UPDATE: |’I could not stop doing ketamine every single day’ News

James Triggs, 26, said he has been told by doctors he will die if he continues to take the drug and has already suffered a mini-heart attack

A former ketamine addict has bravely come forward to discuss his battle with the drug amid growing concerns over a “pandemic” of its misuse across Merseyside. Last month, the Liverpool Echo reported on insights from specialists, a local councillor, and a father whose teenage son is using the drug.

The devastated father described his son’s harrowing journey with addiction, including weight loss and difficulties urinating. He stressed the need for better education and awareness, sentiments echoed by city councillor Lynnie Hinnigan who said the escalating crisis is reaching pandemic levels.

James Triggs from Bootle, Liverpool, is now speaking out to highlight what he terms a “dangerous crisis”. Having started using ketamine four years ago during nights out in Liverpool, James found that, unlike other substances, ketamine quickly “took hold” of his life, leading to a severe addiction.

At one stage, he says he was using ketamine “every day”, sometimes even before breakfast, drawn by the sense of relaxation it gave him. However, this came at a cost, as it also gave James high blood pressure, resulting in him suffering a mini-heart attack.

The 26 year old is currently undergoing rehabilitation at a residential facility in Merseyside, following support from the Lifeboat Project, one of Liverpool’s pioneering support groups tackling ketamine addiction, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Following his candid revelation on TikTok, the ECHO reached out to James, where he encouraged others facing similar battles to seek help. Explaining how he felt while using ketamine he said: “It feels like it sedates you and takes all your problems away.

“When you’re on it, you come up with all these crazy ideas of what you’re going to do with your life. I’ve had other drugs in the past and been able to put them down, but it’s like this has a hold on me.”

‘It’s turned me into a sort of shell of a man’

For a significant amount of time, James was taking the drug every day. He said: “I isolated myself in my flat and that’s where it took me. Before I was even having my breakfast, bang, I was having it. I was having it every day. That was my routine.”

As the addiction deepened, it led to a downward spiral affecting his character and relationships. He said: “When I was using it every day, I was going through a bad time. I was living a chaotic lifestyle.

“I was lying to people about it, saying I wasn’t on it when I was. It wasn’t an honest living and that’s why obviously I’ve burnt a lot of bridges.

“It completely took over my life and ruined previous relationships. It’s turned me into a sort of shell of a man. I used to be very confident. It’s stripped me of that. People always said to me, you’re good at helping people, that’s your thing. It’s stripped me of that too.”

Despite numerous health warnings from doctors, James continued taking the drug. He confessed: “I’ve been told by doctors I will die if I carry on.

“I’ve had high blood pressure. I got told by a doctor in hospital once, if my heart rate had gone any higher, I would’ve had a stroke. I’ve already had a mini heart attack.

“That’s the insanity of it. Even when I was in hospitals and I was getting told stuff like this, I was still carrying on. I got told by a doctor, if I carry on sniffing this drug, I will die and that wasn’t enough to scare me.”

James has spent the past year attempting to overcome his addiction, achieving a brief period of sobriety during the Christmas period last year before suffering a relapse.

‘It’s a silent killer. I genuinely thought there was no way out’

A turning point for James was his involvement in The Lifeboat Project’s meetings at the League of Welldoers centre on Limekiln Lane in Vauxhall, which take place every Friday at 2 p.m.

The experience brought him together with others facing similar struggles and convinced him that he couldn’t go clean in the community. James says the Lifeboat helped get him a place at the home, where he has been for around a week.

James said: “It’s the best I’ve ever felt to be honest. Obviously you’re with like minded people. I can’t get well in the community. I knew that I couldn’t carry on living life like I have been.”

His time there convinced him to share his experience on TikTok to hold himself accountable and raise awareness of what he sees as a dangerous crisis. He also says he is mending relationships with those close to him, with another person helping him run his account.

His post received an overwhelming number of supportive comments, which surprised him. Reflecting on the reaction, he said: “I didn’t think I was going to get that response.

“I know others struggling with this and can see that there’s a massive ketamine problem in Liverpool. So I thought to myself, I’m going to put this out there.

“It’s also to make me think, imagine if I relapsed now after putting that out there. I want to lead by example. When I’m out and I’m well, I can start helping other people.

“Ketamine is so available and cheap, and it makes you feel good. I wouldn’t know because I’m a 1999 baby, but people say it’s the modern day heroin – back in the 1980s there was a heroin pandemic in Liverpool. I think there’s going to be a lot of deaths from this city very soon if it doesn’t get sorted and the awareness doesn’t get out there.

“For people struggling, get support before it’s too late because this drug will slowly kill you. That’s the best way I can describe it. It will slowly kill you.

“It’s a silent killer. I genuinely thought there was no way out. I’ve not been here long, but I’m feeling better and I’m determined to get well this time.”

Support is available for those going through similar issues to James. For under 19s, you can contact the Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Team (YPDAAT) on 01744 675605. For adults aged 19 and over, contact Change, Grow, Live (CGL) on 01744 410752 or visit www.changegrowlive.org.

Help and advice for ketamine addiction and abuse from UK Addiction Treatment Centres (UKAT) is available here. The ketamine support group sessions from The Lifeboat Project take place at the League of Welldoers centre on Limekiln Lane in Vauxhall every Friday at 2pm.

If you believe ketamine is being dealt on the streets, you can pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at https://crimestoppers-uk.org.

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