5 Signs You Have Been Drugged With a Date Rape Drug

Date rape drugs are all too common in the night club and party scene.  It is extremely easy for a potential attacker to slip something into a drink when you are not looking.  These drugs are commonly used by sexual predators, as they will often have effects that make resisting an attack impossible.  Most people who have been drugged will tell you that they really don’t know exactly when or how it happened, that it “happened so fast.”  The most prevalent date rape drugs like Rohypnol, GHB and ketamine can take effect very quickly, and often, you will feel significantly impaired within 15-30 minutes of ingesting the drug.
Here are five warning signs that may indicate that someone has poisoned you with a date rape drug:

1. You feel more intoxicated that you should, considering how many drinks you may have had.  Most people who drink alcohol have a sense of their level of intoxication.  They know whether they can “handle” one, two or three drinks.  If you suddenly notice that you are feeling stronger effects than you are used to, stop drinking and immediately seek help.

2. You feel dizzy, lightheaded or “dreamy.”  Some people who have been drugged with date rape drugs report that they had a sense of being “out of their body,” as if in a dream.  They tend to lose their sense of time.  They could see what was happening around them, but they struggled to process events and keep up with conversations or situations.

3. You can become suddenly sleepy.  Once the effects of a date rape drug start, you may start to feel excessively sleepy.  While alcohol can also have a sleep inducing effect, adding date rape drugs to the mix can intensify this feeling, and, in fact, make sleep nearly impossible to avoid.  If you should suddenly become extremely sleepy, you may have been drugged and you should immediately seek help from employees at the club or call for emergency assistance.

4. You experience a significant loss of coordination.  Feeling like you are unable to control your limbs, walk straight or talk right are also signs of alcohol intoxication.  If you should experience a loss of coordination that does not seem appropriate for the amount of alcohol that you have consumed, you may have been drugged.

5. You experience hallucinations.  Many people report that they experienced hallucinations when they ingested date rape drugs.  These hallucinations can come in the form of visual disturbances, significantly blurred or “starry” vision, or hearing things such as rushing water, ringing in the ears or other sounds that are not truly present.

Above all, if you choose to frequent night clubs or party scenes, be very vigilant about your personal safety.  Consuming alcohol can lower your inhibitions, make you more vulnerable to being preyed upon by criminals, and more likely to participate in impulsive acts that can put you in harm’s way.   If you notice any of the above symptoms and think there is a chance that you have been drugged, seek immediate assistance, before it is too late.  Try to avoid putting yourself in situations where you are alone or only with strangers.  Be sure that your friends and family know where you are and who you are with, in the event that something should go wrong and you need immediate assistance.  It is important to have fun, but it’s also better to be safe than sorry!