A man is urging others to think twice about cocaine after a prolonged binge left him dealing with frightening side effects.
Dave Mullen, from the UK, has spoken about how his drug use led to a temporary loss of vision.
Alongside the sudden blindness, his eyes became intensely bloodshot and stayed that way for months, leaving him visibly unwell.
Dave explained that his first experience with cocaine was on his 17th birthday, after someone offered it to him while he was in a pub.
Looking back, he says he wishes he’d never touched it, as his use escalated quickly from that point.
He shared that cocaine became something he’d take while drinking on soccer away days and during vacations, gradually becoming part of his routine.
By the time he turned 19—only a couple of years after first trying it—he realised things were no longer under control.
“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.”
At his worst, Dave said he could go on seven-day binges, snorting cocaine worth thousands of pounds.
Those lengthy stretches were also fuelled by alcohol, with Dave claiming he would drink around 15 pints of beer each day.
Eventually, the situation took a serious turn and he fell into a coma after experiencing a drug-induced psychosis.
In August 2021, a photo showed just how severe the damage to his eyes had become.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
When he returned to his job at a retirement home, the appearance of his eyes reportedly frightened one resident so much that they chased him with a Bible, believing he was a demon or the devil.
Even with that shock, Dave admitted he still didn’t stop right away.
It wasn’t until March 2024 that doctors delivered a blunt warning: if he continued, it could kill him.
That message became the turning point. Dave began working to quit, and now he’s telling his story in the hope it reaches others who might recognise the same pattern in themselves.
He said: “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.”
“I don’t think we’re educated enough about the dangers of these drugs or alcohol,” he added.
“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.”
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can call American Addiction Centers on (888) 830-7624 24 hours, seven days a week, or contact them through their website.