How a Sydney woman recovered from a $5,000 a month speed addiction and $200,000 in debt

Fifty-year-old Alice Crowley got drunk for the first time at age nine, began experimenting with marijuana at age 11, and turned to hallucinogens such as LSD at age 13.

By the time he entered college, he was on tranquilizers, but in his early twenties he switched to drugs such as speed, ketamine and cocaine.

“I grew up with a high-functioning, highly successful alcoholic, but there was always chaos,” Alice told news.com.au.

“And it was very blurry. I knew I had mental health issues. We knew as a family that we also had alcoholism and abuse. [within my life]”

Alice grew up in Canada, but as she got older she realized she needed to distance herself from the chaos and pain she had grown up with.

She traveled around the world, eventually settling in Japan and finding employment thanks to her English degree.

She sought treatment while there, but overdosed and ended up in a psychiatric ward before returning to Canada.

It was there that she had another overdose, which she labeled horrible.

“I took two tranquilizers and two bottles of wine and had an acute dystonic reaction. Told. she said.

“They put me in an emergency and the nurse said, ‘Are you trying to kill yourself?’ And I said, ‘No, you were trying to relax.’ And I meant it.

At the age of 25, Alice found out she needed to leave Canada again and settled in Australia as her new home. But around the same time, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, an anxiety disorder, and anorexia, and Alice traced her complex relationship with food back to when she was four years old and an exercise addiction that began when she was 15. was diagnosed with the disease. She was on the treadmill and she ran two hours a day.

Life in Australia was not what Alice envisioned. She didn’t surf like she dreamed and her troubles continued.

One bright spot was her meeting with her now-husband, Martin, in a bar just days after 9/11.

The pair hit it off right away, but their romance soon became plagued with problems.

Alice recalls some of the worst moments during this time – one being when her meta-dealer turned her away – but when she found herself alone in Sydney’s Coogee, she was in debt. I got a call from Interpol, who was being chased, and I hit rock bottom. Alice knew she had to tell Martin her truth about her drug problem.

She was terrified and afraid he would kick her out, but instead he gave her the ultimatum she needed.

“I thought you had a guy here who was very risk-averse as an actuary. It was written that I was a high risk. I was pretty confused. Still, he said, ‘ No, I will stand by you and support you. This is not you, but you need to step up.

“And I said to him, “You don’t understand what you want from me. You can leave in 24 hours or less.

“And oh my god, it hurt so much it touched me. He knew he was in danger of losing me, so it was painful for him and me. But that was the turning point.”

Alice went to rehab and was surprised she couldn’t fool the people there as she had fooled everyone in her life.

“I told him all my eloquent history and all the treatments I had done. He said you speak a really good game.

“He said; ‘Make no mistake, Alice, this elevator only goes one way, but it sticks straight into the ground, six feet down, so you can get off at any time. That’s you.’ is the call of the .” That caught my attention.

Alice went through rehab twice before coming out and starting her life over, but had yet to tell Martin about her $185,000 credit card debt.

She felt uneasy that it was eating her until she confessed, and again, Martin said he would support her, but he didn’t bail her out.

Alice cut all her credit cards and paid off her debt within five years.

Alice also had to learn how to deal with her mental health without resorting to addiction. This was a struggle, especially at first.

Alice created a support system and relieved tension by participating in yoga, meditation, or running.

She entered rehab in 2004 and has since continued to write books and work to become her best self. On the way to Wonderlandabout her journey.

“One of the reasons I’m so excited to share my story is that when I tell people about it, they always see how I put my stuff together.” she said.

“And the reason I’m telling my story is because I’m a high functioning, experienced professional addict. , There is a lot of stigma and misunderstanding, but when I started rehab, I was surprised.

In this book, Alice shares how she changed her mind. Neuroscience plays a big role in uncovering her current life. She also discovered that she had an addicted brain that allowed her to understand the triggers.

Recovery hasn’t always been easy – 17 years into recovery, Alice suffered a complex injury that left her with chronic pain in her left hip and both hamstrings.

As running became a big part of her identity, it meant she wasn’t able to exercise the way she had for a long time.

However, comfort from Martin and the doctors pushed her forward.

Alice has also been diagnosed with ADHD, which doctors said could explain why she was drawn to methamphetamine.

She now lives in the eastern suburbs of Sydney with her husband, Martin, and has traveled the world together for over 20 years and has dozens of adventures.

Alice’s book Currently on pre-sale And it will hit stores at the end of October.