'I was spiked by my best friend - it made me an alcoholic at 23'

At just 23-years-old, Sam Thomas had only ever drank alcohol a handful of times - and hated it. Growing up in the 90s and early 00s, it was unusual to be teetotal in a society where drunkenly falling out of nightclubs was the norm.

However one night, Sam's 'best friend' spiked his drink with vodka, which then led then-23-year-old into a downward spiral. Becoming severely alcohol dependent, by the time he was 26, he would be drinking a bottle of wine a night, and isolating himself away so he could drink alone.

But with a successful career, regularly going to the gym and masking his drinking, Sam, a writer, seemed to be fine. Until one day thedrink took overhis gym hobby, leading him down a dangerous path.

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Visiting A&E over thirty times, being detained by the police, admitted to a psychiatric hospital four times and visiting a medical detox centre numerous times, Sam became a danger to himself.

"I only ever drank twice by the age of 17, I was a part of the Liverpool gay scene, and I had decided I hated drinking as I'd had nothing but bad experiences. My first boyfriend didn't drink either so it wasn't really something I'd ever thought about," Sam told The Mirror.

Sam had started his own eating disorder charity by the age of 21, something he said helped him lead the opposite of the lifestyle his friends lived, and admitted he took himself "far too seriously". But after a move to Brighton, Sam had engaged in the LGBTQ+ scene, and his best friend was a "full blown party animal".

"It became my job to pick him up off the floor and into a taxi, but he one day decided to put vodka in my coke as a joke, and I felt effects within half an hour, and it made me start to drink," he said. Sam decided at that point there was no real reason for him not to drink and not be the "odd one out".

'I would drink the mini bottles of wine - it became the norm'

Going out with pals twice a week, Sam's drinking started to pick up rapidly as he felt like he had to make up for lost time, and when his estranged mother died from cancer in his mid twenties, her death became a "significant trigger". "It led to an escalation, as I was grieving which resorted to me drinking at home.

"I would drink the mini bottles of wine you'd get on flights and in hotel rooms, and it became the norm. I had totally isolated myself and felt like I had lost my friends," the 39-year-old confessed.

By the time he was 26, Sam would drink a full-sized bottle of wine to himself every night. Something he called a "real toxic combination". But as he was still regularly going to the gym, and his charity had taken off, he had no reason to think something was wrong.

He had become a functioning alcoholic, and was able to successfully mask his demons. "I was numbing my feelings, and putting those dark thoughts away, so never knew how I felt about anything," he said.

But two years later, Sam decided he was going to pack in the booze and go cold turkey aged 29. "I'd fallen out of the habit of going to the gym. I realised it had acted as a safe guard to stop drinking excessively as when I stopped going, I was drinking wine from 5pm onwards.

'The drinking had finally taken over'

"The drinking had finally taken over and favoured it over going to the gym, it was a battle and alcohol won." But going cold turkey came with detrimental effects on Sam.

Heading to London for a meeting, Sam recalled how he fell seriously unwell, suffering with a fever, shakes and the sweats. He was rushed to hospital, but wasn't diagnosed with alcohol withdrawal until a few episodes later. "I was very naïve, I thought you had to drink for many years to get started getting adverse effects from drinking. I was still young, I hadn't been drinking that long, so I didn't think I had alcohol dependency."

He was told he needed a medical detox, but being unaware of alcoholism, Sam had no idea what he was going to entail. He realised once he'd stopped drinking how much of an issue it was. His first detox in 2018 wasn't successful, and then ended up going back another three times, once while also being admitted to a psychiatric hospital for suicidal thoughts and erratic behaviour.

His fourth and final detox was in November 2019 which was a success. "It was a very chaotic period and most of it I don't remember. I was so out of control, I wasn't able to make informed decisions on suicide and I had to get an intervention as I was drunk most of the time.

Sam had "three dress rehearsals" of detoxing, so knew what to expect. He detailed: "I knew what would happen, I knew to expect the cravings and urges and finally I knew how to deal with them. It had all been very much a trial and error, which is why people always go through relapses, as you need to know what to expect."

Being clean from November 2019, Sam has managed to turn his life around, channelling his health, getting back into the gym and finding a love for nature. "It's taken me several years of work to get to this point but now I feel like I have a new lease of life. It doesn't mean I don't struggle now, I still have PTSD, but I am controlling it with medication."

'Addiction thrives in isolation, so it's important to speak up'

For those who may be finding themselves on a downwards spiral, Sam said it's crucial to recognise you have a problem. You don't need to act immediately, but "recognising is important" and he advises anyone not to do it in isolation.

"Addiction thrives in isolation, so it's important to speak to someone you know, whether it's a friend, partner or relative and contemplate next steps. You can't fix it immediately, but take baby steps. There is a way for everyone."

Sadly spiking is becoming an issue in the UK, and the Crime and Policing Bill, which has had its second reading in the House of Commons, will makespiking a standalone crime with a maximum prison term of 10 years. The charity charity Spike Aware UK told Daily Mirror: "A lot of the time it is a prank. Those doing it think it’s funny and maybe they’re on a night out and they think, ‘Let’s liven them up’.

“But it’s not funny and a lot of victims end up with mental health issues. There’s a big knock-on effect, so why is the perpetrator allowed to get away with it so easily?”

Figures released today show 6.6 million Brits have been spiked, based on a poll of 3,000 adults by CounterSpike, which makes test kits."

Warning signs that your drink may have been targeted include confusion, nausea, hallucinations and memory loss. To minimise the risk, do not accept drinks from strangers. Buy your own drink and never leave it unattended. For more information, visit spikeawareuk.org.

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