A 19-year-old has claimed to know what death feels like after a drug-related medical emergency left him fighting for his life. He has taken to social media to describe the experience, saying death is "exactly like a deep sleep."
The teenager, who asked to remain anonymous, said he "died" on the floor at home in front of his brother before medical professionals brought him back. He spent three to four weeks in a coma and is now in recovery, completing a course of physical therapy.
What he experienced
Writing on Reddit, the teenager said: "There wasn't a white light or anything like that. More like a void of nothing and no one. I wasn't aware I was dead."
He described the events leading up to his collapse: "I had a stroke and shortly after, died. My brother, 17 at the time, performed CPR on me. I coughed up some black s***, and aspirated into my lungs. My brother then continued to perform CPR on me until the paramedics arrived. Then they f***ed up the first dose of Narcan (don't know how)."
He continued: "Then they finally hit me with the Narcan the right way and I got a small pulse. Barely there. But I was. I was in a coma for about 3 to 4 weeks after."
Recovery and outlook
Thankfully, the teenager has been able to return to work at a local diner and is "doing very well" for himself as he eases back into his usual way of life. He says he no longer takes drugs, except marijuana.
Speaking about drugs, he said: "I don't want anything to do with that s*** anymore. It's quite literally a f***ing killer."
Emergency advice
In a drug-related emergency, medical professionals should always be told what drugs have been taken and the symptoms being experienced. When calling 999, the advice is to say: "I need an ambulance. My friend has taken [drug name] and they are [describe symptoms]. We are at [your location]."
While waiting for an ambulance, Talk to Frank, a free and confidential drug advice service in the UK, advises: stay with the person and don't leave them alone; if they aren't breathing, start CPR and the 999 operator will talk you through it; if they're awake, keep them calm and speak softly; if naloxone is available and an opioid overdose is suspected, use it and tell the crew; if they're unconscious but breathing, put them in the recovery position; and gather any drugs left over to give to the ambulance crew as it helps with treatment.
