From Heroin to Healing: How Kate Stapleton Turned Pain into Purpose

Kate Stapleton’s story is nothing short of extraordinary. From a childhood marked by undiagnosed ADHD and early self-medication, to decades of addiction, abusive relationships, and the challenge of living with MS, Kate’s life has been a testament to resilience. Yet, through faith, determination, and a fierce belief in her own worth, she has transformed her pain into purpose. Now over three and a half years clean and sober, she’s an operations manager, soon-to-be founder of Fusion Hypnotherapy and Fusion Weight Loss Program, and an inspirational speaker who uses her hard-won experience to light the way for others.

You’ve been through so much in life. When you look back now, what keeps you grateful to still be here?

My recovery. Every day clean and sober is a blessing. I write a gratitude list of ten things every morning, and every day I’m reminded that God has blessed me in so many ways. I nearly relapsed a few months ago because I let my recovery program slip, and that near miss has grounded me even deeper into recovery. I protect it because my life quite literally depends on it.

You started self-medicating at such a young age. What do you think you were really searching for back then?

Peace and quiet in my own head. My ADHD had started at that point — I didn’t know what it was — but the constant noise in my head was driving me insane. Had I been diagnosed as a child, I might have been spared a lifetime of hell. I slipped under the radar because I was clever and didn’t cause trouble at school, so nobody noticed.

Even while struggling with addiction, you worked hard and achieved so much. What helped you keep going?

The belief that I was worth more than a life as an addict. I held onto the hope that someday I would get clean. I came from a nice family and had always been an achiever at school. The life of an addict was not something I was willing to settle for.

What was the turning point that made you say, “enough is enough—I want a different life”?

When I seriously contemplated suicide. I couldn’t live with drugs and I couldn’t live without them. I saw no way of making it out, but instead of taking the pills, I reached out to my stepdad, who took me into his home and helped me find recovery through online meetings.

How did your faith help you through recovery and rebuilding your life?

I gave my will and my life to God, in total surrender. My own will had got me into deep trouble, and I knew God could do a far better job of running my life than I could. He removed the desire for drink and drugs, and piece by piece, my life has been built up to something better than I could have ever imagined — and I’m saying that while I’m sat in pain due to my MS. Life is incredible and my gratitude will never fade.

Living with MS while healing from addiction sounds incredibly hard. How did you find strength during that time?

I’m so grateful that I was six months clean and sober before my MS became severe. I had already found my faith at that point, so I leaned on God and prayed hard. I had my family and my dog, an incredible sponsor, and friends in recovery who rallied around when I was unable to walk and speak. All those things strengthened me — I couldn’t have managed alone.

You had a spiritual awakening that changed your life and even helped your health. What was that experience like for you?

Oh my goodness, that was out of this world! The euphoria of that energetic rise through the crown chakra was bliss that ordinary physical life could never produce. There is a whole spiritual and energetic world most people are unaware of, and I’m one of the ones who have been awakened to it. I will always be grateful to God for that experience, and for the recovery of the use of my legs — that awakening happened while I was deep in prayer, so I know it was from God.

Tell us about Fusion Hypnotherapy and Fusion Weight Loss Program. What inspired you to start them?

I have a variety of qualifications, from management coaching to nutrition (I’m registered with the Royal Society of Public Health), and I started a three-year counselling qualification with the aim of helping people struggling with obesity and food addiction. The first year was a blended counselling skills and hypnotherapy diploma, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I’m good at it as well! So Fusion Weight Loss was born from literally fusing all my skills, qualifications, and experience into one package. Fusion Hypnotherapy was inspired by my desire to bring hypnotherapy into the workplace, enhancing the flow of business operations through hypnosis — I love both business and hypnotherapy, hence the mix.

You’re also writing books and giving talks now. What message do you most want people to take from your story?

That even in the darkest moments, there is hope. That the world is a better place with you in it. I want to inspire people to keep going, to push through those dark days, because there is light in the darkness, I promise. If I can get through everything I went through, and not only come out alive but explode into life like a firework and shine, then anyone can rise up and conquer their own demons, no matter what they are.

For someone who feels lost or stuck right now, what’s one small step they can take to start changing their life?

Reach out for help. There’s no shame in asking. Had I not reached out to Dave, my stepdad, I would possibly be dead now. One phone call can change everything — set those wheels in motion and ask for help today.