Karen Thomson, a former supermodel who walked the runway for designers like Versace and Chloe in the late 1990s, has detailed her past struggles with addiction, including cocaine use, alcoholism, and bulimia. Now 46, Thomson describes her current life as idyllic, living with her two sons and enjoying activities like horse riding and spending time with her pets. However, she candidly recounts a period in her twenties when her life was consumed by addiction, a stark contrast to her public image.
Thomson began her modeling career at 16 and traveled extensively for work. Her early experiences included participating in a Versace tribute show shortly after Gianni Versace's murder, an event attended by Nelson Mandela. While her public persona appeared confident, Thomson admits she was not naturally sociable and used alcohol as a crutch to overcome shyness and appear outgoing. She did not consider herself an alcoholic in the traditional sense, as she didn't drink daily or at breakfast, but found she could not stop once she started, often blacking out and experiencing severe next-day repercussions.
Her substance use escalated. At 17, she began using cocaine, a habit that coincided with her drinking. The drug contributed to her maintaining a thin physique, leading to an eating disorder. At her thinnest, weighing 7 stone 12 lbs, her eating habits were erratic, marked by overeating and a craving for sugar. This evolved into bulimia, not driven by fear of weight gain but as a way to cope with negative emotions.
Thomson describes a pivotal moment in 2004, after a party filled with celebrities where she felt profoundly alone despite the surrounding activity. The following morning marked her "rock bottom" when she looked in the mirror and was confronted by her gaunt and lifeless appearance at just 24 years old. This realization spurred her to seek help, calling a friend and subsequently entering rehab in Cape Town at the age of 24. She underwent a 30-day program, followed by another treatment facility where she completed a nine-month 12-step recovery program.
During her recovery, Thomson learned to take personal responsibility and control her reactions. Her faith also evolved, becoming a source of strength rather than a pursuit of perfection. She recognized that her cravings for alcohol and drugs were not for the substances themselves, but for the feelings of confidence, freedom, and connection she believed they provided. Sobriety taught her these could be found internally, not through external means.
After achieving sobriety, Thomson pursued a degree in psychology and met her now ex-husband, Steven. The couple moved to Palm Springs, California, in 2016. While Thomson has been sober for 22 years, she notes that recovery presented new challenges, including a significant increase in sugar consumption. This observation led her, alongside Professor Tim Noakes, to establish one of the first in-patient carb and sugar addiction programs, which incorporated a low-carb lifestyle.
Thomson has also addressed the guilt she carries regarding the worry her past actions caused her parents, particularly her mother, who now has Parkinson's disease. She has educated her children about the dangers of alcohol and drugs, though she harbors a fear that they may have inherited addictive tendencies. Reflecting on her experiences, Thomson advocates for abstaining from alcohol, calling it a poison with no health benefits. Her overarching goal is to help reduce suffering, and she shares her story in the hope of aiding others on their own paths to recovery.