A TRUE STORY.

It was New Years Eve 1993. I was 18 years old. I was thinking it would be pretty cool to just chill out at home. My folks were away, my three brothers were all out for the night and I liked the idea of having the house to myself….a rare event. Most of my close friends were away on holidays but some other friends from school were calling me asking me to come out with them. There was a rave party at a warehouse in, what was to become the Docklands area of Melbourne.

My instinct was not to go. I wasn’t into the rave scene. I loved dancing. I’d dance all my life.  At the time I was into dancing at reggae and r’n’b clubs and seeing live music. Rave music didn’t rock my world at all. Plus, I didn’t really feel that comfortable with the people asking me to go.

They kept calling that night even after I said I wasn’t interested, saying “You can’t stay at home on New Years Eve”.  “Why not,” I thought.

Anyway it was getting on 11pm and they swung past in their brothers car on the way and I opened the front door to lots of “C’mons,” and “What else are you going to do?”  At that stage I didn’t realize I’d be spending the next day in a coma in hospital.

The rest is a bit of a blur……I relented and hopped in the car with my two friends and one of their brothers and his friend. My gut was churning…something didn’t feel right. They said I should try a pill….”It’s only a tiny bit of what we are taking”.

“Not interested” I said. Then my friends chimed in with more “C’mons!!”  I’m not usually one to give in to peer pressure, however on this particular night I wasn’t in my usual form. Not sure why. Just wasn’t.

We arrived at the rave. Then I started spinning. Went straight to the toilets and started throwing up. Next I heard a lady from St John’s ambulance’s voice coming in and out of my consciousness in their van…that’s all I remember. I was taken to hospital. I spent the next 30-40 hours in a coma. I’d had a gran mal seizure and almost died. The doctors told me I’d been incredibly lucky to come through.

I’m still not sure exactly what I’d taken, possibly LSD or speed, or why it had an almost fatal effect on me, and not my friends, who’d taken the same thing and at least twice as much.

I’m sure though that the experience has had everything to do with me not touching pills again and been a stark reminder to trust my instincts and not be pressured into doing something that I don’t want to…….no justification required.

Going against my intuition almost cost me my life. You never know exactly what you are taking, who made it, what’s in it or the effect it’s going to have on you.

ANONYMOUS

Read tommorrow's blog for more info regarding drug infomation and some helpful websites.