From Ketamine Addiction to Recovery: Thomas Delaney's Journey to Sobriety
Thomas Delaney never believed he was "good enough to be loved" during his childhood. Growing up, he internalized the hurt he witnessed at home, leading to deep-seated feelings of worthlessness and early suicidal ideations. "I thought I was useless, I wasn't a nice person … I even thought that my mum and dad didn't love each other because of me," Delaney recalls. These emotional struggles laid the foundation for his later addiction issues, which began in his teenage years and escalated through his twenties.
The Descent into Addiction
Delaney's first encounter with drugs occurred at age 17 behind a Greggs in Barnsley town center, where he tried cocaine and immediately "fell in love with" the feeling of being high. The drug provided a temporary sense of connection that his life lacked. After losing a job due to visible drug use, he attempted fresh starts in Ireland and London, but his addiction persisted. Upon returning to Barnsley at 21, he discovered that ketamine had become the drug of choice among his friends.
Initially despising ketamine for its zombie-like effects, Delaney eventually began using it alongside cocaine, creating a dangerous cycle of uppers and downers. "I would use cocaine to pick me up, I would use ketamine to take me down," he explains. The cheap price and dissociative effects made ketamine particularly appealing, especially during stressful periods like the pandemic lockdowns.
The Physical and Emotional Toll
Delaney's ketamine addiction took a severe physical toll, reducing his weight to just 38kg (6st) at his lowest point. Chronic use damaged his bladder to the extent that he was "peeing the lining out, peeing blood constantly." His addiction also led to job losses, drug dealing, and traumatic experiences, including an incident where an armed man robbed his home.
Despite brief periods of sobriety during stays in Ireland, Delaney repeatedly relapsed upon returning to England. He managed to hold a corporate job in the education sector for seven years by exploiting loopholes in drug testing protocols, but his addiction continued to worsen behind the scenes.
The Turning Point
After being made redundant in 2018, Delaney hit rock bottom, living in his car and eventually in a field. Multiple suicide attempts finally led him to seek medical help and admit his addiction to a doctor. However, it was an argument with his mother that truly motivated change. His bladder damage had become so severe that he had to urinate in a bucket during visits to her home.
"I knew that if I was ever going to get better, I couldn't run away to Ireland or to London again and just hide it all," Delaney realized. Through a local recovery service, he was admitted to a rehabilitation center in Glasgow on November 2, 2018, at age 32.
Rehabilitation and Recovery
Delaney chose the Glasgow center primarily because it offered en suite rooms, accommodating his constant bladder issues. The six-and-a-half-month program proved challenging, as ketamine addiction was not commonly treated there, and some staff members dismissed his struggles because he wasn't addicted to a class A drug. "Even some staff members would tell me that I wasn't a proper junkie," he recalls.
Despite these obstacles, Delaney received crucial support from dedicated staff and successfully completed the program. He has remained abstinent from drugs and alcohol for seven years since entering rehab.
Building a New Life
After rehabilitation, Delaney's life took a positive turn when an article he wrote went viral, leading to opportunities with digital publisher LADbible and various media features. He now works as a public speaker, collaborating with organizations including the police, NHS, and National Crime Agency to raise awareness about substance abuse.
Delaney graduated with a first-class degree in community education from the University of Glasgow and is pursuing a master's degree. He became a father three years ago and credits his partner Kirsty and son with giving him purpose. "She judges me on who she met, not my past," he says of his partner.
Advocacy and Future Goals
Delaney emphasizes that recovery is an ongoing process, rejecting the notion that rehabilitation provides a quick fix. "We have this perception of: you go to rehab, someone waves a magic wand and then you leave and you never use drugs and alcohol again. I wish that was the case," he states, noting that many who went through the same service have since died.
He advocates for systemic changes to address addiction, arguing that poverty reduction and environmental improvements are crucial alongside rehabilitation services. "We need rehabs. We need support workers. We need all of that," Delaney says. "But unless the environment is changing, what's the point?"
While Delaney still struggles with fully accepting that he deserves love, fatherhood has given him new perspective. "If there's one thing I can teach my son, hopefully it's that no matter how much you think you've fucked everything up, no matter how much you think everything's shit, you can always change it."
Through his advocacy work and personal example, Delaney aims to normalize recovery and demonstrate that change is possible for anyone willing to seek help and commit to the difficult journey toward sobriety.
