Killing that mirrors Psycho story horror
IT may not have had the glamorous backdrops and designer labels of the Bret Easton Ellis novel, but Steven Mathieson’s bloody crimes seemed eerily similar to American Psycho.
I n the book, Patrick Bateman descends i nto a cocaine- fuelled world of murder, both real and imagined, including a disturbing scene in which he apparently engages in viol ent sex with two unsuspecting prostitutes.
The novel, later made into a film, was criticised for its stylistic take on the lifestyle of yuppies and their open use of drugs, especially cocaine.
But its attitude towards the ‘middleclass party drug’ is a common one, with many arguing it should be downgraded as it does not directly cause the same social problems as heroin.
It is regularly used by the rich and famous, who enjoy the euphoria and increased energy and heightened mental alertness cocaine brings, while it also helps to reduce fatigue.
Experts say cocaine is a powerful nervous system stimulant whose effects can last from 15 to 30 minutes, sometimes even as long as an hour.
It gives the user a feeling of happiness and of being wide awake, and – crucially – an over-confidence that can lead to risk-taking. The effects are short-lived, so more cocaine is taken, often followed by a ‘comedown’ that makes the user feel depressed and ill.
Experts insist that within an hour of snorting coke, anyone’s risk of a heart attack has increased 24-fold – considerably more when it involves those within the older generation.