Exposing the Truth Behind the Opioid Epidemic
7 Likes
thanks for this episode 
2 Likes
I live less than 30 miles from a city that has an issue with opioids. Because of the dirty needles we had an AIDS outbreak. I can tell you from up close and personal that most opioid users became addicted because of a prescription. I'm glad you were able to avoid it. But remember your story isn't every story.
4 Likes
Great episode. Very informative
1 Like
"People care more about making money than saving lives." This reminds me of a Bible scripture that says the love of money is the root of all evil. It's so true. It's sad. It's unfortunate.
I'm grateful that Loosid cares about people and provides a free service. I can't express how grateful I am to have the opportunity to connect with other sober people and have access to valuable resources. Thank you Loosid.
3 Likes
The statistics don't lie, and the documentary paints a vivid and accurate portrait. Than you for sharing.
2 Likes
Wow!
Thank you for this I was over prescribed pain meds and became horribly addicted to pain meds...to the first person that shared her input she is entitled to her opinion HOWEVER I AM NOT SOME PIECE OF SHIT OR WEAK SELF CONTROL BUT I HAVE LUPUS FOUGHT THROUGH AND BEAT CANCER HAVE SPINAL STENOSIS BONE SPURS UP N DOWN MY SPINE HILL SACHS DEFORMATION I AM A FIGHTER AND INTELLIGENT BUT PAIN PILLS 
TOOK OVER MY LIFE!!! SO PLEASE DONT UNDER ESTIMATE ADDICTION OR SAY THAT OTHERS CHOSE TO OVERDOSE ITS VERY IGNORANT STATEMENT....KEEP YOUR NEGATIVE COMMENTS TO YOURSELF WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND LEARN THE REALITY OF RECOVERY AND THE STRUGGLE OF ADDICTION....THANKS 4 YOUR TRUTH THANKS 4 THE SUPPORT
4 Likes
Please see my comment attached to this podcast because you are wrong I respect your opinion but Noone chooses to overdose...atleast most don't
2 Likes
How do u hear the posts
Duh
I would disagree someone wanting to od. My son on the cusp of death. Hard not to interfere. Rescue as a mother that has gone through 20 years, 6 years prison. He is conditioned to isolating one room tv and dope.
Thank you for sharing this very informative information.
This was my story.
I became addicted to pain killers. Took Vicodin in the 90’s for pain from complications due to breast implants. Started out taking it as directed for pain and began taking it because I liked the way it made me feel. It gave me so much energy. Was truly a false sense of well-being. I was going to multiple doctors for prescriptions, and my addiction grew stronger. I was consuming 120 Norco 10/325 a day plus 10 30 mg OxyContin. I needed to take this many pills because my tolerance was so high.
It became so difficult to obtain these pills. I would create fake issues to get these painkillers. Even had the majority of my teeth pulled out just to get prescriptions. Never once thinking about the ramifications, and that maybe one day I would need those teeth. I was so desperate to stay high and stay well.
I was introduced to heroin. I swore I would never use that dirty drug. To me, that was the lowest of the lows. I would rationalize and justify the need to take these pills and would act as if I was better than those heroin junkies. I lost all my self respect doing things I would never do just to get opiates.
When someone turned me on to heroin I was a little scared but wanted to get well because I was going through withdrawals. I tried it and I immediately fell in love. I wondered why I hadn’t tried it sooner. It was cheaper and lasted longer than any pills I ever took.
This brought me straight to hell. I abandoned my children, became homeless, living on the streets. I was dead inside. I wanted to die.
I had been in recovery for alcohol and speed prior to getting addicted to painkillers so I knew there was a way out, a solution to my problems. I called around to different rehabs looking for a medical detox, and reached out to friends in recovery.
I was able to get into a treatment facility and I began my journey in recovery from active addiction. Life was good. I was happier than i had been in years. I wish I could say I stayed the course, but I did not.
Relapse is a part of my story.
One day I was in excruciating pain, went to the ER because I didn’t know what was going on, found out i had kidney stones. Didn’t tell the doctor about my recovery or that I had been addicted to painkillers in the past. I definitely had a reservation. And wasn’t being honest. Didn’t protect my recovery at all costs. I snuck around taking those painkillers, didn’t say a word to my sponsor or anyone and wasn’t long that I was back on the heroin.
Had a little run, enough to lose everything I had worked so hard for. I was used to this, losing everything and losing the trust of my children and family. I hurt my children because they witnessed mom struggling to stay clean. That killed me more than anything that I hurt my babies.
So much guilt and shame that I could not stop using. Finally hit an even lower bottom than ever thought possible.
Got back into recovery. Got a job that I really liked and started becoming a responsible and productive member of society.
I got into a relationship with someone who I wanted to believe was different than any other man I had fallen in love with. He wasn’t abusive like the father of my children was, he seemed different. It was a long distance romance but he wasn’t interested in a commitment. Through working my steps I learned about patterns I had in relationships and this one was no different. My heart was broken and I was rejected. I could not handle this pain. I did not have a good foundation, wasn’t doing the things I needed to do to stay clean, this man became my higher power and once again I was loaded.
I told my employer that I had been in recovery and relapsed because I in trouble at work from excessive tardiness and call offs. I was given an opportunity to get into a treatment facility through our EAP (employee assistance program) signed a contract to stay clean for 2 years, random drug testing, meeting attendance and I did it.
Am still gainfully employed at a great company who supports me in my recovery, have 4.5 years clean/sober, a relationship with my children, working an honest program, attend AA/NA meetings regularly and have faith in a higher power that I call God. I’d never had any relationship with a higher power in the past because I struggled with the God concept.
Being raised catholic had given me a sense of a punishing god and I turned away from that when I was a child. Could never believe or have any faith in something I couldn’t see, hear, or touch. Wasn’t tangible so I did not have the spirituality that was necessary to stay clean.
My life is completely different and I’m ever so grateful for everything I have today.
I no longer live with the guilt and shame of not being able to stay clean because I know that I had to go through everything I went through to get me to where I am today. It takes what it takes.
So blessed and so thankful for those people who never gave up on me. We’re all miracles!
1 Like
People do not chose to OD. That’s an absolutely ignorant statement.
Evidently you are unaware that painkillers are the gateway to opioid addiction. This is how most heroin addicts of today are created.
Good for you for making a decision to stop taking Dilaudid. I find it interesting that you were prescribed methadone but weren’t ever addicted. Doctors don’t normally prescribe methadone to people for pain. It’s typically prescribed for opiate addicts trying to get off heroin and other painkillers.
This is an app for people in recovery or people seeking recovery from addiction and alcoholism. Since your not either of those, why are you here?
If you’re going to stay here, please be respectful of the contents.
Those of us who have experienced the reality of addiction, the reality of painkiller addiction turned into a heroin addiction, would definitely disagree with you.
Just because it wasn’t your reality doesn’t mean it’s not true.
2 Likes
Here is the thing the are still saying that opiate pills are in 2022 responsible for all the people getting addicted and overdosed ok some people are still getting pills and getting hooked and overdoseing but a huge amount are going straight to heroin and now they are selling bags of fentanyl and fake pills that have fentanyl in them are showing up on the streets I’m getting information from the DEA website and they are still battling bad doctors and pharmacies but compared to 10 years ago when some cities had 16-20 pill mills/pain clinics I recently went to Florida and the medical business has changed and all the doctors are either gone or doing something different and they used to have a newspaper and in the back had adds for pain clinics said openly that they will give you OxyContin and methadone and Roxy’s and Xanax and yes soma and dilated you name it I was in bad shape in Florida and they had doctors all over the state and they didn’t have a database for the whole state just key west to pinellas county straight across to the East coast southern division and above was northern division so had doctors in Tampa and broward county and doctors in these little towns in north Florida that would write for anything just give them $250-$300 dollars cash and they usually have a regular pharmacy in town and always caried the best generics and brand
2 Likes
I have been an RN for 30 years. When I was in nursing school (mid 90's), and for the first few years of my practice, we were taught that opoids were not addicting if taken for acute pain. We were encouraged to advocate for their use, and there was even a script we were encouraged to use when discussing pain control with patients. Looking back, I see now, that this was all big pharma cloaking biased research to influence nursing practice. One of the practices we were encouraged to implement was to administer the opioid before the patient complained of pain. The idea was to "stay ahead of the pain". I remember attending lectures and CEU events sponsored by pharmaceutical companies in which research was presented which demonstrated the benefits of around the clock dosing. Looking back now, I see the monster that we helped to create. The opoid epidemic is definitely an "iotrogenic" disease. It begs the question though, how do we effectively treat acute pain without precipitating addiction? I think this is where medical and pharmaceutical research should be focused. We cannot leave patients suffering in pain, so we must find better ways to treat it that are not harmful.
I have known an opiate addict, and I witnessed the possession of this drug. I can assure you that most overdoses are accidental. Choice is GONE once severe addiction has begun. Please be careful about what you say on a recovery forum and keep your opinions to yourself if you do not have DIRECT experience with SUD, or specific related training and education.
1 Like
I lost my son to fentanyl in my arms during the pandemic. Ryan was only 27 yrs old and was showing signs of being an alcoholic and while intoxicated made a bad choice and trusted someone he shouldn’t have. The guilt is immense that he was my only son and I myself couldn’t save him and am a recovering drug addict myself, that started with pain pills.
I am trying to continue on with my recovery while advocating, educating and doing what I can to raise awareness but it’s a struggle.
Thank you for doing all you are doing to do the same.
1 Like
Thanks for the episode
I agree with you