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Just one week earlier, Josh was on track to a successful career, going to college and working hard. Sure he partied in the dorms; drank heavy on the weekends, and was a casual drug user. It can be a demanding life being a student, long hours, deadlines, projects, and exams. It only makes sense to unwind and party when you can. You’re away from home; away from the parents, and surrounded by people you will probably never see again after you graduate. The perfect care free environment to ignore responsibility and have fun. Around this time of year, spring break is what it’s all about. Going off to beautiful resort locations, meeting up with new people and friends, and having fun. Josh had the perfect plan. Finish midterms, and go on an all-inclusive trip paid for by his parents to Cancun Mexico, the ultimate spring break destination. No responsibility, except how much you can drink, and how long can you party for. He was staying with a group of friends at the Grand Royal Lagoon resort in Cancun. Upon arrival, the first night was the big party to get spring break started. Josh and his friends
had dinner at the hotel, and started drinking in the hotel bar before taking a cab to a local nightclub. Having already been up for 24 hours, Josh was going to make sure he was to last the night, and would worry about sleeping when he could. The club seemed harmless enough; filled with college and university students, it was your typical spring break party. Josh enjoyed everything Cancun had to offer, especially the tequila; flowing like running water, it was sure to keep him going all night. Along with the nightclub scene came the drug scene. Josh was already a casual drug user, so for him it was just another night of fun. Yet, when being completely intoxicated, tired, and in a different country, the risk of something happening just increased. Some different pills were being passed around amongst his friends, not really paying any attention to what it was, Josh popped a few, and kept on drinking.
The best way to describe an alcohol and drug induced blackout; it feels like someone has turned off every light, and hit you with a truck at high speed. Your entire body shuts down, and you fall hard wherever it is you are. In this case, Josh decided it was a good idea to leave the club and attempt to walk back to the hotel. He managed to make it half way up the street, and found himself facing two guys who saw Josh just as another drunken tourist. All Josh remembers is fighting with two strangers, feeling a strong and sharp pain in his stomach, and blacking out on the side of the street while rolling into a ditch. If not for a local couple passing by, no one would have found him until the morning. Josh got rushed to the hospital, for the nurses and doctors working there, it was not unusual to see college students this time of year being admitted for alcohol poisoning, drug overdose, or being mugged. Mexico has had increasing incidents of drug related violence over the years, and Josh became another victim of that violence. If he wasn’t drunk or high at the time, he might have had a fighting chance, and might have found a way to get help.
After waking up in the hospital, a million thoughts were going through Josh’s head. He felt horrible for letting this happen, and could not believe it happened to him; he did not deserve this. Alcohol poisoning can be painful; yet, almost dying face down in a ditch in Mexico, while on vacation is even more painful. Josh was always a casual drug user and weekend binge drinker; he had a few altercations here and there at parties, yet had never experienced an incident like this. When he got home, he felt horrible about what had happened. He felt his family was disappointed in him, and ashamed of what he did. Throughout the following months, Josh would have random images of the incident pass through his mind. He tried to ignore them, but the images were more real to him than what originally happened. He now drank and did drugs to escape the fear, guilt, and pain brought forward from that incident. As time went on, everything was gradually getting out of control; nothing drastic, yet day-to-day tasks at school were becoming a problem. Josh felt even guiltier about this, his parents paid for school, and wanted to see him do well. The fear of everything worsening was more real for Josh now than ever. He had never paid attention to the consequences before. The control he thought he had was gone, the reason he drank and did drugs now was different, and the view he had on life was not the same.
This could be considered the beginning of a drug and alcohol addiction, or this could be the moment where something is done to prevent a drug and alcohol addiction. The incident that took place here can happen in any way, shape, or form, and can happen to anyone when drugs and alcohol are involved. If you are noticing drug and or alcohol use getting out of control, and incidents like this are happening, it’s now time to reach out for help.
Contact Narconon Trois-Rivieres right away for help. 1-877-782-7409
Visit www.narconon.ca for more information.
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NARCONON is a trademark and service mark owned by Association for Better Living and Education and is used with its permission.
Nick Hayes is a graduate of the Narconon drug rehab program in 2005. Nick takes much enjoyment in writing, and feels there needs to be more information about drugs and alcohol provided to the people of the world. He believes nobody should have to go through an addiction.