I will always be a recovering addict: Steve Coogan

British comedian and actor Steve Coogan has revealed that he felt like he was going to die after taking cocaine. In his new book, Easily Distracted, Coogan recalls how he became hooked on drugs in an edited extract published in The Guardian.
Coogan, 49, revealed that he started taking drugs in 1992 but at that time claims that he did not need to buy the illegal substance because people were supplying him with it, reports mirror.co.uk. In the book, he recalled a horrific experience where he had a panic attack that left him feeling like he was about to die.
"I could feel pins and needles in my left arm, and my heart was thundering. I thought I was having a heart attack," he wrote. Following an examination from a doctor, who discovered that Coogan was fine, he went on to suffer from more panic attacks that "wouldn't go away".
Coogan suffered from depression and sought help from a therapist to help with the attacks but once they started to subside, the British comedian started dabbling in cocaine once again. "It was always around, always on offer. I didn't start to buy it until years later," he said.
"In those early days it was all recreational and relatively controlled. I'd have a line or two and stop. I liked it because it gave me confidence. I always thought, 'I'm not really one of those people who does cocaine, so I'll be OK,'" he added.
However, Coogan said he doesn't take drugs or consumer alcohol anymore, but he is in "no denial" about his past. "I will always be a recovering addict," he said.
Easily Distracted by Steve Coogan will be published in October.