Five years ago, Shellharbour man Coby Watts was deep in the throes of a drug addiction that spiralled after years as a successful DJ. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading The 29-year-old toured internationally and his name was getting bigger after collaborating with artists like DJ Tigerlily.
He had his own tour lined up, and then COVID hit. Everything was cancelled. While the world shut down, Mr Watts was forced to confront his addiction to cocaine, as well as recent mental health diagnoses of ADHD and bipolar.
He didn't think he'd survive it. "I really lost myself ..
. I'm very lucky to be here today," the former Warilla High School student said. "I put my mum through a lot of tough things, seeing her son this way, no mother deserves to see that.
"The biggest challenge was facing myself without using and sitting and feeling all the emotions I've been hiding with drugs and alcohol for all those years." Mr Watts began expressing himself was posting videos online about ADHD, exuding fun while also not shying away from the real challenges that come with being neurodivergent. It was 2020, and the world was starting to learn more about the disorder.
"I think I was just trying to survive, it was my way of expressing how I was feeling and who I am as a person," Mr Watts said. "(Making videos) just became my way of coping with life and then I posted a video about ADHD and I remember heaps of views rolled in and I was like, 'Wait, what?'" His growth.