EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders' Ben Mitchell will turn to drugs as his struggles continue next week.
Ben will head down a worrying road after meeting newcomer James, amid several fallouts with those closest to him.
Worried about Ben, Kathy suggests he speaks to a specialist who can help him.
Related: EastEnders to air character death in heartbreaking episodes next week
They are interrupted by a customer called James, who Ben soon realises he went to school with.
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James begins to flirt with him on the way to the Car Lot, leaving Ben uncomfortable.
Back at home, Ben finds himself getting on the wrong side of Rocky over his treatment of Kathy.
When Rocky snaps at Ben and gives him some home truths, the situation gets out of hand As Ben goes to punch Rocky, Kathy jumps in to protect him, meaning Ben accidentally punches her instead.
Ben is then forced to move in with Jay as a result, leaving Honey less than impressed.
With Ben making more enemies all round, Kheerat is surprised to see him at work and tries to offer him some advice.
Related: EastEnders to revisit death story as Ben Mitchell makes shock confession
Kheerat passes his concerns onto Callum, and suggests Callum checks-in on him.
However, when Ben later sees Callum enjoying a night out with Whitney, he is heartbroken to see his ex so happy.
In self-destruct mode, Ben continues to make enemies after he's rude to Honey.
Honey even questions Kathy about her injured lip but isn't convinced when Kathy brushes it off.
After spotting the exchange, a guilty Ben nears an apology to Honey but does manage to apologise to Kathy, who encourages him to get help.
When Ben brushes this off, Kathy turns to tough love and makes the painful decision not to speak to him until he gets help.
Related: EastEnders releases preview photos for Phil Mitchell's outburst at the Vic
With Phil busy, Ben is left feeling he has no one to turn to and decides to go for a drink with James.
Ben takes him to The Arches where they begin to kiss. With James' earlier offer still on his mind, Ben ends up taking the drugs.
The following day, Ben wakes up in The Arches and tries to cover up what he's done when Kheerat arrives.
Despite concerns from Phil and Kheerat, Ben continues to take drugs throughout the week, even causing a scene at Peggy's.
Kathy's worry for Ben also increases when Phil reveals he saw him high and they learn he was in a fight. Can they find a way to support him?
EastEnders is currently airing on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on BBC 1 and BBC2. All episodes are available to stream on BBC iPlayer, with weekly early release box sets dropping every Monday at 6am for the next six weeks.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage.
For more on drug addiction and dependency, including information and support, please visit FRANK or Action on Addiction.
