
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