Man issues warning after five-day cocaine binge left him with ‘devil eyes’ and it almost killed him

Man Left Temporarily Blind with Blood-Red Eyes After Cocaine Binge Speaks Out on Recovery

A self-described “party animal” has spoken candidly about the devastating consequences of his cocaine addiction, which left him temporarily blind and with blood-red eyes for months, following years of substance abuse.

Dave Mullen, a former carpet fitter from the UK, says his descent into addiction began at age 17, when he naively accepted his first line of cocaine at a pub on his birthday. What started as occasional use during lads’ holidays and soccer away days spiraled into full-blown addiction by the time he turned 19.

Dave’s occasional drug dabbling turned into an addiction (Kennedy News)

Dave was left with extremely bloodshot eyes (Kennedy News)

At the height of his dependency, Dave was consuming up to 15 pints of alcohol a day and spending thousands of pounds on cocaine during week-long binges. His addiction culminated in a drug-induced psychosis that left him hospitalized and temporarily blind.

A haunting photo taken during one of his worst episodes in August 2021 shows Dave with intensely bloodshot eyes — an image that later went viral online. He says he remained visibly impaired for months, and that the shocking appearance led to bizarre encounters, including one at his workplace at a retirement home.

“A man actually chased me with a Bible,” Dave recalled. “He thought I was the devil.”

Despite the terrifying physical toll and social fallout, Dave admits he relapsed multiple times in the years that followed. It wasn’t until a hospitalization in March 2024, where doctors warned he could die, that he made the life-altering decision to seek help and get clean.

Now sober and on a mission to raise awareness, Dave is sharing his story publicly to warn others about the dangers of cocaine and alcohol.

“Cocaine goes hand-in-hand with alcohol,” he said. “At a weak or naive moment, I was young, someone offered me a line and I took it. Every year it got worse. It affected so many people around me, especially during mental health episodes.”

Recalling the terrifying moment of his temporary blindness, Dave added:

The booze and the cocaine impacted Dave’s mental health (Kennedy News)

“This was after a four- or five-day bender. I went into a drug-induced psychosis and completely lost my mind. I had no vision — I was completely blind. Six weeks later, my eyes were still bloodshot. It lasted two months.”

Dave believes education is key to combating drug misuse:

“We’re told these drugs are illegal, but in today’s world, many people don’t take that seriously. I want to help change the normalization of cocaine use. My story — and the photos — show just how dangerous it can be.”

He hopes his journey will inspire others to seek help before it’s too late.