The Insanity of My Addiction

The Insanity of My Addiction

Paramedics were called to a house where a twenty-six-year-old man was having a severe allergic reaction after injecting methamphetamines. He told the medics he didn’t think it mattered what he mixed the meth in before injecting it. So, since he had some handy, he had used grape juice. Soon after injecting the juice-meth mixture, he started to feel terrible and called 911.

The medics found him in severe distress with fast heart, low blood pressure, swollen face and diffusely red skin. They correctly diagnosed a severe allergic reaction resulting in anaphylaxis and appropriately treated him for the same. By the time he got to the emergency department, he was feeling a lot better.

When I talked with him, he confirmed he had injected meth mixed with grape juice and he didn’t seem to think there was anything strange about having done so. He said he had done the same in the past, and he was sure the problem that day was caused by dirt in the cup he used to make up the mixture.

When I asked how often he used meth, he answered, “How often do I not use meth?” I asked him if he wanted to be smart with me or if he wanted to give me serious answers so I could take good care of him. He said he was not being smart. He used all the meth he could get ahold of.

Since a severe allergic reaction like this can be life-threatening, we watched him for several hours. None of his worrisome symptoms came back, so I went to talk to him before he was discharged. I pointed out that most people would not think it was a good idea to inject grape juice into their veins. He reiterated that he thought it was contamination that caused his problem. I pressed him, again, that it was unwise to inject things not designed for that purpose. He thought for a moment and then agreed, saying, “That’s just the insanity of my addiction.”