Blood on fingerOK, I'm creeped out. According to scientists in Turkey, a real-life vampire exists. He's a 23-year-old married man who allegedly has an addiction to drinking blood that is as "essential as breathing." While it started with him cutting his own arms, stomach, and chest to collect blood to drink -- it got much worse. The man's been arrested several times for biting and stabbing others solely to collect their blood. And get this: He also had his father get him bags of blood from blood banks. Um, hey dad, THIS ISN'T NORMAL

I want to be in denial. The man, whose name has not been released, was brought in for treatment and diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol abuse, and chronic depression. Now, his behavior is in remission. Clearly something's VERY wrong here.

My first question: Can you imagine being his wife?

I just envision the scene now, his wife hanging out with her girlfriends making dinner when the evening news comes on and a reporter is telling the world about a real-life vampire that just happens to be her husband. AWKWARD. City.

This man had and arguably still has a very serious problem. Reports say that there were a whole slew of traumatic events that lead up to his two-year phase of bloodsucking including the death of his 4-month-old daughter and seeing his uncle and another person get murdered. Those events are absolutely wretched, but I wonder when the switch went off in his head that he thought "Hey, maybe I should try out blood and see if this makes me feel better." And then CRAVING it? It's ... horrifying.

The question arises: if vampires and zombies weren't so sensationalized in pop culture today would this be happening? Who knows. I for one am just happy he's gotten treatment and hope that he never resorts to hurting others to fulfill his addiction ever, ever again.

Can you believe this?? Are you creeped out??

 

Image via Ollie Crafood/ Flickr