At just 16 years old, what began as recreational ketamine use at parties has left a young woman with irreversible bladder damage and a stark warning for others.
'I thought I was invincible,' she recalls of her teenage years, when the party drug known as 'ket' or 'special K' seemed harmless fun among friends. 'Nobody tells you the permanent damage it can do.'
The Slippery Slope From Experimentation to Addiction
What started as occasional weekend use quickly escalated into a daily habit. The dissociation and euphoria that made ketamine appealing soon came with a heavy price tag she never anticipated.
'At first it was just at parties, then it became something I needed to get through the day,' she explains. 'I never imagined a legal high could cause such permanent damage.'
The Devastating Physical Consequences
The warning signs began subtly - increased frequency of urination, discomfort, then escalating to severe pain that became impossible to ignore.
Medical professionals confirmed her worst fears: ketamine-induced cystitis had caused permanent damage to her bladder lining. The organ that should stretch to hold 400-600ml of urine now struggles with barely 100ml.
- Chronic bladder inflammation
- Severe reduction in bladder capacity
- Frequent, urgent need to urinate
- Constant pelvic pain
- Potential need for future surgical intervention
A Lifelong Sentence
Now living with the permanent consequences, she describes her daily reality: 'I have to plan my entire life around access to toilets. Simple things like going to the cinema or a long car journey become major logistical challenges.'
The psychological toll has been equally devastating. 'The shame and regret are overwhelming sometimes,' she admits. 'Knowing this is permanent, that I did this to myself as a teenager - it's a heavy burden to carry.'
Turning Trauma Into a Warning
Despite the daily challenges, she's chosen to speak out, hoping her story might prevent others from following the same path.
'If I can stop just one person from making the same mistakes I did, then some good comes from this nightmare,' she says. 'Young people need to understand that some decisions you can't take back.'
Her message to teenagers considering experimenting with drugs is stark and simple: 'Your body isn't invincible. Some damage lasts forever.'
