Adam Lancashire survived a cardiac arrest after decades of alcohol and cocaine addiction. In May 2024, his heart stopped for 26 minutes. After weeks in intensive care, he woke up with hypoxic brain damage and faced the challenge of rebuilding his life. He had to relearn basic skills, including how to walk and talk, confront the consequences of his addiction and find a way forward without drugs or alcohol.

Now more than two years sober, Adam joins me to share his extraordinary story for the first time, covering addiction, survival, recovery, family breakdown and learning to live again.

What happens when addiction takes you to the edge of death? And how do you rebuild your life when you wake up to discover that even the simplest everyday tasks have become a challenge?

Adam's story is one of survival, resilience and a second chance. His childhood was marked by instability, and he discovered drugs at a young age. By 15, he was using cocaine.

What began as a way to escape and feel more confident developed into years of alcohol and drug use, with serious consequences for his relationships, family life and wellbeing.

Despite periods of apparent success, Adam struggled with addiction behind the scenes. Relationships broke down, family connections suffered, and the cycle of drinking and cocaine use became increasingly difficult to escape.

Then, in May 2024, everything changed. After playing football, Adam collapsed on his way back to the station. He suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated before being taken to hospital. After weeks in intensive care, he woke up with hypoxic brain damage.

Surviving the cardiac arrest was only the beginning. Adam faced the enormous challenge of rebuilding his physical and cognitive abilities, learning to walk, speak, eat and carry out everyday tasks again. Alongside his rehabilitation, he also had to confront the addiction and personal struggles that had shaped so much of his life.

Adam explains how he found his way into recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous, the importance of friendship and fellowship, and how helping others gave him a renewed sense of purpose. He speaks honestly about his approach to the 12-step programme and why he believes recovery does not look the same for everyone.

Adam also opens up about guilt, shame and the pain of family relationships affected by addiction, including his estrangement from his son. He reflects on the temptation to romanticise the past, even when that past caused so much damage, and the difficult process of learning to forgive himself.

His experience of recovering from brain damage while maintaining his sobriety brings another dimension to the conversation. Adam describes the frustration of losing abilities he once took for granted.

Adam's shows that recovery does not have to follow rigid rules or a single prescribed path, and that rebuilding a life can begin even after the most devastating setbacks.

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Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

3:20 A rock bottom moment

8:25 Do you need a dramatic rock bottom?

10:35 The Invisible Line!

11:35 Money, travel and a morphine drop

16:35 Drinking leads to coke

19:35 Getting high on your own supply

22:50 Stealing & affairs

27:35 Estranged from family and giving up on yourself

31:05 Addiction progresses

35:50 A moment in The ICU

37:35 The recovery starts

41:05 Cravings return

42:20 Struggling with higher power in AA

44:05 Friendships in recovery

46:50 Can you do fellowship your way?

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#CocaineAddiction #AddictionRecovery #Sobriety