As someone who has had their drink spiked, I felt I should share my story with you all.

When your drink is spiked a substance has been added to it without your consent. This can be alcohol, prescription drugs or illicit drugs. The reasons for spiking drinks can be to rape, assault, steal from or just for amusement.

Drink spiking, like many things in life, has many myths and stereotypes surrounding it. It is not something that just happens to women or binge drinkers. Sure, the more you drink in social situations does increase your chances of it happening to you but it just takes one evening in the wrong company regardless if you are male or female. There is a lot of focus on the issue towards women but men are at risk as well.

The night it happened to me I wasn't even supposed to be going out. But at around 11pm I had my arm twisted into it and then only had a few drinks in the pub. My last drink of the evening was bought for me by someone that I had just been introduced to. I thought nothing of it and waited for him to come back and give me my drink. My friends had disappeared by this point and I was left alone with this man I had never met before. I felt instantly uneasy around him and had to get away (I didn't even make an excuse). I have never felt this uncomfortable with someone; there was just a darkness surrounding him. As I walked away I started to feel light headed and seeked out my friends. I remember vaguely going downstairs to sit down but other than that everything else is a blur and influenced by what people have told me since.

The next thing I remember is I am lying on the ground and I could hear people shouting around me. The music had stopped. I couldn't open my eyes, I couldn't shout or speak to the people who were shouting my name, I couldn't move any muscle in my body and I couldn't cry. I slipped out of conciousness again.

I started to open my eyes, greeted with a green blur of the paramedics uniform and the sharp white of the ambulance interior. I was asked questions that I couldn't answer properly regarding my care and what had happened but I was too confused and out of it. I lay in A&E for a few hours before being seen to by a doctor who assumed that as a young woman on a night out that the reason I was lying there was due to either having had too much to drink or having taken something myself. Neither of which were true but she was adament that this is the reason. I was sent home after she confirmed that I had enough power in my legs and without caring that I was unconcious for over 45mins.

The next day I was completely spaced out. I lay on the couch in the living room while people came to visit me. I tried to interact with them but most of the time I couldn't concentrate. I can't remember much of that day; it is less clear that my interactions with the doctor.

Once I started feeling less spaced out is when I started panicking about what could have been. Asking myself every 'what if' you could imagine. There were feelings of regret and depression but also quite thankful that nothing worse did happen.

From the whole experience I am most thankful to those that ensured I was safe while unconcious and the police for not being judgemental and believing what I said.

To avoid getting into the same situation as me, there are some things that you should do:

* Never leave your drink unattended
* Don't accept a drink from someone you don't know (as tempting as it is, I found out the hard way)
* If you do accept a drink anyway, be suspicious if its something different to what you requested
* If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, make your excuses and leave,
* Ensure you know where your friends are.
* If you start to feel light-headed find people you know and trust

If your drink is spiked, the symptoms you experience will depend on the substance in your drink and some are a symptom of drinking too much. Some typical symptoms include:

* feeling light headed/ loss of conciousness
* memory loss/ black out
* difficulty speaking
* loss of balance
* paranoia
* loss of body sensation
* hallucinations
* blurred vision
* nausea/ vomiting
* confusion

If you believe that your drink has been spiked there are some things you can do:

* Make sure you have people that you trust around you - friends or bar staff.
* Do not go outside alone for fresh air.
* Seek medical help
* Report the incident to the police.

Drink spiking is an important issue to be aware of. It can happen to anyone, male or female and if you cannot get to safety can also have worse consequences. I learned the hard way that it is not just a case of not leaving your drink unattended but to refuse drinks from strangers and that if someone is making you feel uncomfortable you are safer to walk away and find someone you know and trust. While it can happen to anyone and it is important to stay alert, don't let the paranoia of it happening to you ruin a good night.