I got diagnosed with PCOS at 16 — it led to years of heroin addiction

Caitlin’s deterioration saw her consuming a box of 56 co-codamol tablets a day (Picture: Kennedy News and Media) ‘I would pop them like sweets,’ says Caitlin Atkins, 32. ‘I had built up such a tolerance that taking the tablets wouldn’t even do anything, they’d just make me feel normal.’ The mum-of-one, from Birmingham, was just 16 when she started taking opioids. While opioid addiction in the USA is widely documented, dramatised in the hit series Dopesick, it’s a significant issue in the UK too. Latest ONS figures show that the number of drug poisonings from opiates are up by 21% in the last five years. Battling ‘tummy issues’ in her teens, Caitlin was 16 when she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). ‘I was admitted to hospital where I was given tramadol for the first time,’ says Caitlin. ‘It did start with a legitimate health issue.’ Caitlin Atkins had been abusing drugs since her teenage years (Picture: Kennedy News and Media) She also began to take codeine phosphate to manage her pain, and Caitlin says that ‘within months’ she was taking her monthly dose within just two to three days: ‘It didn’t take me long to start abusing my prescriptions,’ she admits. ‘As my painkiller addiction went on, there were times I told lies that I was in some sort of pain. ‘The doctors were becoming aware of the fact I was saying I was losing prescriptions.’ By 2015, aged just 21, her tolerance to painkillers was so high, that she turned to heroin, where she’d spend up to £1,000 a day. Cailin turned to heroin by age 21 (Picture: Kennedy News and Media) ‘[A friend] introduced me to heroin but with that heroin use it commonly comes with crack cocaine use,’ Caitlin explainers. ‘It was through crack cocaine and heroin I began hanging around with not very nice people. I’d have black eyes and issues with dealers and it was absolute chaos.’ Caitlin recounts how she begged family members for money and used her benefits to fund her addiction, admitting she felt ‘numb and broken’ to it all. In May 2017, desperate to find a ‘better life’ for herself, Caitlin moved to Lanzarote, but this only worsened her addiction. She says she’d take 56 co-co-codamol tablets a day, which she was able to get from a private doctor. Caitlin said: ‘I moved over there to change and better my life. But I came back more addicted to drugs than I was when I left.’ Caitlin worked as a waitress but says she doesn’t know how she ‘managed it’, and remembers ‘dropping things a lot.’ ‘I thought, where I was living at home, I thought the problems were associated with the people and the area and not with me. Caitlin moved to Lanzarote in May 2017, but unfortunately this worsened her addiction (Picture: Kennedy News and Media) ‘I thought if I picked myself up and changed my location things would be fine and dandy.’ In December of that year, Caitlin’s family brought her home. ‘My dad and my aunt had to fly out to get me. One of the guys that worked in the hostel messaged [my mum] and said “if somebody doesn’t come out and get her she’s going to die”. ‘They flew out to come and get me and I had to be sedated to come back home. ‘That was probably the most unwell I’d ever been, physically mentally and psychologically. It was really scary.’ Despite completing a twelve-week rehab course in 2021, Caitlin relapsed. But then, in 2022, she fell pregnant. Caitlin says she remembers thinking: ‘This is a whole life that is going to be impacted by the decisions I make.’ It was only when she fell unexpectedly pregnant in 2022 that she decided to fix her problem (Picture: Kennedy News and Media) Discussing her son, she said he ‘changed my whole entire life. ‘I had to make better choices and it was a really turbulent time.’ It was the motivation Caitlin needed to get clean. She hasn’t used drugs since falling pregnant. ‘My son has saved me in so many ways and it was never his job to save me, he’s changed my whole entire life,’ says Caitlin. ‘Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy at times. Being a parent and a mother has been so self-worth building for me and I just love that.’ Encouraging other addicts to be open about their experiences, Caitlin is sharing hope for others like her: ‘There is a way out and there’s hope, seek help and go there.’ Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk. Deals of the Day K-beauty is taking over skincare in 2026 – and this new serum is leading the way The best outdoor candles to buy now for alfresco dining and bug-free nights This tablet recreates the feeling of writing on paper – without the mess Shopping for new bedding? 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