From Earning £5k Spent on Cocaine to Helping Addicts on TikTok

A successful music promoter who once earned up to £5,000 a month, while hiding a secret cocaine addiction, has shared his recovery journey on TikTok to encourage fellow addicts to seek help.

Ryan Phillips, 38, worked at some of London’s top music venues and curated festivals around the world, concealing his cocaine habit from friends and family for over a decade. At the height of his career, Ryan transitioned from a job as a stock trader to the music industry, earning impressive sums but often finding himself penniless after spending most of his earnings on drugs.

Ryan’s addiction escalated to the point where he would buy around 15 grams of cocaine a week, spending £750, and isolating himself in his room for days, snorting the drug until he felt like he was on the verge of a “heart attack.” This destructive cycle continued until earlier this year when a particularly severe binge occurred the day before his sister Chelsea and his eight-year-old niece were due to visit him. They found him blacked out, standing in his apartment surrounded by broken glass, which became the pivotal moment that pushed Ryan to finally open up about his addiction.

After attending a rehab center in South Africa, Ryan has now been clean for over 100 days. He has shared his recovery journey on his TikTok channel @ryaninrecovery, which has garnered over 9,000 followers and 70,000 likes. He receives daily messages from people asking for advice and support.

Reflecting on his journey, Ryan admitted that he wished he had sought help sooner, breaking the misconception that addiction only affects “junky” or “loser” types. Ryan first encountered cocaine at the age of 17 at a summer job as an assistant at a stockbroker’s office. The casual use of cocaine at boozy lunches soon became a regular part of his life.

When Ryan left his job amid the financial crisis of 2008, he transitioned into the music scene, putting on gigs with his band Tiny Islands. Despite a successful career in music, which saw him become Head of Music at The Colombo Group, the intense environment only fueled his cocaine use. He cycled through phases of trying to quit, but his success and high income masked the severity of his addiction.

Ryan’s financial stability took another hit when the global pandemic struck in 2020, leading to the closure of music venues and another redundancy. Lockdown exacerbated his cocaine use, as he would meet dealers under the guise of going for runs, or fake illnesses to isolate and consume drugs.

After a move to Margate and another high-flying job as Head of Music for Boiler Room’s international events, Ryan hoped for a fresh start. However, his addiction lingered, consuming large amounts of cocaine even on working days, and eventually affecting his performance at work and relationships.

The turning point arrived when Ryan invited his sister and niece over, only to black out after a heavy drug binge. Following an intervention by his family, Ryan decided to finally seek professional help. Though he relapsed shortly after, Ryan committed to a six-week recovery program in South Africa.

He now uses his experience to help others, connecting with people from similar situations through his TikTok channel and urging them to seek help just as he did. “I get around 10 or 20 messages a day from people who are in a similar situation,” Ryan said. “I say to every single one of them, please, just ask for help.”

Source: PA Real Life