Teenager who 'ruined life' taking 11 grams of ketamine a day was doing drug in school toilets
A teenager opened up on how he developed a ketamine habit which took a heavy toll on his life.
At the height of his addiction Mark was consuming up to 11 grams a day of the drug, though he recently hit 100 days clean after getting into rehab.
Speaking to Scott Hames, Mark opened up on how he started getting into drugs and everything he lost as a result of his addiction.
He said he was in school and aged around 13 when he started going to a youth club where some older kids showed up and they soon became friends.
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Mark explained that they were 'trying weed' at first but while they started off by 'sitting around the park smoking weed' they ended up trying alcohol and 'robbing shops for it' to get booze or things they could sell for alcohol.
From there they moved to cocaine and ketamine, which when combined they called 'Calvin Klein'.
He said: "A bag would last me a week, and very quickly it weren't lasting me a week to where it were up to 11 grams a day."
Remembering the first time he used ketamine, Mark said he'd been at a party and there was someone there 'peeing blood' who showed the teenager the symptoms of long-term ketamine use, but he tried it anyway.
When he next had some money to spend he decided he didn't want to spend it on alcohol and decided he'd rather get ketamine instead.
"So it turned into me getting that, you know, just starting off doing little bumps, liking it," the teen said.
"And then very quickly it started becoming a everyday thing for me where I was doing it in the school toilets. But when I did it in school, I didn't go overboard and I felt like I could sit there with myself, concentrate.
"When I've managed to use in school, I didn't I didn't get referred out in my class."
Things grew worse and worse and at times he was found 'walking in middle of the road, just lost not knowing where I am', and he felt he really became addicted in the time between school and college where there was 'nothing to do' and 'a lot of parties'.
He did get a job, but ended up 'blitzing all his money' on ketamine and when he went to college to try and become a paramedic his addiction scuppered that.
"I've lost my my dream job. You know, ever since I was a kid, I've always said 'I'll be a paramedic'," Mark said.
Dropping out of college just before he was set to do a work placement in a hospital, Mark eventually started feeling some of the long term effects of ketamine including serious bladder pain.
He ended up getting sacked from his job due to the effects of the drug and he was in serious pain to the point where he was 'screaming in agony' due to 'stabbing pains'.
Mark has since ditched the ketamine after rehab, and when Scott asked if he had any regrets he said 'yeah and no' before further explaining his thoughts about the impact it had on his life.
"I don't regret doing it because obviously I'm a teenager and I experimented, you know, as quite a lot of teenagers do, we'd drink," he said.
"But I regret thinking that it was normal. That's what I thought were normal... going into shops, robbing the drinks.
"My mum crying at end of my bed, my sister heartbroken, I just got so numb to that feeling. I couldn't do it.
"I regret getting into that cycle of constantly needing it. I regret dropping out of college because I could have been so much further.
"I regret taking that first drug to be honest because that's when the obsession comes, then you get into that cycle again. I regret needing to drop out of college to get some money to fund my 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 livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week
Joe Harker