Interview #1 Jacob

Description

Today I talked with my friend Jacob about his experience with an old friend/roommate who abused drugs.

Bri: ‘My name is Bri Richman and today I am doing an interview with Jacob Mathis, who is a friend of mine.

Who is the person in your life who was misusing drugs or alcohol?”

Jacob: “A former friend and roommate of mine, Justin.”

Bri: “And did they ever lie about their addiction to you or others around you?”

Jacob: “To virtually everyone around us; he claimed he wasn’t using anything. He, just, avoided the question. Generally he never outright said it but it was something we all knew. We could all see the effects.”

Bri: “Which leads to, did you or anyone ever see him misuse the drugs?”

Jacob: “I have seen him on very few occasions. I don’t know if anyone else that we lived with would have seen him. But I have seen him abuse heroin a couple of times.”

Bri: “Do you know if they ever stole from you or from others to get money for their addiction?”

Jacob: “I don’t know for sure if he stole anything but I’m positive that a few of my things have gone missing in his presence.”

Bri: “How did the addiction affect those around you, like the people you were living with?”

Jacob: “He got angrier, and a little more violent. There were a couple of physical altercations, there were minor issues. He was generally kinda ‘not all there.’”

Bri: “How did their addiction affects their relationship with you?”

Jacob: “I wanted to distance myself from that. And, when I finally informed him that I didn’t want to maintain the friendship between me and him until he stopped, he got violent. He made threats. I finally had to get a restraining order.”

Bri: “How did you cope with the situation?”

Jacob: “I surrounded myself with people who actually cared about me, and backed away from any illicit behaviors and people who did such things. I just got myself away from those scenarios.”

Bri: “Did he ever get into fights or arguments with you or those around you?”

Jacob: “Never with me, but always with the people who were sharing the apartment, those he was seeing at the time, the mothers of his children. He generally was violent to the people he should not have been violent to. He ultimately assaulted his father, which I think should speak for himself.”

Bri: “Did anyone ever try to help them with their addiction?”

Jacob: “As far as I know, no. I know that I told him, like, ‘You need to get better and I have no problem maintaining this relationship,’ but as far as I know, no one else stepped up.”

Bri: “Was there anything or anyone who helped you deal with the situation?”

Jacob: “My friends helped me realize exactly what I was getting myself into, and helped me step away from it. They ultimately helped me get cleaner than I was.”

Bri: “Would you or others associated with them ever give them help again?”

Jacob: “I would not. After threatening me for merely saying ‘I don’t want to be your friend until you stop,’ assaulting his father, and just alienating himself from everyone, I don’t believe any of us that knew him would want to help him again.”

Bri: “Is there anything you wish you could go back and change?”

Jacob: “I wish I hadn’t met him. Meeting him had sucked me into a world that I actively regret entering and I wish I had never went down that rabbit hole.”

Bri: “Is there anything you wish you could have said to them?”

Jacob: “‘Don’t talk to me. Stay away from me.’ I wish I had just never spoken to him in the first place.”

Bri: “Have they regained you or other’s trust as all?”

Jacob: “Not mine, not his family’s. As far as I know the only people that trust him are people who have not known him very long.”

Bri: “Was there anything that stuck with you throughout the experience?”

Jacob: “Keep an eye out for warning signs, is the main thing, and be careful who you trust. Some people...some people are snakes.”

Bri: “Is there anything else you’d like to add?”

Jacob: “No.”

Bri: “Okay, thank you.”

Participants

• Jacob Mathis
  

Interview By

• Bri Richman