Marina Joyce is a name that many of us didn’t know until this week. The story of a young girl being abused, kidnapped, or heavily into hardcore drugs flooded the media. While some of this is may be true, some details (not all) do raise cause for concern.

The 19-year-old YouTuber has changed in her last few videos that she has released. October of 2014 was the first time we ever heard her name in the news or on YouTube. She came out in a video explaining how she was sexually assaulted by Sam Pepper. Other female YouTubers shared similar stories in their videos. Many worried that the recent change in attitude was due to Sam Pepper, although there is no proof that he is anywhere near Marina Joyce.

The beginning of the #saveMarinaJoyce trend, her viewers noticed that she was acting strange, had multiple bruises, and her speaking seemed forced. A few people even noticed what sounded like “Help me” whispered in one of her videos. After checking out the video and listening to it over and over, there is not a whispered cry for help. It says “show your head,” which apparently was spoken by her mother.

The theories range from a story that she is in an abusive relationship to that it was all for views. Some even went as far to speculate that ISIS has kidnapped her. Many of the concerns are completely blown out of proportion.

I took time researching the uses and effects of taking drugs like heroin or meth, I discovered that they tend to line up with Marina Joyce’s changes in mood or attitude. A drug abuse specialist stated that these changes in behavior are very common in those abusing methamphetamines. Many people using these drugs do not inject into their inner arm, they commonly will use other regions that are easier to hide. Anywhere that a vein is found, these drugs can be injected. The drug abuse is the best way to explain her changes in behavior. An addict can bruise very easily from nutritional deficiencies in the body caused by the drugs. Disoriented thoughts, repetitive behaviors, and a decline in motor skills are just the beginning of the effects of meth use.

A fellow YouTuber, Philip Defranco, did an interview with Marina Joyce. Within the interview, the questions asked caused Marina Joyce to become very defensive. Her response to the question of drugs was:

“I promise you, you can see in my… eyes and face… I promise you, I promise you that I am not taking drugs, I would never do that, and maybe because of my viewers, I really care about my viewers. That’s the reason why I wouldn’t take drugs.”

She continues to rant about the danger of drugs, and the drug-free raves she attends. The way Marina acts within the video only furthers the speculation that she is on these drugs. For example, she exhibited excessive blinking, obsessive hand movements and rushed speech. These all point to signs of intense drug abuse. The interviewer, Philip Defranco still questioned her story. Philip stated that he knew from a few sources that wished to remain unnamed, that she has battled drugs for a long time. He continued to stay very open at the end and wished the best for Marina.

In conclusion, Marina’s life may be filled with issues and problems. She may also just be a confused girl who scared the world. The police have supposedly checked out the situation and had nothing to report. We will never know exactly what happened to Marina, but we can only hope for the best.