### Former Addict Shares Harrowing Story After Five-Day Drug Binge Left Him Unrecognisable
A former carpet installer from Salisbury has laid bare the realities of substance abuse after a five-day cocaine and alcohol binge nearly claimed his life, leaving him with such bloodshot eyes that he was mistaken for a supernatural figure. Dave Mullen, now a social media content creator, recounted his experiences as a warning to others following years of spiralling addiction.
Mullen’s first encounter with cocaine occurred on his 17th birthday, a moment he describes as both impulsive and naive. What began as recreational experimentation, typically during football away days and group holidays, rapidly escalated to dependency by the age of nineteen. “Cocaine seemed to go hand-in-hand with alcohol,” Mullen said, reflecting on his initiation into drug use and the cultural pressures he felt at a young age.
By his late teens, Mullen was regularly drinking up to 15 pints a day and spending thousands of pounds each week on cocaine, often during extended sessions lasting up to seven days. He explained that the culture around him made drug use feel almost inevitable, with his social circles normalising and frequently encouraging such behaviour.
The consequences of this lifestyle were severe and far-reaching. In August 2021, after a marathon drug and alcohol session, Mullen suffered a drug-induced psychosis. He awoke in an intensive care unit, his eyes a shocking red—so much so that when he returned to work at a care home, a resident chased him, convinced he was possessed. Photographs taken at the time reveal bloodshot eyes with a startling, almost demonic intensity, symptoms which persisted for weeks after his hospitalisation.
Despite this traumatic brush with death, Mullen struggled to maintain sobriety. “That wasn’t my turning point,” he admitted. Within months, he returned to his old routines, feeling trapped by both the physical compulsion and the emotional void left by addiction. It would take another critical health scare, this one occurring three years later in March 2024, for him to finally resolve to seek change. Medical professionals warned him of imminent death if he continued on his current path.
Now, Mullen proudly marks over a year free from alcohol and drugs. He describes this period of sobriety as an escape from a “prison” he had inhabited for 15 years. Channeling his energy into fitness and advocacy, he now documents his recovery journey through TikTok and hopes to launch a support group under the banner ‘Dark Days 2 Brighter Ways’. His aim is to shed light on the often-overlooked dangers of cocaine and alcohol misuse, particularly among young people.
In a candid admission, Mullen spoke of the enduring mental health impact his addiction has left behind, though he counts himself fortunate not to suffer from severe physical after-effects, bar a constantly runny nose. “I really want to spread awareness, because it did ruin my life,” he stated, describing how the culture of silence and acceptance around drug use allows addiction to flourish unchecked.
He is particularly critical of what he perceives as inadequate education about drug use and its consequences, pointing out that legal risks are often downplayed or ignored. “Cocaine has become almost normalised,” Mullen warned, adding that his personal story—bolstered by harrowing photographs—demonstrates the very real dangers that these substances pose.
With a strong following on social media and a message shaped by hard-learned experience, Mullen hopes his efforts will spark greater understanding and preventive action among both peers and policymakers. As he forges ahead into a new chapter of his life, Mullen’s story stands as both a cautionary tale and a testament to the possibilities of recovery.