Kilos. Crime. Cocaine. And a life lived in constant hyper-vigilance.
In this episode of Coming Clean With Me, addiction specialist Elliott Wald sits down with Jeff Charles, a man who spent over a decade immersed in criminality, large-scale drug supply, violence, and addiction — while quietly battling fear, shame, and a collapsing sense of self.
Jeff opens up about growing up in East London and Essex, being diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, feeling segregated at school, and being permanently excluded by 12. Thrust into adult environments early, he gravitated towards criminal role models, building a reputation rooted in fear, money, and control — while internally living with constant anxiety and moral conflict.
He describes:
- Moving from low-level crime to large-scale theft and drug distribution
- Normalising cocaine use by keeping “half an ounce back” for himself
- Living in daily fear of prison, violence, or death
- The psychological toll of hyper-vigilance and identity fragmentation
- Losing friends to suicide and accidents linked to the lifestyle
Alongside cocaine addiction, Jeff also details severe weight gain, reaching 222kg (nearly 35 stone), alcohol misuse, depression, and suicidal ideation. One of the most harrowing moments comes when he describes filming goodbye videos for his children — moments before attempting to take his own life.
Jeff speaks candidly about how faith, therapy, journaling, routine, and purpose now keep him grounded — and how founding The Actualization Project became part of his recovery, not the goal of it.
This is not a glamorised crime story.
It’s a raw account of what addiction takes — and what it takes back.
If you’re struggling with cocaine addiction, contact Elliott Wald team – Whatsapp UK 07875 751960 Worldwide +44 7875 751960
Elliott Wald is a British psychologist, hypnosis expert, and behavioural analyst with over 30 years of clinical experience. He specialises exclusively in the treatment of cocaine addiction via nasal use (snorting) — a form of stimulant addiction that is frequently misunderstood and poorly treated by generic recovery models.
Alongside his formal clinical training, Elliott also brings direct lived experience. He maintained a daily cocaine addiction for 15 years, when he was publicly visible and appearing as an expert on national television. This combination of clinical expertise and first-hand experience allows Elliott to understand stimulant addiction from both a neuropsychological and human perspective — without ideology, moral judgement, or surface-level explanations.
Elliott’s work focuses on the psychological, behavioural, and neurobiological mechanisms that drive cocaine addiction, including dopamine dysregulation, compulsive habit loops, impulsivity, identity reinforcement, and relapse conditioning. His approach is highly individualised, evidence-informed, and fundamentally different from generic coaching, peer-led advice, or one-size-fits-all recovery programmes based on someone else’s story.
He has appeared as an addiction expert across major UK broadcasters including ITV, BBC, Sky News, and Sky Living, and is a published author in the field of addiction.
Over 90% of Elliott’s patients work with him online, meaning private, one-to-one treatment is accessible to clients across the United States and worldwide, without the need for travel.
If you’d like to watch a video explaining how Elliott’s one-to-one programme works, or to enquire about private treatment, send a WhatsApp:
UK: 07875 751960
International: +44 7875 751960
Find out more on Elliott's website:
https://www.hypnosis-expert.com/ADDICTION/