Heroin
Answers for non-addicts about addiction to drugs and alcohol. For 15 years I was a heavy drug and alcohol user. After trying to quit repeatedly—and failing miserably—I finally asked for help in 1988. My recovery began with spending 31 days in a rehab, then decades of therapy, plus 28 years of surrounding myself with sober addicts who “get it.” Am I cured? No. But I’m grateful for the daily reprieve.
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Written for The Fix Nobody strives to become a heroin addict. Even misguided souls with a romanticized notion of H never intended to go through the nightmare of withdrawal on a jail cell floor. But that’s what happens to many users caught in the whirlwind of our nation’s opiate crisis. Science is teaching us that addicts … Read more
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Excerpts from my article written for The Fix All photos courtesy of Mirzaei Films. Laila at the Bridge—How to Combat Heroin Addiction in Afghanistan A new documentary follows a woman’s efforts in Afghanistan to fight addiction. Since the fall of the Taliban, the production of opium has skyrocketed. Afghanistan produces 90% of the world’s supply and 11% … Read more
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“I realize that I’ve been hypnotized.” — Jimi Hendrix Where do self-destructive impulses come from? I had romanticized images of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin but they were dead long before I heard of them. The first time I shot heroin was down at St. Mark’s place in 1978. I was a 17-year-old aspiring artist … Read more
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