A young man who spent more than £300,000 on ketamine and used up to 21 grams a day says the drug has wrecked his body.
Oliver Westall says he needs to urinate every 60 seconds and is now facing life without a bladder.
The 24-year-old saw his life spiral out of control after he fell into a deep ketamine addiction.
He was just a child when he was first introduced to the party drug, which he says made him feel “warm inside” and helped numb the pain of his crippling anxiety.
But what started as recreational use quickly turned into an everyday habit.
And it had devastating consequences.
“At my worst, I was using 21 grams every single day,” Oliver, from Neath in South Wales, told Need To Know.
“The first time I used it, I felt like I was floating on a bubble.
“It instantly took away my anxiety and made me feel warm and numb inside.
“But at the height of my addiction, I wasn’t functioning.
“I sat in my flat all day and night sniffing ketamine.
“I would lock myself in my flat with my head in a bag.
“Sometimes no one would see me for two weeks.
“I was completely psychotic – speaking to and seeing dead people, including past relatives.
“Overall, I’ve easily spent over £300,000 on the stuff.”
Aged 16, just one year after he first touched ketamine, Oliver says he noticed a “gap in the market” for the substance.
He decided to start dealing to fund his £55k-a-year habit, meaning he was around it “constantly”.
Alongside the mental toll, the drug began wreaking havoc on his physical health – particularly his bladder.
And by the time he was 18, the physical consequences of his addiction were already setting in.
Oliver said: “After about 18 months of using it heavily, I started getting what’s known as ‘ket cramps’.
“That’s when the bladder problems began. I couldn’t leave the house because I needed to pee every two seconds.
“Then I started bleeding, passing clots the size of £2 coins.
“I popped the blood vessels in my eyes trying to push them out.
“I looked like I’d been beaten up for three weeks.
“I was in so much pain.
“I knew it was destroying me, but the only thing that helped the pain was more ket.”
Despite numerous attempts to quit, Oliver struggled to stay clean for more than a few weeks.
His bladder problems eventually became so severe he needed to wear incontinence pads full-time at the age of 20.
He said: “It was horrible. I was going through 10 pads a day. I still do.
“My bladder has shrunk to 10ml. I still urinate every 60 to 90 seconds and I haven’t slept a full night in five years.
“I wake up every morning soaked in urine. This has massively impacted my mental health and wellbeing.
“The ketamine cramps felt like my body was dying.
“I experienced them daily along with constant bleeding and clots. I lived like this for about five years.
“Everything is affected by the ketamine – my walking, my sleeping, my mental health, everything.
“I can’t walk far, I can’t sleep for longer than two hours without waking up.
“I’m constantly peeing and it’s very draining at times.
“On some days, I do feel like my world is falling apart, but it’s all about being strong and pushing through the bad days to get to the good.”
Oliver says he has visited the hospital more than 20 times over the years.
He says he was repeatedly turned away.
Sadly, at the age of 22, he discovered the damage to his bladder was completely irreversible.
He added: “[Hospital staff] kept turning me away – then finally I had my first camera inserted into my bladder.
“The urologist told me: ‘It’s end game.’
“It was really scary. I spiralled and lost all hope. I had been clean for 11 months at that point and then relapsed.
“They told me my bladder was way past the point of healing and I needed surgery to remove it to stop my excruciating pain.
“I’m now waiting to have my surgery.
“It’s a massive blow and it’s going to be life-changing, but it’s something I’ve had to accept for a better quality of life.
“Accepting that my body won’t heal has been incredibly hard – it’s something I’ve really had to come to terms with and push through.
“I’m only 24 and I’m going to have a bag for the rest of my life, but I know I’ve got this.
“I know my life is worth living and my story can help others. I want to show people the true destruction that ketamine can cause.”
Things finally turned around for Oliver when he checked himself into The Carpenter’s Arms, a Christian rehab in Loughborough.
Through the support of mentor and spiritual guide Padre Alan, Oliver says he found his faith and rebuilt his life.
He officially became clean on 17 June 17 2024 and hasn’t looked back since.
He hopes to eventually run his own church to help other addicts.
Oliver said: “Padre Alan saved my life and I owe everything to him and the team.
“Through recovery, I learned to love again and to forgive myself and others. My addiction didn’t just ruin my life, it broke my family.
“My mum and brother were always there, but I was too far gone.
“Now my mum can sleep at night knowing I’m safe. That itself is worth its weight in gold to me.
“I found faith in God through my recovery.
“Finding my faith truly transformed my life.
“I now run a Facebook page called God’s Grace of Sobriety and a TikTok account called Oliver’s Recovery.
“I plan to turn the page into a charitable organisation once I recover from my operation.
“My message to others is break those toxic relationships, even if they’re with friends or family.
“Put your recovery first.
“If I had quit four years ago, I might still have my bladder.
“Reach out, be vulnerable. Don’t try to do it alone like I did for so many years.
“I know where you are because I’ve lived it. I know that with the right help, you can find freedom too.”
