
'I would only get out of bed to see a dealer before going home to sniff'
By 19, Emily, from Hoylake, was snorting up to 14 grams of ketamine daily, spending roughly £60 to feed her habit, leading her to abandon her education. Now five months sober, she's sharing her story to highlight the drug's prevalence among the youth, describing its use as "the norm".
Speaking to the ECHO, Emily recounted: "I went to school and got my 10 GCSEs. When I left, I became friends with a new group, and that's just what they were into.
"It got to a point where I was taking it every day. I've got ADHD and I was undiagnosed at the time. My mind runs so quickly. When I took ket everything slowed down.
"I felt like a failure with every step I went through in life. I was clever in school, but I could never sustain it when I got to exams. I couldn't keep up with education, I couldn't keep up with work, and I was having run-ins with the police. I was so depressed, I honestly thought I'd never escape it and I'd never be happy without it.
"The last few months before rehab were getting out of bed to see a dealer and then coming back home and sniffing in my room. That was it."
In April 2024, Emily dropped out of sixth form so ketamine could become "more accessible". She said: "Drugs weren't really a thing in sixth form. I ended up going to a [different college] with a friend who also used.
"I dropped out a few months in because I couldn't afford to feed my addiction. I started working full-time, swapping jobs, and then I went on sick leave for a couple of months.
"Eventually I went back to work because sick pay wasn't cutting it and I couldn't afford my drugs anymore."
Despite suffering from an array of health issues, including a shrunken bladder, limited liver functioning, and even being told she was at risk of kidney failure, Emily continued to use, sniffing a daily dose of up to half an ounce of ketamine.
However, the teenager never thought she had a problem. She said: "I thought it's what everyone does. When you're an addict, your brain does anything to tell you you're not an addict.
"If you're sitting in a room full of people who are also addicts, and you keep behaving like you don't have a problem by using together, you'll never realise that you actually do have a problem. And people also don't realise they have a problem because literally everyone does it. It's normal.
"I only started realising I had a problem the last time I went on sick pay, a month before I went to rehab. I realised I wasn't able to maintain any kind of normal life while being addicted to ket.
"Nothing was conducive to a normal lifestyle. I didn't sleep in the night; I slept in the day. I was living in my bed; I wouldn't shower, wouldn't get dressed. I wouldn't want to speak to anyone unless they were other users.
"My life was just a big mess. I just knew I couldn't live like that anymore. But it was difficult because I couldn't go to one of my friends and tell them I had a problem. They were all addicts too."
Emily said the streets of Liverpool are heavily infiltrated with ketamine. "It definitely is a crisis," she said. "The price has gone so much cheaper; you don't know what it's being bashed with.
"It's everywhere. If I walked into Liverpool, I'd be able to spot numerous people who are on ket or people I used to use with. That's just the way it is right now."
In February this year, Emily began a rehabilitation program at Birchwood Rehab in Heswall, which she says has been "amazing". Now five months clean, Emily wants to help other young people who are in the grip of an addiction.
When asked what advice she would give to other young addicts, Emily said: "I think it's important for people to understand that when you're an addict, you can't just put down a drug and stay clean; it doesn't work like that.
"You have to change every aspect of your life. It's about looking at your spirituality and learning to do these small things, which will boost your mood. That's what helps you stay in recovery. I'd really recommend fellowship groups and engagement services.
"Try to distance yourself from people who use. I've cut contact with people I know who used. There is some kind of hope out there. I'm sitting here, and I'm nearly five months clean. I never thought I would see that day. I thought I'd be using it until I die, or until I end my life. That's where I was at; I was just miserable. It sucked all the life out of me."
In Liverpool, councillors have said the region is in the grip of a 'ketamine crisis'. According to the Office for National Statistics, 2.9% of 16 to 24-year-olds reported using ketamine between April 2023 and March 2024. This was down slightly from the previous year, when usage levels hit a record 3.8% for the age group.
In January, the Home Office said it would seek expert advice on reclassifying the drug from its current controlled Class B status to the more serious Class A. Currently, the maximum penalty for supplying and producing ketamine is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
17 hours ago
- BBC News
Instagram sisters from Birmingham raising neurodiversity awareness
Two sisters have been supporting people living with neurodiversity and helping educate others through their new training company. Iveta Pudilova, 23, discovered she was neurodivergent after sister Vera was diagnosed with autism."I grew up non-verbal. I couldn't speak until I was about five years old and even now I experience verbal shutdown. So verbal communication can be a really difficult challenge, Iveta said. In 2019, Vera started documenting her experiences through drawings and reflections on Instagram. Iveta helped and the Birmingham sisters went on to found the National Neurodiversity Training company last year. By May, the company had delivered neurodiversity training to seven organisations and 350 people, helping them to understand how to better support is an umbrella term that includes a number of conditions including ASD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia. Iveta told the BBC her sister Vera's Instagram reflections were not intended to go viral, but her take on life soon gained traction. She explained her sister is "a very creative person" who made "content illustrations about her experience of being diagnosed... to connect with other autistic people". Iveta joined her and added: "We started an e-commerce [initiative], selling communication products like badges and cards, because a lot of neurodivergent people are non verbal." 'More productive' Badges and cards have helped neurodivergent people express themselves in public. One design reads: "I wear noise-cancelling headphones but I can still hear you."Iveta said they started e-commerce work "to empower other neurodivergent people".However, she added "the lack of neurodiversity awareness and support is impacting everyone, including companies, and so we transitioned to delivering neurodiversity training". Their company now works with organisations including the NHS and is behind training delivered in tech firms, universities and local project, in partnership with Birmingham Newman University and the NHS, involved training psychological and wellbeing practitioners to better support autistic patients. 'Looking to leave' "What we found is that neurodiverse teams are about 30% more productive when they have the right support," Iveta said. "But 50% of neurodivergent staff are... looking to leave their employer because of a lack of support."She said in the work with the NHS, they addressed "diagnostic bias", which she explained was essentially when a practitioner diagnosing someone "might have personal biases". The company was invited to deliver staff training "on recognising their own biases, addressing them, but then also tailoring their therapy services and support to their autistic patients". Iveta added: "In the last year we've seen kind of the corporate world take up neurodiversity a lot more because there's more demand both internally, and [from] society pressures." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.


Daily Mirror
21 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Psychiatrist warns 'leg bouncing' could be sign you have undiagnosed condition
More than 2 million Brits have undiagnosed ADHD - but as it can be hard to identify in adults, many people may live with it which could then lead to various challenges An estimated 2.25 million Brits have undiagnosed ADHD - and this could lead to various challenges for them in their daily lives. Not only this but studies suggest around 25% of adults suspect they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but a very small percentage of those actually seek professional evaluation. ADHD UK reports "people with ADHD show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity–impulsivity that interferes with day-to-day functioning and/or development" . To help you recognise key signs, psychiatrist Ahmed Hankir, who is known as @proahmedhankir on social media, has taken to TikTok to share common signs seen in adults. He said: "ADHD isn't just a childhood condition - and in adults, the symptoms can be a lot more subtle. Clinically, ADHD is grouped into three core symptom clusters inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity." Breaking down the "five real signs you might notice in adulthood", he said: "Sign one - restlessness or difficulty relaxing (hyperactivity). "You might feel constantly on edge or like you can't switch off -even when sitting still. Your leg's bouncing, your mind's racing, and relaxation feels impossible." For sign two, he spoke about a compulsion to interrupt others or finish their sentences - classifying this as impulsivity. He added: "It's not that you're rude - you just blurt things out before thinking, or cut people off without meaning to. You realise it afterwards, but in the moment it feels automatic." For sign three, he says people with ADHD tend to make rash decisions, describing this as impulsivity. "You might suddenly change jobs, book a trip, or make a huge purchase without fully thinking it through," he added. "Later, you're left wondering, 'Why the hell did I do that?'" He added: "Sign four - difficulty paying close attention to details (Inattention). You miss things – important things. Like appointments, deadlines and meetings. Forms? Emails? They become a blur. It's mentally exhausting." Finally, he says the fifth sign to watch out for is frequently starting tasks but not finishing them, saying this shows both inattention and impulsivity. He added: "You start one task, then jump to another, and another... and end up with five open tabs and nothing finished. It's not laziness – it's how your brain processes attention and motivation. "Just because you relate to some of these doesn't mean you have ADHD. But if they're persistent and impact your daily life, it's worth speaking to a mental health professional for a formal assessment." If you suspect you have ADHD, visit your GP for an assessment. ADHD UK have put together an at-home test and you can share the results with your GP.


The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Thanks to the Instagram algorithm I'm convinced I have ADHD
An anatomy drawing of a person doing a plank: 'How it feels like for ADHD people to listen to someone finish a sentence they understood within the first few seconds'. 'We all have the same 24 hours.' 'Well I have ADHD so I only have two.' Two Spider-Man figures pointing at each other: 'Not getting anything done because I'm too overwhelmed'. 'Being overwhelmed because I haven't gotten anything done.' Though I have never been diagnosed with ADHD (or autism, another strand of neurodivergent memes beloved by my Explore page), social media has convinced me that I have it. I've always thought of myself as an impulsive, overthinking space cadet who gets easily overwhelmed. I always viewed these as flaws in my personality, something I alone should remedy. But these internet jokes unexpectedly made me feel seen, part of a community of people with a shared experience. Something we could affectionately laugh about and accept. Nearly every peer I speak to is 'convinced' they have adult ADHD. Is it because of the deluge of online content? Or are we just becoming more aware of it? Are all of these #ADHD traits even related to ADHD? Or just part of the human condition? It becomes easy to laugh off the frenetic way I clean my house or how I just can't stop procrastinating when I really need to get something done. There is a chance that we are over-pathologising very normal behaviours. It is incredibly difficult to get diagnosed with ADHD in Scotland unless you have a bulging wallet. To be assessed through the NHS takes years (waiting time data is patchy at best). Waiting lists have become so demanding in some areas that they have ceased assessment services altogether. Earlier this year, Aberdeenshire HSCP and NHS Forth Valley both announced they were closing their Adult Autism Assessment teams (who were also responsible for ADHD Assessments). NHS Tayside stopped taking referrals for children unless they have a pre-existing mental health condition. To be diagnosed privately can cost anywhere from £600 to £1600, depending on the type of assessment and whether it includes follow-up appointments. At ADHD Scotland in Glasgow, a pre-assessment session is £120 and an ADHD assessment is £850. If you are diagnosed privately, you could end up having to foot the bill for your own Ritalin. Now, we must think of the children because they are the ones who are truly getting the short end of the stick here. Children languishing on a waiting list for diagnosis can cause untold distress for families. In childhood, a diagnosis means schools have a better understanding of the child's needs. It is also the first step towards possible medication to help with symptoms (another seemingly endless waiting list), as The Herald reported this week. An ADHD diagnosis can also help parents better understand what their child is experiencing. Failing the mental health of children in this country is awful. This is not to point the finger. Money is tight, resources are few and far between, and demand for mental health treatment is soaring. I draw a line between children and adults when it comes to the conversation about neurodevelopmental disorders. He has claimed that ADHD diagnosis "doesn't mean anything', referring to the circular logic that symptoms (impulsivity, absent-mindedness, hyperactivity) lead to diagnosis and then diagnosis explains the symptoms. 'It's not an explanation, it's a description,' he says. Perhaps you recognise him from diagnosing Prince Harry with ADHD in a 2023 live TV interview. Everyone is different. Me? I'm with Maté on this one. I don't need to be diagnosed with ADHD. I perhaps need to stop trying to do too much, putting so much pressure on myself to be perfect, and stop doomscrolling during every free moment that I have to avoid the terrifying prospect of being alone with my thoughts for five minutes. I would not want to take up a precious diagnosis waiting list spot simply because an algorithm made me laugh with an 'ADHD people doing anything other than they should be doing' meme. I think Maté is right about taking a holistic approach to better mind health: having self-compassion, developing a consistent routine, seeking connection with other people, and avoiding stress and overstimulation from your surroundings. I've noticed one recurring comorbidity with all the ADHD content that I am fed – farm content. As if the antidote to the stresses of city life and always-on culture that plagues us is to leave it all behind and #FarmLife. If so many adults are convinced that they have a neurological disorder these days, that says a lot more about our society than it does the individual. Aldous Huxley put it best when he wrote that the real victims of mental illness are the ones who appear to be normal: 'Their perfect adjustment to that abnormal society is a measure of their mental sickness.' Marissa MacWhirter is a columnist and feature writer at The Herald, and the editor of The Glasgow Wrap. The newsletter is curated between 5-7am each morning, bringing the best of local news to your inbox each morning without ads, clickbait, or hyperbole. Oh, and it's free. She can be found on X @marissaamayy1