I was 42 stone and an alcoholic - but these people saved me

Glasgow Times

23-04-2025

Josh Pilkington, 31, was working as an actor when he slipped mid-performance during a gig at Edinburgh's Fringe Festival.
Josh, who appeared in Neds, broke his knee as a result which hugely affected his mental health, to the point where he didn't leave his home for seven years.
Josh said: "I was doing a show, I was emphasising a point and stamping my knee, and my knee went the other way, I immediately turned pale.
"I said I was taking a month off, then I was in my house for seven years, and I got up to 42 stone."
Josh at his heaviest weight. (Image: Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest) After losing 17 stone, Josh tried to get back on track and took up a job as a carer.
"It wasn't a job, it was a career, and it was lovely. It was the first time I couldn't wait to get up the next day," he said.
"I was in the job for maybe a year and I was just burnt out. I didn't have coping mechanisms.
"It was just day after day, and eventually I said, 'Can I get a week off?. Then I took a second week off.
"When I walked into the third week, someone already had my job. They fired me without telling me," he added.
When the pandemic struck, Josh managed to cope at home, confined with his family, but when restrictions lifted and they began getting back into work, he turned to alcohol.
Josh explained: "All of a sudden, I started drinking because I just didn't want to be in reality, and then there was weed. I became absurd.
"I would take as much as I could as long as I could, whatever I could afford, and then some. I was thinking, how do I sell my stuff?"
Before tackling addiction. Josh explained he woke up in his room one day, shocked to find blood all over the place, his TV broken, PlayStation smashed, couch flipped and no recollection of the past 24 hours.
He added: "I had blacked out."
What he knows about the events of that day has been told to him by others.
He said: "Apparently, I had got in my mum's face and I was saying, 'What has she done for me?' and 'You're the worst, I hope you don't wake up' - things that I don't believe.
"With the blood everywhere, I had self-harmed and cut a big bite out of my toe.
"I even broke up with my girlfriend, Laura.
"Even to this day, I don't remember all of this, it's recollections and putting puzzle pieces together."
Hope Community Church on Shelley Drive. (Image: Newsquest) After the traumatic events, Laura offered Josh help and recommended a group which had helped to get her clean following years of drug addiction.
Josh has since been on the road to recovery after first getting involved with the Hope for Recovery group in Clydebank's Hope Community Church.
He now volunteers as part of the team that goes into schools to share their story and steer kids away from the troubles of addiction.
The church recently launched its official programme, which runs for 12 weeks and aims to allow addicts a chance to learn about recovery.
(from left to right) Jane, Pastor Craig Halkett, Laura Johnson and Josh Pilkington. (Image: Newsquest) Hope for Recovery launch walk. (Image: Newsquest) Pastor Craig Halkett explained: "We are officially launching a two-year community-based faith-to-freedom recovery pathway.
"It's open for anybody within the community, whether people have a faith or don't, whether they're interested or not interested. It's entirely up to them. We're very relaxed, very informal.
"We teach biblical principles in a very informal way, and it's really up to individuals what they want to take and maybe try to apply them to their life."
Hope for Recovery is based in Hope Community Church every Monday, from 11am to 1.30pm.
The group took part in a walk on Good Friday to commemorate the official launch of the scheme.