The Forward Trust's Chair of Trustees, and former England and Arsenal captain Tony Adams MBE, has opened Addiction Awareness Week 23-30 November with a powerful film about The Conversation that Changed Everything for him.
Tony's film is one of a series being shared from across the recovery community, to help spark more honest stigma-breaking conversations and show people who are struggling they are not alone.
In the film, Tony Adams who spent 11 years in addiction, reveals that a conversation with his mother-in-law Barbara was the catalyst to getting help:
“She saw a man that was struggling, a man that was lying on the sofa dying of this illness and she kept it very simple. She gave me a phone number and said ‘go and sort yourself out’ – and I did the greatest thing I’ve ever done, I took her advice.
“If you are struggling with an addiction or a mental health issue then please reach out and get the appropriate help.
"The greatest thing I ever did was to say ‘I can’t do this’.”
The Taking Action on Addiction Campaign, launched by HRH The Princess of Wales in 2021, aims to Get The Nation Talking About Addiction to tackle stigma as a barrier to accessing support.
Get involved with the campaign by downloading our Supporter Toolkit.
Watch our latest Addiction Awareness Week campaign video 📽️
'The Conversation That Changed Everything' - for Tony Adams
Join Tony Adams in sharing your recovery story - this is how you do it!
Useful links
You can also find out tips on our website including:
How to have the conversation with a professional
The Conversation That Changed Everything - join and support our social media campaign
See also
The Forward Trust
Tony Adams - biography (The Forward Trust website)