John Foskett, a 32-year-old father from County Cork, Ireland, is celebrating 12 years of sobriety after his addiction began at age 10. He shared before-and-after photographs on TikTok this week, prompting an outpouring of support from followers who described the transformation as giving them "goosebumps."
In the earlier picture, taken in his 20s, Foskett appears gaunt and frail. The more recent image shows him looking markedly healthier. He wrote alongside the post: "I think this is what the young people call a glow up."
From Childhood Addiction to Recovery
Foskett's addiction began with sniffing solvents and petrol as a child. He later became dependent on benzodiazepine and cocaine, and his drug use eventually left him waking up each morning wishing he was dead.
At his lowest point, he weighed just over seven stone. Desperate to help, his mother bought him cider and tobacco on one condition: he had to give an addiction counsellor one final chance. That intervention, alongside support from three treatment centres, helped him get clean.
"No Such Thing as a Hopeless Case"
Speaking about the older photograph, Foskett said: "What really catches me is my eyes. When I look at the picture before I stopped taking drugs, to this day, I can still feel the pain that I was trying to numb with drugs. That is gone today."
He added: "I got clean for myself because, to be honest, my drug taking got so bad, and my mental health was so bad, it was just so hard to keep going, that when I finally got a taste of recovery, it was easier to recover than to continue taking drugs."
Reflecting on the person in the first picture, he said: "He was hurt, he was angry and he was in a lot of pain. And that person is gone now. And happily so."
Life Today as an Advocate
Today, Foskett hosts the What Saves Me Podcast and works as a mental health and recovery advocate. He credits his partner and daughter as driving forces behind the man he has become. His improved health and sobriety also allow the devoted Newcastle United fan to travel across the Irish Sea to watch his beloved club.
He told this reporter: "Obviously it was nice to get so much good reaction to my transformation post and I'm incredibly grateful for all the nice comments. A huge part of my podcast is to get the message out there that there's no such thing as a hopeless case and I'm living proof of that."
