"Ketamine Addiction Was Destroying My Life" Addiction Recovery. School of Rock Bottom 93: Rick Keane

Rick Keane was known as the fixer in Ibiza. If you needed a comedy act booked for Ibiza Rocks, a luxury yacht arranged or almost anything else sorted, Rick was the man who could make it happen. But behind the scenes, his life was slowly falling apart. Ketamine addiction, criminality, secrecy and denial eventually led him into residential rehab — twice. After six months in treatment, a period of recovery and a five month relapse, Rick had to start again. Now approaching 18 months in recovery, he's a barber, works in a homeless project and gives back at the rehab that helped save his life. Rick opens up about the reality of ketamine addiction and what life looked like when he could no longer control his use. He talks honestly about the secrecy that surrounded his addiction, the lies he told to protect it and the strange relationship between control, ego and losing control through drugs. Rick explains how ketamine initially gave him exactly what he was looking for: an escape from his thoughts, a loss of control and temporary relief from the emotional pain he didn't know how to deal with. We explore how his use progressed, the culture surrounding ketamine in Ibiza, tolerance, K-holes and why what initially felt like freedom eventually became another form of captivity. One of the most confronting parts of Rick's story is the physical damage caused by ketamine. He describes experiencing severe ketamine cramps, problems with his bladder and the moment he realised just how serious the consequences could become. We discuss ketamine-induced bladder damage, why some people develop symptoms surprisingly quickly and how users can continue taking the drug even after being warned about potentially permanent consequences. Rick also talks about discovering a large hole in his nose, the impact ketamine and other drug use had on his physical appearance, and the shock of looking in the mirror and realising what had happened to him. We go back to Rick's childhood and explore the behaviours that existed long before ketamine. He talks about control, confrontation, people pleasing, seeking excitement, criminality, abandonment and the need for validation. We discuss how these patterns can become part of addiction and why recovery isn't simply about stopping the substance — it's also about understanding the person underneath it. Rick opens up about his six months in residential treatment, what he thought rehab would be like, why he initially went in without really wanting recovery, and the point at which something changed. He explains how treatment gave him the opportunity to discover a different life, eventually leading him to retrain as a barber and find a new sense of purpose through helping other people. We also talk about publicly funded drug and alcohol treatment in the UK, the importance of asking for help, residential treatment and the aftercare that helped Rick maintain his connection to recovery. His story challenges the idea that you have to be completely ready before entering treatment. Rick is also incredibly honest about relapse. He explains how a relationship became part of a much bigger build-up, why he initially wanted to blame somebody else, and what he discovered when he finally looked honestly at the months leading up to his relapse. Rick also shares what the 12-step programme has given him, including the importance of Step Five, being able to speak openly about the things that have previously crippled your life, and learning to live with greater honesty and accountability. Rick's story shows that recovery isn't about becoming perfect. It's about becoming honest enough to understand yourself, taking responsibility for your life and continuing to move forward even when things don't go according to plan. Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK, support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e Sponsor - www.gavinsisters.co.uk and use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off! Support us - https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1 Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal Topics - 0:00 Trailer & Intro 3:00 A rock bottom moment 5:30 Rock bottoms in recovery? 7:30 HARD life lessons in treatment centre 10:30 Excitement & control 12:15 Stealing 14:00 Rick's life is a contradiction 16:00 Sobriety leads to clarity 18:00 Getting addicted to ketamine 22:30 The consequences of ketamine 28:20 Why is ketamine use on the rise? 31:30 How addiction is progressive 33:15 The K Hole stopped 34:15 Doing a geographical 36:15 NHS alcohol and drug treatment 40:00 Emotions in early recovery 45:15 Dating in early recovery 48:16 Coming back from relapse 51:00 Finding purpose and a new direction 53:15 Step 5 & relapse Follow Rick Instagram - Instagram: rick_keane27 Follow Oliver https://linktr.ee/olivermason YouTube -https://tinyurl.com/3u2aftj6 Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/ycxywcby Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3 #KetamineAddiction #AddictionRecovery #Recovery