Danny Gould - Gollum Had His Ring... I Had Mine: Ibiza & My White Powder Obsession

From Essex tower blocks to Ibiza superstardom — and into full-blown cocaine psychosis.In this episode of Coming Clean With Me, addiction specialist Elliott Wald sits down with Danny Gould, co-founder of Clockwork Orange and one of the defining figures of British club culture in the 1990s.Danny describes growing up in Essex with an alcoholic mother, no father present, long periods of neglect, poverty, and emotional absence. He explains being left alone from a young age, struggling at school, and learning to survive rather than being cared for — experiences he later connects to emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and substance use.As Clockwork Orange grew, so did the excess. Danny recounts taking the brand to Ibiza in 1994, the explosion in popularity after Ibiza Uncovered, record-breaking crowds at Space, and an environment of constant money, access, and seven-night-a-week partying.He speaks in detail about cocaine-induced psychosis: hallucinations, extreme fear, carrying weapons, believing people were coming for him, and shared delusions with others during heavy use. Danny uses a metaphor that later stayed with him: comparing cocaine addiction to Gollum’s ring — describing the obsession, possession, and fear of life without it.Despite losing money, status, and stability, Danny explains he believed he would always drink and take drugs. The turning point came in 2003 after a period of intense emotional pain, alcohol use, and relapse attempts. He describes waking up one morning and knowing it was over.Danny has now been 22 years clean and sober. He speaks about stopping alcohol first, later testing cocaine once and immediately recognising it no longer had a hold over him. He explains attending Alcoholics Anonymous, finding identification in the room, and using meetings as support rather than prescription.Elliott Wald is a British psychologist, hypnosis expert, and behavioural analyst with over 30 years of clinical experience. He specialises exclusively in the treatment of cocaine addiction via nasal use (snorting) — a form of stimulant addiction that is frequently misunderstood and poorly treated by generic recovery models.Alongside his formal clinical training, Elliott also brings direct lived experience. He maintained a daily cocaine addiction for 15 years, when he was publicly visible and appearing as an expert on national television. This combination of clinical expertise and first-hand experience allows Elliott to understand stimulant addiction from both a neuropsychological and human perspective — without ideology, moral judgement, or surface-level explanations.Elliott’s work focuses on the psychological, behavioural, and neurobiological mechanisms that drive cocaine addiction, including dopamine dysregulation, compulsive habit loops, impulsivity, identity reinforcement, and relapse conditioning. His approach is highly individualised, evidence-informed, and fundamentally different from generic coaching, peer-led advice, or one-size-fits-all recovery programmes based on someone else’s story.He has appeared as an addiction expert across major UK broadcasters including ITV, BBC, Sky News, and Sky Living, and is a published author in the field of addiction.Over 90% of Elliott’s patients work with him online, meaning private, one-to-one treatment is accessible to clients across the United States and worldwide, without the need for travel.If you’d like to watch a video explaining how Elliott’s one-to-one programme works, or to enquire about private treatment, send a WhatsApp:UK: 07875 751960 International: +44 7875 751960Find out more on Elliott's website: https://www.hypnosis-expert.com/ADDICTION/