Davey Lloyd was a Bachelor favourite. For years after, he spiralled into addiction.

Davey Lloyd is bravely sharing his story of addiction.

For decades now, Lloyd — a builder from Sydney's Northern Beaches, known for his stint on Sam Frost's season of The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise — has been surrounded by drugs and alcohol.

"Drugs, especially cocaine, are so prominent in Sydney. I don't think people realise how bad it is until they take a step back and see the damage that's being done," he exclusively tells Mamamia.

Earlier this year, the 34-year-old's cocaine addiction reached a breaking point when he overdosed. It briefly left him dead.

Watch: one mother's journey to helping her son amid addiction. Post continues below.

"This has been the hardest and ongoing struggle of my life. Recently I had my third seizure and to date, my biggest one — so intense that I died," Lloyd shared on Instagram this week. 

"Thank god my friend was there to attempt CPR on me. At one point he actually gave up as it looked like I was not coming back to life."

"I had been waiting to get into an Uber and I just dropped to the floor. I don't remember a thing. My friend saw it all and said my lips were blue, my jaw was clenched and I was non-responsive," he tells us. 

"My eyes were in the back of my head and my friend was screaming for help."

CPR was performed for several minutes before an ambulance arrived and took over. For at least a minute, Lloyd was clinically dead.

For the following seven to eight minutes, paramedics worked to get Lloyd in a stable condition. Fortunately, he came to.

"I was very confused, I had a cracked sternum and had also pissed myself, as my bladder had released," he said.

"But thank the f**k I was alive."

Davey Lloyd. Image: Instagram.

Lloyd has been in rehab for the past five weeks, saying it's been the best place for him to get help and support.

He's now celebrating 90 days of sobriety, whilst acknowledging he "still has a long way to go".

"18 years of drinking and partying has had its impact," Lloyd tells us. 

"So for three months sober now, my dopamine levels are naturally growing back, [but] it is a struggle."

"I've been doing a lot of therapy. My brain is relearning how to function and deal with situations without resorting back to using drugs," he says.

"I'm now sitting with my emotions, and though it's mentally exhausting, I feel a lot better than I have in a long time."

Lloyd's aim for speaking out is to help spread awareness about the disease. 

"I'm also making myself accountable for my actions and becoming honest with friends and family members that I have affected in the times of my using," he said on social media.

"I have been very selfish and out of control. Now it’s time to take hold of my life. I want to live."

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A post shared by Davey lloyd (@davey_lloyd)

Since sharing his story, Lloyd has received an influx of support. He just hopes to keep the message going.

"It's becoming so normalised for the younger generation. It starts with vaping and it just builds from there. I know of young people in their early teens who are buying [drugs] and it's just so sad to see. There are knock-on effects and we have to change where things are heading," he says.

Lloyd added: "I still have a long road ahead and am far from perfect. It's tragic it took nearly dying to realise that I need professional help.

"Being in an addiction is a lonely place. But admitting you need help is brave. A real flex in life is coming out the other side of addiction and facing it head-on. 

"There's nothing weak or embarrassing about seeking help. It's the opposite."

If this post brought up any issues for you, you can contact Drug Aware, Australia's 24hr alcohol and drug support line. You can reach them on (08) 9442 5000 or 1800 198 024.

Feature Image: Channel 10.

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