Exclusive Interview With Nick Conn UK’s Leading Addiction Expert
Nick Conn is celebrating 13 years substance-free. He has dedicated his life to helping addicts get help and start a new life. In 2021, Nick and his team opened the doors to Verve Health – the most beautiful and innovative rehabilitation center in Britain. In addition, he has pioneered Virtual Reality Addiction Exposure Therapy – otherwise known as “VR Exposure Therapy” the most innovative and effective addiction treatment to date. Nick is now Britain’s number one expert on addiction and is a recovery advocate, renowned across the UK media. Nick’s gruesome experience of addiction motivated him to save thousands of lives. Because of his success and reputation, his innovative recovery models are increasingly recognized across the globe.
Tell us about yourself
I am a recovering addict, and thirteen years ago, a rehab facility saved my life. Rehab handed back the things I thought were lost forever – my health, family, gratitude for life, and ambition. The fact that I am breathing and talking today is a wonder, and the fact I have opened the most beautiful and innovative rehab center in Britain is a miracle. My mission – having been given a second shot at life – is to save the lives of thousands of other addicts.
As a child, I suffered from cripplingly low self-esteem, so upon trying cocaine at the age of 18, I experienced a sense of confidence I hadn’t before experienced. However, the joy was short-lived, and I was soon a prisoner to the white lines. I was no longer getting high; I used it to escape the plunge into incapacitating paranoia. I almost always used it alone, and I often found myself staring through keyholes, convinced somebody was coming for me. The addiction was exhausting; I couldn’t catch a thought, and my mind was a million miles an hour. I would wake up each morning wondering to who I owed money. I was in a constant state of fear. What started as a bit of a boost quickly spiraled into a long, lonely, and dark journey.
The part of my addiction story that is fascinating to others is that during the first five years of my severe cocaine abuse, I was a fully-fledged police officer serving Her Majesty the Queen. If you’re thinking how terrible and irresponsible that is, trust me; I’ve heard it all. Nothing anyone could ever say is worse than what I have said to myself. I have ADHD and had difficulty concentrating for the police exams, so I began using cocaine to focus. Quick fact – 30% of people living with ADHD will abuse substances at some point.
I became a police officer in the Camden Borough of London, earning £26,000 at the age of 19. Due to living with family, my outgoings were minimal, and initially, the financial consequences of cocaine did not appear. Police life consisted of sneaking away for a line or arriving late to emergencies because I’d forgotten my cocaine. My only care was where the next line was coming from.
Being a policeman and a cocaine abuser did not gel, so I resigned and moved to Berlin after five years in the force. In Germany, with money as my motivator, I befriended one of the head honchos of the Albanian Mafia in a nightclub by brazenly asking if he knew where I could score. The next moment, I was handed an envelope and told to open it in the bathroom. There were four grams of cocaine inside. This ‘gift’ began a father-son type of relationship where I would do ‘favors’ for him. The Albanian Mafia quickly became my new family, and for once, I felt accepted. However, one day, out of the blue, the Mafia dropped me. Ultimately, due to owing money to many dangerous people, I became ghastly ill and homeless in Berlin. One cold morning, I woke up covered in another person’s urine and drenched in my own blood, and I wept like a child. That same day I used a payphone and asked for help.
Unlike most addicts, I was given a second chance, and I was fortunate enough to be placed into a residential rehab in the UK. I am now celebrating 13 years substance-free and have dedicated my life to helping other addicts get the help they need and start a new life. I’m delighted to say that in 2021 we opened the doors to Verve Health, one of the most beautiful rehabs in the country. In addition, I have been working with the most significant scientific and technological thinkers to create a new approach to addiction recovery – Virtual Reality Addiction Exposure Therapy – otherwise known as “VR Exposure Therapy”. It’s the most innovative and effective addiction treatment ever designed. Studies have shown that: VR exposure therapy provides a 39% lower relapse rate. It gives patients an 87% higher chance of permanent recovery when combined with other therapies.
In VR Exposure Therapy, you can virtually interact with substances in a safe and controlled environment. Predominantly, VR exposure triggers craving in the individual and then works closely with the client whilst in the throes of the craving. The concept is to shift the patient’s perceptions about the drink or drug. We prepare our patients for real-world situations. Verve Health’s innovative ideas are recognized worldwide, and we feel exhilarated to save addicts globally. No person is a lost cause. Sometimes it simply takes the right words and timing to lift someone into a life they deserve. Please don’t ever give up on yourself or others.
By Lavish Life Publication Editorial Team
