Things Every Junkie Needs

I am going to make a simple list:
1. New needles. After shooting up bleach by accident and shooting up bleach on purpose after accidentally putting it in my hit, I cannot endorse these enough. In addition, having them break off in your neck, groin, or other sensitive area truly sucks. And, caught out in the world without them, you might be desperate enough to boot up with someone's that provides you with the gift of Hep C or HIV. A brand new needle should be sealed at the top with a matching seal in the plastic and the cap. (Maybe a reader can throw a pic up in the comments). It also has a tiny bit of airspace at the top. Check your needles!!!!! I have known people to see or give needles that were "new" to people that had blood still in them. One guy was tweaked out of his mind and gave me a "new" one. He was HIV + and I could have gained the same infection if I would not have checked.

2. Clean water. I have shot up with booze, gutter water, grape soda, water from the back of the toilet. Do not do this. I nearly lost my lower leg from the infection. I have large holes on my body from this. 

3. Clean cotton. Notice the word clean. I don't think cotton from your tube sock is particularly clean but it is better than shooting coffee or baby laxatives. Using no cotton is just wrong especially if you are using tar. I had a massive infection in my thigh from muscling and using no cotton. It smelled so bad that the police debated letting me go because they did not want to have to spend 8 hours at the hospital with me. You could easily smell it from five feet away- the rotting flesh caused by impatience 

4. You need naloxone. Save a life. Save your own life. Naloxone will reverse the impact if an opiate overdose in 95% of the cases. Find that shit. Trade for it. Do not store it in the fridge or by hear. It's fragile and strong. You need it. 

5. Find an enabler. A good one. Someone who will continue to put up with your stupid shit and not toss you out in the street. The streets are no joke. If you have a habit to support, without the enabler your options are pretty grim my friend- hooking, stealing, dealing, fraud and the like. Without the enabler, you have to support a habit AND try to find housing on the daily. And be nice to this person. They actually give a fuck about you and you need to respect them. 

6. You need someone who believes in you and your recovery. When you get tired of all this drama (and you will) you need someone willing to help you. I believe in you. When you are ready, you can totally do this. 

Part of this is meant to be funny but really all the stuff in here is real. Below is people who believe in me. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 11, 2013 at 2:00 PM

    Hey Tracey it's dilaudid girl again :) wow when I hear of the things u shot up with I'm so surprised u still have limbs! Our bodies are strong and can put up with so much! Well being part of the pill injecting generation (everyone is nuts over oxycontin, but its weak for me) we don't really get abscesses. I missed my dilaudid shots over a million times and no abscess lol the only time I got one was from licking the blood like u lick a cut off my injection site and it abscessed. I was scared shitless of getting an abscess or flesh eating bacteria from that tar tg I didn't. What mostly got me clean off iv drugs is fear of amputation. I'm so glad u are telling your stories I now read them like everyday and am going to email in a few days u about purchasing ur book :) it helps my recovery and not feel alone. I was depressed at 13 and used food for my anxiety and still do. I'm 287 lbs my weight goes up n down. Also seeing the movie requiem for a dream made me never want to inject anything again lol I think everyone in the world needs to see it he gets his arm amputated from IV heroin abuse, its a really good movie u should see it if u haven't :) I'm very glad u still have ur arms and legs I heard about many addicts in s.f. getting amputated etc. I was born in 1990 so I only been down to s.f when I was younger I always thought it was scary,dirty lol I was only 8 when the film was done. How many years total were u addicted to heroin?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. traceyh415September 11, 2013 at 3:16 PM

      I was addicted to heroin for 6-7 yeaers and used drugs for 7-8 years. Thanks for sharing. I know it is very healing

      Delete
  2. webspinner68January 23, 2014 at 3:34 PM

    Real shit and that's cool as fuck! Interested in finding out what happened when you shot up with bleach.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. traceyh415January 23, 2014 at 3:56 PM

      Fortunately it was diluted bleach but it burned like fuck and I was sick to my stomach

      Delete

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