A former cocaine user has spoken about how he turned away from drugs and crime to help others suffering with their mental health during the lockdown.
Mark Cowell, 31, from Hightown, said that up until last year his own alcohol and drug use caused a catastrophic decline in his mental health.
He got involved with dealing cocaine and a lifestyle of drink and drugs that resulted in a mental health crisis last year.
He said: “I had a drug issue for nearly 15 years.
'Cocaine psychosis'
“I got wrapped up into a world of drug use, drug abuse and got mixed up in crime."
Mark told us dealing drugs and mixing with people who lived that lifestyle affected him badly.
“My big issue was cocaine.
“I needed to take it even when I wasn’t drinking.
"At one point, I suffered from cocaine psychosis.”
After suffering from PTSD years earlier after a boat he was in capsized, he turned to drink and cocaine to try and cope with his mental health issues.
But Mark told us it had the opposite effect on his life.
He said: “The problem affected me as a father.
“I’ve got six kids, three boys and three girls but drugs at that time in my life was my priority.
“I was selfish, I wasn’t a nice person to be around.
“I was paranoid, I was living my life in fear.”
Mark said it got to the point where his depression and panic attacks were so bad that he became a recluse and shut himself off from friends.
“It all built up to where I couldn’t leave the house except to go to the hospital,” he said: “I shut myself off socially as I didn’t want to interact with anyone.”
After seeking help for his mental health and addiction problems, Mark started going out daily to Formby beach during lockdown to do yoga and meditate.
He says he began to meet and talk to other people suffering from their own mental health problems who were using the beach as a place of healing.
They started to arrange gatherings to do yoga and meditation, which he says has created a large community of like-minded people.
They have even arranged for 100 of their members to come to participate in a big clear-up operation at Formby beach after the recent wave of illicit raves and parties.
He said: “There are a lot of messed up things going on in society especially with the younger lads.
“Sometimes young lads see what me and the team are doing with the no alcohol movement and the mental health aspect and they tell us they don’t enjoy their lives and want out of what they’re doing.
“Some of the people who come and join us have not had anyone around them for years and say it’s like having a family.
"I didn’t realise how many people are crying out for help.
"I’ve gained over 2,000 Instagram followers in the past four weeks.
“People have been reaching out, asking if they can come along and be a part of the community getting built.
“It’s nice to help people, especially when you’ve been on the other side.”
