Jane Couper | Overcoming Addiction and Finding Purpose After Tragedy

Jane Couper, the accomplished co-founder and CEO of Novello Healthcare, joined the Beyond the Boardroom podcast with Aleksandra King to share a journey that is as difficult as her professional achievements are significant. Her candid conversation offers powerful insights into mental health, the pressures of identity, and the turning point that propelled her toward a purpose-driven life.

The Secret Battle with Mental Health and Identity

Couper's struggles began long before her adult career. She believes she was fighting depression as early as her teenage years, which worsened at university following the death of a close friend. A major source of her pain was the struggle to accept her identity as a gay person in the 80s and 90s.

"I still tried to date boys and tried to be somebody that I wasn't which is incredibly uncomfortable and and you know it's damaging to mental health".

This feeling of not fitting in led her to conceal her true self, a behaviour she describes as taking a toll on her mental health.

Escaping into the Manchester "Scene"

After leaving university in Glasgow and a brief return to Bolton, Couper moved to Manchester, taking a job for £12,000 to fill a gap while she figured out her next steps. She quickly fell into a vibrant, celebrity-filled party scene, which offered a seemingly "wonderful" life to the outside world.

"Drink and drugs were an escape for me by that point."

She first tried drugs a few months into the scene, finding them "readily available". Both alcohol and drugs became a means of escaping her underlying depression and feelings of being an imposter in those rooms. This period was marked by self-destructive behaviour, pushing people away, and a feeling that she "didn't mind whether I was here or not".

Rock Bottom and the Turning Point

Couper eventually sought help for her depression, which led her from counselling to seeing a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist, appointments covered by private healthcare through her job at BER. Her rock bottom came in 2005, around age 25, when she "just didn't want to be here". She spent a few weeks as an inpatient at the Priory over Christmas and New Year.

The definitive turning point came after the sudden passing of her father in March 2006. Couper describes him as her hero, a man who loved her unconditionally and never judged her.

"From that point on, I never considered not being here again. I just had my mindset on getting better".

The powerful motivation was the fear of her father, whom she believed could still see her, witnessing her continued self-destruction.

Key Takeaways

• Self-Acceptance is Vital for Mental Health: Concealing one's true identity, such as sexuality, is "incredibly uncomfortable" and damaging to mental health.
• The Nature of Escape: For Couper, addiction was a means of escape from deep-seated depression, not necessarily a primary addiction.
• Finding Purpose and Healthy Escapes: Recovery was slow but driven by finding things to live for—a sense of service, joining a football community, and healthy activities like running and open water swimming.
• Legacy as Motivation: The love and belief of her father became the "guardian angel" steering her toward getting better and living up to his faith in her potential.

Interested? Watch the full podcast now on Youtube or read more about the origins of Jane's business Novello Healthcare.