This is how a hopeless,helpless heroin addict lives in recovery with 24 years clean.
Heroin users 'junkies' are at the far end of the spectrum in drug addiction. This can be compared to all opiate dependencies, such as Oxycontin, lortab, vicodan, hydrocodon, Norco, morphine, methadone, ect.
Sometimes heroin users are seen as worse off than prescription addicts only because there is no prescription available for heroin; there by it cannot be obtained legally or paid for by insurance. Some level of crime is most often involved in heroin use. The most popular crime at least in the beginning of the cycle is stealing or extorting funds from ones family, place of employment, landlords; those close at hand. As tolerance increases and motivation decrease these crimes spread out in ever widening circles. Robbing the immediate family extends out to the neighbors, once fired from work, the user needs to start working their x co-workers & any remaining friends or loved ones. As the tolerance levels continue to increase, the urgent need for increased financial resources stretches beyond any values the victim of addiction once held as true. Craving seriously takes over all other needs, as 1 by 1 more & more behavioral limits are tramped down and re-set in shifting sands. The ends are all ways the same jails, institutions, death or recovery.
The disease of addiction becomes a formidable entity all in its self. Society holds the addict responsible for their sociopath like behavior, that's why the prisons are full of mentally ill addicts. Somewhere in our heart of hearts we hear a stirring saying the "all addicts are bad" thing just may not be true. Addiction means using against your own will.
We do recover. I am a heroin addict with 24 years clean & sober. I am a productive member of society. Of all of the roads I traveled in my 16 years of addiction now of those paths lead in the direction of the life I live now.
We are beyond the help of our families; the therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel. That is what the NA basic text says. The 12-step program is where we need to end up. Not the only way to recover but a very good way.
For myself and so many others the journey starts with professional help. Intervention, medical detox, and treatment. We are here to help. You can call 949-292-2000 - 24/7 - 366.
Sometimes heroin users are seen as worse off than prescription addicts only because there is no prescription available for heroin; there by it cannot be obtained legally or paid for by insurance. Some level of crime is most often involved in heroin use. The most popular crime at least in the beginning of the cycle is stealing or extorting funds from ones family, place of employment, landlords; those close at hand. As tolerance increases and motivation decrease these crimes spread out in ever widening circles. Robbing the immediate family extends out to the neighbors, once fired from work, the user needs to start working their x co-workers & any remaining friends or loved ones. As the tolerance levels continue to increase, the urgent need for increased financial resources stretches beyond any values the victim of addiction once held as true. Craving seriously takes over all other needs, as 1 by 1 more & more behavioral limits are tramped down and re-set in shifting sands. The ends are all ways the same jails, institutions, death or recovery.
The disease of addiction becomes a formidable entity all in its self. Society holds the addict responsible for their sociopath like behavior, that's why the prisons are full of mentally ill addicts. Somewhere in our heart of hearts we hear a stirring saying the "all addicts are bad" thing just may not be true. Addiction means using against your own will.
We do recover. I am a heroin addict with 24 years clean & sober. I am a productive member of society. Of all of the roads I traveled in my 16 years of addiction now of those paths lead in the direction of the life I live now.
We are beyond the help of our families; the therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel. That is what the NA basic text says. The 12-step program is where we need to end up. Not the only way to recover but a very good way.
For myself and so many others the journey starts with professional help. Intervention, medical detox, and treatment. We are here to help. You can call 949-292-2000 - 24/7 - 366.
Loriann Witte
