A young Sydney man who once spiralled into drug addiction is now using his story to show others how life can change after getting clean.
Flynn Ladbrooke-Bower, 26, who now works as a courier, said his life was completely different just six months ago — the day he decided to get help.
“I am 159 days sober,” he told 7NEWS.com.au on Friday, tracking his progress down to the minute.
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“November 16 became a very important day for me.”
The way down
Ladbrooke-Bower first turned to drugs at 17, describing himself as a “quiet kid in the corner” struggling with social anxiety.
Wanting to fit in and make friends, he began with cannabis before escalating to regular bingeing on pills, cocaine and alcohol.
“It became like a crutch… the only way I could communicate with people for a long time,” he said.
Over nearly a decade, his drug use took a heavy toll on his health, relationships and finances.
Ladbrooke-Bower before his recovery from drug addiction. Credit: Flynn Ladbrooke-Bower
At the height of his addiction, he lost more than 20kg in just four months and was battling severe paranoia.
“You’re opening doors thinking people are outside when no one’s there,” he said.
“It destroys your mind.”
He was spending up to $400 a weekend, eventually burning through his savings and borrowing money from family.
“It pretty much destroyed all my friendships,” he said.
“I also caused a lot of pain to my family and at the time and I honestly didn’t realise it.”
Hoping for a fresh start, Ladbrooke-Bower moved overseas, spending months in Vietnam in 2024 and 2025 — but said it only made things worse.
“I thought that I could go overseas and that I’d find a better life essentially, but that’s not the case. Your problems follow you everywhere you go,” he said.
It was a four-month spiral into methamphetamine use that pushed him to the brink when he realised he needed help.
However, despite wanting to get clean for some time, he said asking for help was one of the hardest parts.
“It’s hard to ask for help as a man,” he said.
“I was calling my mum crying in distress, but I wasn’t actually directly asking for help.”
His mother eventually stepped in, helping organise rehabilitation.
Ladbrooke-Bower is now more than five months sober. Credit: Flynn Ladbrooke-Bower
Rock bottom and recovery
Ladbrooke-Bower said his rock bottom came on the flight home — the same day he got sober after months of methamphetamine use.
“I looked like a drug addict, I stunk, I was in dirty clothes, and I had people recording me, people laughing at me,” he recalled.
“That was the lowest point, but that was also the day I got sober.”
He entered rehab shortly after returning to Australia, spending a month at Gunnebah Addiction Retreat — describing it as “the hardest thing” he had ever done, but also a turning point.
“It was the first time I’d been around other people who had similar problems to me, so the first time I didn’t feel alone,” he said.
While drugs once helped him feel connected, he said they ultimately left him isolated.
Since leaving rehab, he has relied on exercise, meetings and therapy to stay on track.
“The antidote to addiction is connection,” he said.
Turning pain into purpose
Now, Ladbrooke-Bower is channelling his recovery into inspiration for others who are struggling with addiction.
He said his addiction was driven by deeper struggles — including anxiety, low self-worth and depression.
“People don’t understand that people don’t just choose to become addicts for no reason, that there’s always pain behind it, and that pain is there long before the addiction begins,” he said.
Ladbrooke-Bower is using his journey to support others. Credit: Flynn Ladbrooke-Bower
He encouraged others to have the courage to ask for help from someone they trust.
“There is a lot of free help out there,” he said.
After sharing his story online, some of his videos went viral, drawing hundreds of messages from people seeking help or sharing their own struggles.
“The part that really hit home for me was a lot of parents and siblings of addicts who messaged me and said that their video gave them comfort. That was special to me,” he said.
When people began offering him money directly, he instead launched a GoFundMe page supporting SMART Recovery Australia — a program supporting people trying to overcome addiction.
For every $10 donated, he commits to running 500m.
“I think I underestimated how many people were going to like the money. So I’m going to have to do this over multiple Saturdays,” he joked.
He hopes to build a community of people in recovery — and those supporting them — to run alongside him.
“If you keep trying and don’t give up, there is hope,” he said.
“It gets better.”
If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 131114. For further information about depression contact beyondblue on 1300224636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.
If you are concerned about yours or a loved one’s use of alcohol or other drugs, call for free, confidential advice, information and counselling from the National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 250 015.
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