A former middle-class police detective has shared her story of falling into a £50,000 debt as a cocaine and alcohol addict, a double life that nearly destroyed her. Cerys Ashcomb, a pseudonym, detailed her descent into addiction, which began as a coping mechanism for an abusive relationship.
Ashcomb, who spent years as a detective dealing with serious crime, met Greg, a landscape gardener, in 2018. At the time, she was recovering from a previous marriage that ended traumatically. Despite initial happiness and marrying Greg in 2019, his behavior changed dramatically after they moved into a larger home. He became critical, cruel, and began using cocaine openly, with Ashcomb reporting that he also started dealing drugs.
During this period, Ashcomb transitioned from the police force to study social work. The stress of the relationship and her husband's behavior led her to increase her alcohol consumption. Greg reportedly encouraged her drinking, only to criticize her for it later. He also used cocaine in front of her, and strangers began visiting their home to buy the drug.
Ashcomb stated she felt trapped in the situation, partly due to her reputation as a "respectable" person and her desire to make the relationship work after past trauma. Greg's abuse chipped away at her confidence, and she found herself walking on eggshells. As a former police officer who had encountered domestic abuse victims, she struggled with her own role as a victim and felt shame and helplessness.
In 2020, Greg offered Ashcomb cocaine, which she accepted while drunk and crying. She described the experience as a revelation, providing a temporary escape from her emotional pain. This marked the beginning of her cocaine use, which escalated from evening binges to daytime use to help her concentrate on her studies. This coincided with financial abuse, as Greg insisted she pay all household bills because he was funding their drug and alcohol consumption. This forced her to rely on credit cards, increasing her debt.
The cycle of abuse, alcohol, and cocaine continued through 2021. Even after qualifying as a social worker, Ashcomb struggled to leave the relationship. The pressure led her to attempt suicide by overdosing on pills, an act that left her in the hospital. Following her discharge, she stayed with her sister. Greg retaliated by setting fire to her clothes and sending her a video, leading her to return home after a few days of further abuse.
The financial abuse worsened, with Greg refusing to pay his mortgage share. The relationship finally ended at the close of 2021 when Greg's abuse turned physical, resulting in an assault. Ashcomb then called the police, leading to Greg's arrest and a restraining order. This incident was the catalyst for her to leave the relationship permanently.
In 2022, the house was sold, and Ashcomb used her share of the proceeds to pay off approximately £50,000 in debts accumulated through Greg's financial abuse and her own cocaine habit, leaving her with little else. She was granted a five-year restraining order against Greg.
Despite the separation, her addictions persisted. Ashcomb explored various methods to overcome her substance dependence, including AA and NA meetings, which she found ineffective. Group and individual counseling sessions helped her understand the origins of her addiction but did not fully silence the cravings. Last year, she discovered hypnotherapy and underwent three sessions with a specialist. While she experienced relapses between the initial sessions, by the completion of the third session and by listening to recordings, she found she could resist urges for alcohol and cocaine.
Today, Ashcomb is clean and sober and has changed her career to work for a children's charity. She focuses on physical health and has rebuilt her life. She remains single, stating that the abuse has severely damaged her trust in men. She recently heard that Greg has reportedly continued a pattern of abuse and introducing women to drugs.
Ashcomb expressed pride in having escaped both her addictions and her abusive relationship, emphasizing that she never imagined she would become an addict or be drawn into such a toxic spiral.