To anyone watching from the outside, Kaitlin Reeve looked like she had life figured out. She held down a job as an estate agent, raised three children, and stuck to the routines that come with family life.
School runs, workdays and parenting milestones all ticked along as expected, and no one questioned how she managed it all.
Behind that image, however, was a habit that had been quietly shaping her life for years. Kaitlin had first tried cocaine at 16 on a night out in London, and by her late teens, the Class A drug already part of her routine. As adulthood arrived, it followed her into work, relationships, and parenting, becoming something she relied on just to function.
By her own admission, things had reached an extreme.
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Reported by The Sun, she explained: “I started doing a line with breakfast.”
Some mornings, that was followed by walking her children to school, before heading off to work as though nothing was wrong.
She later described herself as ‘the ultimate secret addict’, explaining: “I would take my children, a girl now 18 and two sons now 14 and five, on days out, attend every PTA meeting and taught them to read and write.”
The moment that finally stopped everything came three years ago, during an ordinary day at home. Standing alone in her garden, Kaitlin suddenly felt something change.
She said: “I was smoking weed and suddenly realised ‘I do not want this’...I had thought that many times before, but this was different because I acted on it.”
Until that point, her addiction had spiralled unchecked. She was spending up to £200 a day on cocaine and using it at all hours, including before school runs. Paranoia took hold, leaving her convinced she was being watched.
She recalled: “I would burn my old cocaine paraphernalia and hide it in the drains because I thought my bins might be being watched.” Drugs were hidden in light fittings, sleep was rare, and fear became part of daily life.
Despite all of this, Kaitlin continued to maintain the appearance of a devoted mother. She said: “No one suspected. I was a social chameleon.” Privately, on the other hand, the guilt was constant, and she knew the risks were growing. She later admitted that if something had happened to her children during the night, she would not have been able to help them.
After that moment in the garden, Kaitlin sought help through a recovery group and admitted out loud that she was an addict. She has since had therapy to take better care of her mental health, stepped away from old friendships and begun rebuilding her life. One of the hardest moments came when she told her eldest daughter the truth.
Kaitlin said: “She asked if the reason I had said, ‘Do not come in!’ and my door was shut when she was younger was because I was taking drugs. She had thought it was because I just wasn’t interested in her. That breaks my heart.”
Now sober, Kaitlin shares her story in the hope others will recognise themselves sooner. She said: “I am not the only middle class mum who on the surface seems like they have it together, but is actually a drug addict…But you can break free of it. And it is a much better place to be.”
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week
Topics: Parenting, Mental Health, Drugs
Ben Williams