Anish Vij
Warning: This article contains discussion of drug addiction which some readers may find distressing.
A former cocaine addict whose bloodshot eyes made elderly people think he was the 'devil' was put in a coma after a five-day session almost killed him.
Dave Mullen was just 17 when he was first introduced to cocaine in a pub on his birthday.
The ex carpet fitter from Wiltshire became hooked on the Class A drug and would use it on away days and lads' holidays.
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And just two years after his first sniff, Dave would go on seven-day benders and snort thousands of pounds of cocaine.
During the long sessions, he would pair his excessive drug use with 15 pints a day. In 2021, however, Dave woke up from a coma in ICU with bloodshot 'devil' eyes.
Following a drug-induced psychosis, his eyes remained red for months, and when he went to work a job in an old people's home, an elderly man chased him with a bible because he thought he was the 'devil'.
Sadly, Dave fell back into addiction just months later and continued the dangerous habit for three years until doctors provided him with an urgent warning.
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After a hospital trip in March 2024, health experts said he could die if he continued his excessive cocaine use.
Thankfully, the Salisbury man said he is now 15 months sober from both alcohol and drugs.
"I was going on lads' holiday to Ayia Napa at 17 and it was like the Inbetweeners 'lads on tour' and it was just relentlessly pushed down your throat as soon as you hit an age," he explained.
"At 19 I noticed it had become an addiction. It was clear not only to me but my friends and people around that I had a bit of a problem with it.
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"Every year it got worse and worse and would affect so many people around me due to the mental health episodes I would have.
"I would go through periods to escape my mental health and I would just go out for five, six, seven days and I would just be gone."
Dave said he 'completely lost' his mind after his 2021 coma as he temporarily had no vision.
Six weeks on, his eyes were left bloodshot, which carried on for two months.
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Since going sober though, Dave has become a content creator and is now sharing his journey online.
"I want to spread awareness as it really did ruin my life," he admitted.
"[In March 2024], they told me I was going to die again and something about walking out of that hospital alone, I said I didn't want to do this anymore.
"15 months later and I'm here and I have a TikTok account and I still haven't looked back. I feel completely reborn and I'm now excited for my future."
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Dave believes that, in society, 'we're [not] 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," 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."
The former cocaine user hopes to one day set up a support group under the name 'Dark Days 2 Brighter Ways', to help others suffering with addiction.
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or ivechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week