Story: No more pills

When I was 15-years-old I took 16 motion sickness pills.

No, I wasn't trying to kill myself, infact I researched online that it wouldn't hurt me. I had learned--also online--that Dramamine could be used for "recreational purposes."

The Internet said that the active chemical, Dimenhydrinate, could cause fun hallucinations and personal revelations.

What happened after I downed those pills? It was the most horrible experience of my life. My friends had to take care of me. I ended up at a skatepark claiming that my hand was passing through a concrete ramp. I had no sense of balance, I had zero short-term memory and the mild hallucinations were more scary than fun.

I swore that I would never take Dramamine again. You honestly couldn't pay me enough to take it. I learned the hard way that there are other over-the-counter pills that can fuck you up just as bad.

About eight years later I ran into Dramamine's little cousin, Diphenhydramine, the main ingredient of an over-the-counter "sleep aid." It wasn't the same stuff in Dramamine, so I though I was set. I had been having trouble falling asleep so I took four pills instead of the recommended two.

The result? I'm dizzy, can't figure out where the closet door is, how to open it, why I want to get into the closet. I make it to the bathroom swaying like a drunk and forget why I wanted to go to the bathroom. Then on my way back to my room I see my reflection in a large mirror hung in the dinning room and think someone has broken into my house.

My heart is beating, I'm putting my arm on the wall to stay upright and there is this horrible twisting confusion going through me.

When I get back to my room I lay down, close my eyes and wait for it to end.

Did the "sleep-aids" work? Yes. But only becuase it made being awake much, much worse than going to sleep.