Former FT writer reveals he was taking heroin in the toilets while reporting on world markets – and shoplifting from Tesco to fund his habit
- Joel Lewin, who lives in London, took class A drugs before and during his shifts
- Writer admitted to stealing food so he had more money left to spend on heroin
- Fifteen months ago, Mr Lewin finally got clean, and now works in a rehab facility
- Sharing story to show neglected mental health struggles can lead to addiction
A former Financial Times writer has revealed he was taking heroin in the toilets while reporting on world markets – and funding his habit by shoplifting from Tesco.
Joel Lewin, who lives in London, has admitted to taking the class A drug in the mornings ahead of a shift, then consuming more in the toilets at the ‘UK’s biggest financial newspaper’ around 9am, reports Vice.
Despite earning £2,000 a month and paying £600 in rent, Mr Lewin blew most of his money on his addiction, choosing to shoplift food so he could spend more on drugs.
The stark admission comes after Mr Lewin spent years trying to kick the habit, eventually succeeding fifteen months ago.
He decided to share his story in the hopes that others will understand how quickly ‘neglected mental health struggles can escalate into a full-on drug addiction’.
Joel Lewin, pictured, has revealed he was taking heroin in the toilets while working at the ‘UK’s biggest financial newspaper’
Writing in Vice, he detailed his life while in the grips of addiction, saying: ‘Most of the time I just shoplifted food, really. Strictly speaking, I could afford to buy it, but I chose not to because the more I saved on food, the more I could spend on drugs.
‘I can’t just give up’: Young mother , 21, who gouged out…
Twin who lost his brother through drug addiction after the…
Share this article
‘Unsurprisingly, my finances were f***ed. That was particularly embarrassing as a financial journalist.’
He shared his story in the hopes that others will understand ‘how quickly some neglected mental health struggles can escalate into a full-on drug addiction’
He chronicled how the addiction ‘crept up on him’, starting with all-consuming self-doubt and self-loathing which led him to drink before every social interaction.
When that stopped helping, he moved on to valium and speed, before eventually turning to self-harming.
Then he fell into heroin addiction, which helped remove the underlying fear, self-loathing and self-harm that he was struggling to battle.
In the depths of his addiction, Mr Lewin was making up meetings so he could buy drugs from his dealer, and taking out loans from QuickQuid to get his fix.
He added: ‘I remember one Christmas sitting on the toilet hoovering up speed to try to generate enthusiasm. “Why can’t I feel enthusiasm for Christmas with my family?” I wondered. “It must be because this speed is s***”.’
Now Mr Lewin is clean, he works as in a rehab facility, helping others like himself.
Instead of chasing a ‘buzz’ from drugs, Mr Lewin helps others or goes for a 20km run.
Source: Read Full Article