John, a 73-year-old man, lives a comfortable family life in one of Philly’s great neighborhoods. He is healthy, funny, loves the Eagles and Italian restaurants. His neighbors appreciate his willingness to help and love chatting with him when he walks his dog. But John didn’t always live this way. His long-healed injection scars tell the story of his recovery.
“I started using heroin as a teenager in the 1960s,” John said. The high helped him avoid stressors. “I didn’t need to care about anything. It made me feel calm in a way that I never felt before.”
Without even noticing, something he felt was fun at the beginning took over everything and destroyed John’s life. His body was covered with abscesses from infected injections.
“The only thing you can think about is getting high,” John said. “All the money you make goes to getting high. You get in more and more dangerous situations to make the money you need. You lie constantly. You don’t care; but then you avoid everyone because you have so much shame.”
John’s use of substances became harder to sustain. “I could not live with heroin but could not think of living without it either,” he said. After 15 years of struggle, his brothers suggested he get help. “I started taking methadone. Getting off heroin was not easy, but I just could not go back. I did not want to go through that experience ever again.”
During the initial recovery phase, John had to learn to deal with the things that he avoided by getting high. His body started healing. No more abscesses or lies. Life started to get better.
“I continued my recovery, attending a 12-Step program,” John said. The 12-Step program helped him gain skills to deal with stressors and gave him a community that understood his experiences. “After 17 years, I was able to medically detox from methadone,” he said.
Spirituality, community, fellowship, a loving and stable family, and a successful career all followed his recovery. John said, “It is hard to even think that you can have a life beyond substance use. You just live for the moment and cannot think two steps forward. But today I live a life beyond my wildest dreams.”
From these experiences, John also learned that he needed to ask for professional help. He found a doctor to help him with this mental health. “I use antidepressants and take medications as prescribed.” He also worked with a therapist to address the traumas of his childhood and his substance use. “My primary care physician, my dentist, all my doctors know my history, so they help me take care of myself and avoid relapse.”
After decades in recovery, John shared that “The road to recovery was not always easy but I am the person who I am today because of that first step to get off heroin. I am a free man.”
Recovery is possible.
If you or someone you love are struggling with addiction, help is available.
Emergency
Call 988 if you are in a substance abuse or mental health crisis.
If you suspect or know that someone has overdosed with opioids, call 911 immediately.
Non-emergency help:
Call Community Behavioral Health at 888-545-2600 for Medicaid-funded substance abuse treatment.
Find your local Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous.
If your loved one is using opioids
Learn about Narcan: If you know or think that a loved-one is using opioid, learn where to get and how to use naloxone (Narcan®).
AL-ANON: If a loved one is struggling with addiction, consider seeking peer support at AL-ANON.