Cairo's Drug Culture: Part 1 - Hospital High

As much as a lot of people here would hate to admit it, Cairo has a thriving drug scene. From bungo (shwag) and hashish to heroin and cocaine, all are available. Some are so commonplace, such as the softer drugs, that it would actually be difficult not to come across it, whether it be through friends and family, or even over-friendly strangers in taxi cabs and hostels across Cairo.

As the scope on the subject of matter is vast, I've decided to separate it into different parts. In this part, I've decided to give a peek into the drug culture that stems from Cairo's hospitals. Many doctors and patients have had their first exposure to certain drugs in hospitals, especially sedatives. Many cases of drug overdoses, especially by Anesthesiologists have led to deaths in hospitals across Cairo, but often news of this is suppressed in the media. The stress from the working conditions and long hours in Cairo's government hospitals, as well as the shockingly low wages that young doctors earn in all hospitals in Cairo and the ease of access to drugs in the hospitals are all contributing factors to this problem.

Patients also have a certain amount of exposure to these drugs, especially in private hospitals, where everything you pretty much demand would be given to you, considering you will be paying for it. After being admitted following an accident, a good Cairene friend of mine describes below her experience with Morphine in one of the private hospitals in Cairo, which she believes has changed her life forever.

Every time I moved, a sharp pain would scream out like an orgasm from hell. Never have I dreamed such pain existed.

After screaming on the x-ray table, the doctors injected me with what I felt was the death sedative.It drained my head and aggressively pulled my brain from the sides. Not knowing or caring what I was given, I was happy to be quickly knocked out.

Due to my condition, a hidden whining ability and the fact that I was in Egypt, I managed to get myself injected everyday for the remainder of my one week hospital stay.It always took care of me, putting me into my place instantly with every injection.

It was either the 3rd or 4th day when I started experiencing abnormal things. One evening, during a routine visit from my doctor, the first sign of hallucination began. The doctor was standing in front of my bed, talking to me, I closed my eyes and opened them up again straight away. In that brief second I closed them I had a dream. A long dream, it felt like hours had passed, when only a second passed and the doctor was still talking away at the end of my bed.

The few following nights after were sheer insanity. A mixture of strong pain, long, dreadful waits between injections, no sleep, constipation, constant dehydration and vivid hallucinations passed my time.

From unrecalled conversations to seeing strange figures in the room to flying on a magic carpet of green neon lights with raindrop people, my powerful death sedative ensured me non-stop entertainment.

The raindrop people visited me every night. They'd wait until my mother was in deep sleep, then they'd dance into the room in an enormous whirlpool of orange, yellow and red neon lights. They never talked or looked at me, but they always stole all ideas of sleep and kept me company.

The last time I was injected was the morning before I checked out of the hospital. I was most terrified of the strong pain returning when I got home and not having any powerful death sedative to inject. The doctors were sure it wouldn't happen.

And it didn't, the pain ended there. It was like I went through the whole experience just to meet the powerful death sedative. I felt blessed. It was fate.

I had later discovered the true nature of the powerful death sedative I had been on for the entire previous week. I learned it was Morphine, one of the most dangerous and deadly drugs out there. Shortly after my discovery, I was introduced to Morphine withdrawal.

The three weeks after my last injection took me on a trip to hell and back. There were rarely nights I slept, the raindrop people would regularly visit & the nights they didn't, I was ensured others would.They would talk loudly and walk around all night, ignoring me, but showing clearly that the purpose of their presence was to irritate me. I would cry and scream for no reason during the day and spend the nights terrified of what was going to visit me that night.

I thought I was going insane.

Eventually the raindrop people & all the other night time visitors stopped coming. I guess they just got bored. And besides being immobile for the following three months, things had finally started getting back to normal.

Since then I have read a lot about this magic medicine I was given in the hospital. The fact that I was to stay in bed for three months didn't matter, it was Morphine I wanted. Never in my life has anything fascinated me to this extent. The power & effect of Morphine are extraordinary. Nothing consumes you the way Morphine does.

Recalling the experience in details now reminds me that it wasn't all like the glowing impression of neon lights I had chosen to remember it by.

Morphine is like a Taking Back Sunday song. Bittersweet. Orgasmic pulling in the head sending you complete euphoria and a nightmare withdraw. There is also the space in between. A sense of feeling like your wandering in space, not aware of the happenings which surround you. That's when the figures start to appear. No control.

Since then, I lost my fear of needles and being injected. I had discovered something magical, which is stronger, better and more fascinating than fast car rides, good concerts & other drugs. The rush of Morphine cannot be measured on a scale.

Regardless of the nightmare withdrawal, Morphine has taken my inspiration elsewhere. I'm now afraid nothing will ever top it.

Morphine is an opiate drug with potent effects and addictive properties, and a severe withdrawal reaction. All of these were demonstrated in the previous account, with details that immerse you into the situation. It would be hard for anyone who has not experienced it to describe it so vividly.