Michigan Family Random Disappearance Blamed On “Mad Honey”

One of the things that we should pay the most attention to is what we are putting into our bodies. Each person is responsible for their individual health as they control the things that they allow to enter their bodies. Most people have a list of things they will stay away from while others like to live life on the edge.

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Some people are on the health nut side of things and prefer to only put organic materials in their bodies, some people like to avoid processed foods, and other people throw caution to the wind and just partake in whatever taste and feels good. All of these decisions have different outcomes which can affect your physical and mental health in a number of ways.

For example, one Michigan family found themselves all over the news and a few states over from home due to the psychotic break of the father which led them on a wild trip. This all goes back to reading the labels on your food before eating it and taking care of yourself properly. Indulging in certain food products can negatively affect your mental, emotional, and physical health.

The Cirigliano family from Fremont, Michigan would disappear after one of the most bizarre 911 calls and would eventually be found safe in a hotel in Wisconsin. It turns out the family had quite the story for why they called the police but packed up and disappeared afterwards. The wild thing about this story is that it all starts with a bottle of honey.

Tony Cirigliano, the husband, father and information technology specialist wanted to set the story straight about what happened back in 2022. He has records that show he had what is being called "substance induced psychosis". They are saying that a jar of "mad honey" created a state of psychosis for Cirigliano.

The mad honey is said to have brain-altering neurotoxins which can cause symptoms like:

• slow heart rate
• low blood pressure
• vomiting
• dizziness
• and in high doses, hallucinations

Mad honey is produced when bees collect nectar from rhododendrons that contain poisonous compounds called grayanotoxanes, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Mad Honey is also referred to as bitter honey or deli bal and is predominantly harvested in Turkey and Nepal and sold at a premium for its intoxicating effect.

Cirigliano thought it was a honey product he had bought before but clearly it wasn't. He didn't notice the mistake for quite some time as he added the honey to his yogurt that he would eat more than once a day. Shortly after the problems began including unusual thoughts, vivid dreams, and strange behaviors.

Since throwing the jar of Mad Honey away, Cirigliano is perfectly healthy and has not shown any other signs of psychosis. The jar was labeled as raw honey and the New Jersey distributor of the honey said there’s no way the Russian-imported honey contained substantial concentrations of grayanotoxanes.

The FDA will not confirm or deny if the product caused the reaction, but the Cirigliano's are positive and convinced that the Mad Honey is to blame. The potentially dangerous honey can have a bitter taste and leave a burning sensation in the throat. Cirigliano's wife said she experienced both feelings when she tried but Tony did not, but said the yogurt may have masked them.

Tony called 911 and told them that he needed police protection but after spending 45 minutes talking to him, the police left stating there was no immediate threat or danger. His wife and kids didn't feel threatened by him at all, they actually felt like he was trying to protect them the entire time.

27 hours after calling 911, Tony sprang into action and told his family that they needed to leave right away. His family, believing him partly due to faith and partly to contagion took off North. They would first be seen in the Upper Peninsula before finally being found in Wisconsin.

Although they may never know what caused his psychotic break, they are feeling blessed to still be alive, safe, and have that experience into a part of life that was unknown to them before. They are hoping to encourage others to talk openly about the struggles they have with their mental health.

Below is a YouTube video of the family explaining the story and aftermath: