Young people in Burnley ending up with urostomy bags due to ketamine addiction

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Ketamine addiction is so dangerous that young people are ending up with urostomy bags, says a Burnley man who supports people in recovery.

Finley Worthington had to move to Stockport to stay clean after battling a ketamine addiction. The 25-year-old now runs a peer-led support group called Ketamine Care Hub and is training to facilitate a Reduction and Motivation Programme (RAMP) in Manchester.

He has shared his story to warn others about the devastating consequences of taking the drug. Ketamine is a powerful anaesthetic that can damage the bladder, leading to surgical removal. It can also be fatal and cause liver and mental health problems.

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"Some people think ketamine is not addictive. But they need to hear the hard truth," said Finley.

A man weights ketamine. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP) (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images)A man weights ketamine. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP) (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images)
A man weights ketamine. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP) (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images)

"You might feel like you have control of it, but if you keep taking it, you could end up with a bag, and your liver could fail. I know a few people in Burnley with a bag."

Finley believes the problem has ballooned since he first tried ketamine at a festival around 2018.

He said it took him to "another dimension" but gave him "a false sense of security" because it was cheap to buy, and he could still go to work the next day. He warns that this makes ketamine "dangerous for young people" because they can rapidly develop an addiction, which can cause life-changing harm to their bodies.

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Finley quickly went from using it once a week with friends to having it alone in his bedroom "24/7" and was "dependent on it" within a year.

"It was a dark and lonely time. I had two or three weeks where I wouldn't leave my bedroom because I was taking ketamine. The addiction ate away at every aspect of my life.

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He also developed crippling stomach pain.

"It was the worst pain I've ever been in. If I didn't have ketamine within an hour of waking up, I'd be in pain. It's like you have to poison yourself to numb the pain. It's madness.

"I'm now eight months sober, and I still pass blood and take pain medication."

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The physical agony, the breakdown of his relationship with his then-girlfriend, and the strain that his addiction put on his family galvanised Finley to go to a government-funded rehab in 2023.

But after completing the programme, he returned to his old life in Burnley and relapsed, ending back in rehab. The setback prompted him to move to Stockport "to keep clean."

Having stayed away from old temptations, he lives in supported housing provided by Acorn Recovery, whose treatment programme he credits for changing his life, and studies Level 3 Counselling in college.

"Life now is great. It'd be unrealistic to say I wake up singing and dancing, but that's life. All my relationships are the best they've ever been. I'm reliable, everything I couldn't be on drugs."

Finley also wants to break the stigma around rehab.

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"When I mention rehab, many young lads shut off. But it's the only thing that worked for me. There's a massive misconception that rehab is like it is on the TV."

But, from his experience, he added: "You bond with people in there and want each other to do well. It makes you more open-minded and self-aware."

For help with addiction, contact Inspire here.

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