Artiom is 22 years old and lives in Russia. For eight years, his nights followed the same routine: turning on the console, connecting with players from other countries, and playing extremely long CS:GO matches with a can of energy drink by his side.
One turned into two, and then three a day, often on an empty stomach. The habit did not go away even when he quit video games. In July 2025, unbearable abdominal pain sent him to the hospital by ambulance, where he spent an entire month. Doctors in Saint Petersburg diagnosed purulent pancreatic necrosis and poisoning of the body.
Weeks later, he was hospitalized again: this time his legs began to fail him. Weakness, dizziness, memory loss, and partial paralysis that specialists are now trying to reverse. His body paid the price for a habit that many consider harmless.