A few lines of cocaine spiraled into a five-grams-a-day habit that destroyed everything I loved... but I've come back from the brink thanks to a VERY unusual therapy
These days, there are few things Lewis Milton enjoys more than the pleasantly ordinary rhythms of family life.The devoted father is up early each morning to look after his two-year-old daughter, Marla-May, and is an attentive partner to his girlfriend. Most days are a happy muddle of dog walks, childcare and the occasional snatched gym session when time allows – though at the moment he is focused on planning a long‑dreamed‑of trip to Iceland. He is hoping to retrain as a counsellor after stepping away from a career in recruitment, too.His life is, by any measure, the picture of normality.But just six months ago, things looked very different.As recently as last December, Lewis, 36, was estranged from his family, sleeping for up to 20 hours a day and locked in the grip of a cocaine addiction that had spiraled since he first tried the drug in his teens.At its worst, his habit saw him spend the equivalent of thousands of dollars in a matter of hours; rack up debts with dealers; lose jobs and friendships; and suffer devastating health consequences, from liver damage to the loss of his teeth.'I was heavily depressed, and just didn't want to be here any more,' Lewis says candidly. 'That was the lowest and loneliest I've ever felt.' Lewis Milton's devastating cocaine addiction gutted his bank account, saw him lose countless friends, destroyed relationships and left him wanting to take his own life Lewis was first introduced to cocaine as an 18-year-old, when drinking heavily and gambling with friends soon escalated into drug-fuelled binges costing £1,500 per nightSo what is responsible for this remarkable turnaround?Bizarrely, Lewis, from Dagenham, Essex, credits something far removed from standard addiction therapy or treatment programs: plunging himself into a freezing cold ice bath every day.Now more than four months into his recovery, the ritual has become non-negotiable.Each morning begins the same way. Before anything else – before parenting duties, emails, before the day properly starts – he submerges himself in an ice bath chilled to just three degrees.'The first thought is always to get out,' he says. 'Your mind is screaming at you. But that's the whole point – that's why it works. It's about taking back control.'Lewis's story feels all the more pertinent given America's middle-class cocaine crisis, which is slowly growing. Around one in four Americans aged 12 and older – roughly 70 million people – reported using illicit drugs in the past year, according to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health.Of those, about five million said they had used cocaine, making it one of the most widely used illegal stimulants. While drug use among younger Americans has fallen sharply since the late 1990s, rates among older adults have remained persistently high.When it comes to cocaine, some research suggests higher-income Americans are more likely to use it – meaning the trend is at least partly driven by more affluent groups, although use spans all income levels.Experts say much of this use is hidden in plain sight, among outwardly respectable professionals with successful careers, busy social lives and the disposable income needed to sustain a habit that few around them even notice. More than a million people are admitted to drug treatment programs in the U.S. each year, with cocaine accounting for a significant share of those cases. Yet success is far from guaranteed: around 40 to 60 percent of people treated for substance use disorders relapse, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. For cocaine specifically, studies suggest roughly half of patients relapse within a year of treatment, underlining just how difficult long‑term recovery can be.Experts say that while unconventional, there is some logic behind Lewis's ice-bath approach for those battling addiction.His own addiction spanned almost 20 years, after he was first introduced to cocaine as an 18-year-old while out with friends. Lewis admired Wim Hof, a Dutch motivational speaker known as 'The Iceman' who promotes cold-water immersion Lewis credits a daily plunge in an ice bath for turning his life around. After months of trying to help, his father bought him the ice bath last Christmas and Lewis started using it at the end of JanuaryThe habit soon escalated into drug-fueled binges.'I was out every weekend, drinking to fit in and taking cocaine,' recalls Lewis. 'Soon it became one continuous binge for seven days and nights without sleep.'Cocaine, which is typically snorted, floods the brain with dopamine and produces intense but short-lived feelings of euphoria, self-confidence and energy.However, as the effects quickly wear off, users are often left chasing the high again and again.As his dependency deepened, Lewis's life began to unravel.He lost his job after repeatedly failing to turn up for work and built up significant debts, sometimes owing dealers thousands of pounds.In an effort to stay afloat, he made decisions he now deeply regrets – including selling family possessions and spending large sums of money in a matter of days.'I was almost hoping for something like a heart attack to happen,' Lewis said. 'I didn't see a way out, or how I would ever stop.'As he continued to use drugs to cope with his worsening mental state, his physical and emotional health deteriorated.He was eventually hospitalized with liver damage, suffered serious dental problems and, at one point, found himself without a home.Then came an unexpected intervention.After months of trying to help, his father bought him an ice bath last Christmas – a nod to Lewis's admiration for Wim Hof, the Dutch motivational figure known as 'The Iceman', who has built a global following around cold-water immersion and breathing techniques. He began using the ice bath at the end of January, while committing to quit drugs for good. The first couple of weeks were brutal.'It felt like torture,' he said, describing the combined impact of the cold and coming off the drugs. 'But I got out [of the bath] and just cried because I was so happy I'd done it. The battle was in my head – but that moment made me stick with it.'Lewis doesn't suggest the ice baths made the urge to use cocaine disappear overnight.Instead, they have given him something else: structure, focus and a way of quietening cravings when they appear.Lewis added: 'I think doing the ice baths has controlled and calmed my mind down. That helps me because I'm quite erratic with my thinking. I'm an overthinker.'Now, he has been taking a cold plunge for more than 130 consecutive days – remaining sober from drugs and alcohol and abstaining from gambling throughout – and says that looking forward to the ritual helps keep cravings at bay.He said: 'When I know that I've achieved it, I know it's the hardest thing I'll do in my day. Compared to urges and cravings, it quietens those voices down.'I have moments where I think, "I fancy a beer". But I think of the ice bath coming later, and that keeps me composed.'Ian Hamilton, a leading drugs expert and associate professor of addiction at the University of York, told the Daily Mail that Lewis's case is a 'real success story'.He said: 'Ice baths are not something I've come across a great deal but, when you hear Lewis's story, it does make sense.'One of the things cold-water immersion does is shock the body. Does that help reset negative thought patterns or cravings? I can see how that might work, particularly with something as entrenched as cocaine dependency.'I hear about a lot of people in recovery becoming very fit. They turn to exercise and get that kind of adrenaline and dopamine reward through that rather than through taking drugs. So, yes, it makes sense.'Mr Hamilton added that while there can be benefits to cold-water plunging, he advises caution for some people recovering from addiction.He said: 'We've got an ageing cohort of drug users and people in their 40s and 50s often have underlying cardiovascular or respiratory problems.'If you suddenly shock the body with very cold water, there is a risk of serious complications. I would urge caution, particularly for those with long histories of drug use.'Lewis, however, is evangelical.'I feel incredible. I don't even know how I've done it, but I have,' he said. 'Once, I could never be without a pocket flask of Jack Daniel's and I was taking a minimum of five grams of cocaine a day.'Now, my life is so different – I get goosebumps thinking about it.'
