The Road to Hell

Today I am thinking about the death of a young man some 15 years ago. He was 34 going on 35 at the time of his death.

Whether you count addiction stages as three, four or five, they all lead to death if intervention is not successful. Some people die before they get to end stages.

No matter how brilliant or talented the addict is, the disease progresses through it's stages binding the person. They can rage at rules and judgements placed on them, but when sobriety feels abnormal addiction rules and binds.

As the disease progresses, some people turn to using cocaine to prolong the amount of time they can walk and drink. It helps them cover and lie about how drinking is binding their life.

Worse yet, combining alcohol and powder cocaine can form cocaethylene in the liver, a metabolite that can enhance pleasure but significantly increase the risk of heart attack or sudden death.

Death means that there will be no recovery. It's all over. The promise, the brillance, the talent, the love is all gone.

Notes:

A 2003 study by scientists at the University of California's Drug Dependence Research Centre noted: "The combined use of alcohol and cocaine can produce a sense of increased and prolonged euphoria, compared with the use of either substance on its own. "This claim is disputed by some scientific studies. But what seems irrefutable is that the two drugs can "stretch the good times", as one regular cocaine and alcohol binger told the Observer. "I can drink for ever on coke," said Dave, a 28-year-old electrician from Manchester. "Without it, things can go downhill very fast."
His comments are backed up by independent research. The respected magazine Druglink reported that a 2006 analysis of 102 alcohol and cocaine users, carried out by the UK National Addiction Centre, found strong links between snorting cocaine and long, heavy drinking sessions. Almost half of regular powder cocaine users questioned for the analysis said that their last heavy drinking episode had lasted more than 12 hours.