A man who describes himself as a party enthusiast experienced temporary blindness and suffered from blood-red eyes for several months following a cocaine binge.
Dave Mullen snorted cocaine for the first time at age 17, during a night out at a pub, an action he deeply regrets.
The former carpet fitter quickly developed a liking for the substance, indulging in it during soccer away days with his friends and on holidays with the lads.
What began as occasional use spiraled into full-blown addiction by the time Dave turned 19. At his peak, he was consuming 15 pints a day and spending thousands of pounds on cocaine during week-long binges.
His drug use eventually led to a coma induced by psychosis, as evidenced by a photo from August 2021 showing his eyes alarmingly bloodshot.
Months later, Dave’s eyes remained vividly red. His return to work at a retirement home was met with fear, as a man chased him with a Bible, mistaking him for the devil.
Despite this alarming experience, Dave relapsed just a few months later, continuing his drug use for the next three years.
It wasn’t until a hospital visit in March 2024, where doctors warned him of the risk to his life, that Dave made the decision to stop, and he has been sober since.
Dave now wishes to share his story to help others who might be facing similar challenges.
“Cocaine goes hand-in-hand with alcohol and at a weak or naive moment as I was young, someone offered me a line and I took it,” he said.
“At 19 I noticed it had become an addiction. Every year it got worse and worse and would affect so many people around me due to the mental health episodes I would have.”
Referring to the notorious photo of his eyes, Dave explained: “This was a result of a four or five-day bender and I ended up going into a drug-induced psychosis and I completely lost my mind.
“I was completely blind and had no vision. Six weeks later my eyes were still bloodshot and my eyes were like this for two months.”
Dave is now focused on raising awareness.
He added: “I don’t think we’re educated enough about the dangers of these drugs or alcohol.
“We’re told the drugs are illegal but in this day and age no one really pays attention to the law and doesn’t care if it’s illegal.
“I think my story and the pictures in particular show that it’s dangerous and I don’t want cocaine to be so normalised and acceptable in society.”
For confidential advice about drugs, you can contact American Addiction Centers at (888) 830-7624, available 24/7, or reach out through their website.