Suspect You’ve Been Roofied? Signs to Look for Addiction Treatment

Posted February 21, 2023

If a person has been sexually assaulted after being spiked, they may experience depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), flashbacks, or suicidal thoughts. Because roofies can make a person throw up, it can be hard to tell if a person has been roofied or is just recovering from alcohol consumption. However, with roofies, a person might have nausea and vomiting even if they have only had one or two drinks.

We had gone out to a bar to see a friend’s band play and in total, I had 4 beers that night. There was a really sweet girl that had been sitting with a group of guys next to us and she asked us for a cigarette and then came over to our table and hung out. A little while later, the group of guys she was with got up and left and said “nice to meet you” to the girl. She had an almost full beer and asked me if I wanted it because she didn’t and I took it (this was my 4th beer of the night). About 20 minutes after drinking that beer, I was extremely happy and conversing and about 10 minutes later I don’t remember anything.

PTSD and Other Long-Term Effects of Being Roofied

If you’ve been roofied (or had your drink spiked with drugs), you might experience mental fogginess, muscle relaxation, and blackouts.
Rohypnol causes extreme drowsiness, blackouts, reduced inhibitions, impaired judgment, and overall debilitation that can make a person unaware and unresisting to sexual assault.
Being roofied involves a drink being spiked with a drug that depresses your central nervous system.
The more you drink, the faster you’ll be able to dilute and flush the drug from your system.

GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), also known as liquid ecstasy, is a central nervous system depressant notorious for its ability to cause sudden weakness, muscle relaxation, and blackouts. Ingestion of these substances without consent can lead to serious consequences, including loss of consciousness and potential sexual violence. If you think you were the victim of a date rape drug, it is not too late to get help. You can either contact law enforcement or call the national sexual assault hotline to report the assault. If you are having difficulty reporting it, talk to a trusted friend or a therapist to receive support and advice. If being roofied has contributed to substance misuse or compounded mental health challenges, professional treatment is essential.

Opening Hours

Drink spiking can occur within seconds, so it is essential to be observant and careful any time you are out drinking. Since it can be so hard to tell if a drink has been roofie next day symptoms roofied, it is important to keep your own drinks close to you when you are going out and to not accept drinks from strangers. “Roofies” contain Rohypnol or other common date-rape drugs such as gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) or ketamine. If you believe you’ve been roofied, it’s important to seek help immediately. The word first appeared on the scene as a street name for a drug called Rohypnol (flunitrazepam). It’s usually prescribed to promote sleep or prep your body for anesthesia, which it does by slowing down the functioning of your central nervous system.

As for men, one in three will have experienced a sex crime committed against them. Assailants use them to incapacitate their victims and ensure they can’t make accurate police reports after the assault. Roofies are dangerous because they often involve central nervous system depressants, which can significantly impair your ability to function and react. These drugs, designed to sedate and incapacitate, are commonly used to facilitate crimes like sexual assault. Sometimes, people who engage in excessive binge drinking may “blackout” and not remember certain things that happened throughout the night the next day. Roofies affect each person differently, especially if they have alcohol or other drugs in their system.

Stay Vigilant and Aware

At Greater Boston Addiction Centers, we aim to raise awareness about the dangers of being roofied and provide comprehensive support for recovery. Being roofied is more common than many people realize, especially in social settings like parties, bars, and clubs. Research shows that 1 in 13 college students have reported being drugged without their consent. According to some reports, nearly 80% of those who have been roofied are women, and many of these incidents lead to sexual assault.

Drugs like Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine are the most commonly used date-rape drugs, but it’s hard to know exactly how commonly they are used because many cases go unreported. However, when a person is roofied, they likely only had 1 or 2 drinks and don’t remember very much after that point until they have woken up. One way to tell between the two is that someone who is roofied may appear to be extremely drunk only after one or two drinks.

In Australia, ketamine (sometimes called Special K) and gamma-hydroxybutyrate, (liquid ecstasy) are also commonly used. Waking up with unexplained bruises, cuts or clothing in disarray is another sign. Because these drugs incapacitate victims, they may fall or be unable to protect themselves, leading to injuries they cannot remember acquiring. Extreme drowsiness or sudden unconsciousness can also indicate being roofied. While alcohol can cause sleepiness, the level of sedation from drugs like Rohypnol is much more intense, often leading to complete unconsciousness for several hours.

In many cases, perpetrators use roofies or other drugs to incapacitate their victims.
At the same time, you might notice that your emotions are all over the place.
Remember, if you experience any signs of having been roofied, reach out to a trusted friend, contact medical professionals immediately, and report the incident to law enforcement.
Never leave your drink unattended and avoid accepting drinks from strangers.
If you think you may have been roofied, it is best to get medical attention as soon as you can to make sure you are okay and to get tests as soon as possible.

Then I remember bouncing on and off the walls in the hostel as I struggled to my dorm. My friend told him to back off, and this guy insisted I was drunk and he was ‘helping’ me, but he ran off very quickly. I woke up the next morning feeling very confused and with my friend in the bed with me. I remember looking around the room and seeing my scarf draped over a stranger’s bed in the corner. It was then I realised that the Canadian guy had targeted me because he was staying in the same dorm room as me, which meant he had a key to the room when I tried to escape. I was lucky my friend found me when he did, I hate to think what might have happened.

Greater Boston Outpatient Rehab Center

But within 20 or 30 minutes of ingesting her drink, she was fully unconscious. Hansen and her colleagues would each nurse a few drinks over the course of the evening. It was around an hour after the second drink that she and one of her friends went up to the bar to get their third.

Was I Roofied? Understanding the Signs and Seeking Help

This guide is meant to empower you with the knowledge of what does roofied mean, the risks involved, and the steps you can take to protect yourself and others. A roofie attack is when someone deliberately slips a drug into your drink with the intent to take advantage of you. This assault tactic is premeditated and designed to leave the victim vulnerable. During a roofie attack, the perpetrator may use the drug’s sedative effects to commit sexual assault or rob the victim.

Many states also have their own sexual assault hotlines and support services. Depending on your state of residence, there may be multiple resources you can explore to obtain the support and direction you need after experiencing sexual assault of any kind. RAINN provides a convenient chat feature as well as the National Sexual Assault Hotline for those who believe they have fallen victim to sexual assault. Even in a seemingly innocuous state like Utah, public health data resources suggest that one in six women experience rape (a figure that also includes attempted rape) during their lifetime. The prevalence of being roofied is alarmingly high, making it crucial to understand the dangers and be aware of the signs.

Either way, you will receive the medical attention you need and be allowed to report the assault. Our Addiction Treatment Programs address both the trauma and any resulting substance use, ensuring a holistic approach to recovery. Always keep an eye on your drink, whether you’re taking alcoholic beverages at home or a party, bar or club. Finish your drink before leaving to use the toilet, or get another once you’re done with the facilities. Some side effects can be long-lasting, depending on how much of the drug you ingested and how your body reacts to it. Another troubling symptom is the confusion that lingers into the next day.

Victims may experience nausea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms. These effects can occur suddenly and with little warning, differentiating them from the slower onset of alcohol-related nausea. Victims often report “blackouts” or periods where they have no recollection of what happened. These memory gaps can occur even if the victim didn’t consume large quantities of alcohol. We always hear the old proverb, “prevention is better than cure.” The truth is this is the best protection you can have to avoid this problem. Find a brighter tomorrow by starting with our compassionate team of medical professionals and recovery specialists today.

An assailant may use various types of Roofie drugs that allow them to commit sexual assault easily. Most of these drugs are understandably illegal in the United States and couldn’t be easily procured in the market. In conclusion, being roofied is a serious and dangerous act that can have long-lasting effects on an individual’s physical and emotional well-being.