Jess’ 880km charity trek for Sheffield charity that helped her beat drug addiction

Jess Booth, aged 33, went on a Spanish pilgrimage to combine escapism with fundraising for Sheffield-based drug and alcohol charity ‘Addaction’, which helped her to beat her substance abuse problem.

Jess had been tackling her problems with drugs, but after a relapse last year she decided to change her outlook on life.

She said: “I could have died at least four times. It’s a miracle that I made it past the age of 30. I put my family through hell and I put my wife through hell.”

It was when she overdosed on benzodiazepines in 2018, that the on-duty psychiatrist at A&E referred Jess to ‘Addaction’.

She said: “The best thing about it was that the lady who first saw me asked me a lot of questions, meaning she could match me with a support worker with similar life experiences and working knowledge.

“This tailored approach meant my key worker really understood me. As I began to get on top of things, I decided that I needed time and space to become comfortable with my own thoughts.

“After a bit of planning, I began the Camino De Santiago, an 800km trek through France and Northern Spain. I decided to do it solo, without drugs, booze and the stress of everyday life.

“ It turned out that isolation was cathartic for me. Addiction was a spiral of destruction and shame that had gone out of control, so being able to do this was like resetting myself.

“I feel like I’m giving something back to ‘Addaction’ and helping them help others like me.”

Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/theboothtrek to donate.