Satish (name changed) is undergoing treatment at a de-addiction centre in Bengaluru. He curses the day he attended his first rave party and tried out psychedelic drugs.
When he finally decided to break the habit, he realised how far he was gone.
His withdrawal symptoms include hallucinating about worms crawling under his skin, and he suffers a continuous itch.
Nurses tie up his hand to save his skin from excessive scratching.
Satish unwittingly got into the world of drugs after he heard about an online multi-player role-playing game from a friend.
“He told me it would change my life, and sadly it did,” he told Express.
The first few months were normal. He was upgrading his virtual character to earn bonuses just like in any other game, but then he joined a guild and slowly a whole new world unfolded before his eyes.
The game acted as a guide to the dark lanes of private parties being held in the city.
It was just a matter of time before he befriended some virtual contacts and started getting invites for secret parties. His life went downhill from then and every day is a struggle.