"…. to say that it didn't impact me, would be a lie"

Description

Interviewer: Who were the people in your life that had alcohol abuse — or drug abuse ?
Anonymous: my aunt, my uncle, and my other uncle.
Interviewer: And what happened with your aunt and two uncles?
Anonymous: My aunt and uncle, uh, they were married. They had three kids, uh, They both died from a heroin overdose. In a one year span, they, left behind four kids, actually. And my other uncle is currently undergoing rehab for heroin abuse and alcohol abuse.
Interviewer: How has that affected you, like, in your life personally between your aunt and your uncle?
Anon: When my Aunt Gale and Uncle Bob died within that year span it was — 2008….. A 30 year old son and uh, 3 daughters.
Interviewer: When they passed away?
Anon: Yeah… and the daughters found the mother dead in her bed after then overdose while a friend was over.
Interviewer: What did she overdose on?
Anon: Heroin, she was covered in nicotine patches. She was nicotine sick and she actually had nicotine poisoning from the amount of patches she had on. Not that that contributed to the death, but it was mainly the heroin. But there’s a whole bunch of stuff like that.pain medication, oxycontin, uh percocets stuff like that. She was abusing , but it was the heroin that killed her. And so those three daughters came and lived with my mother, my father, me, and my two sisters living in the house. Uh, and so like overnight I basically had three sisters — that I’ve known and we’re family, but never were my sisters.
Interviewer: Right
Anon: So it just kind of out of the blue happened one day.
Interviewer: So how has them moving in affected you and your life?
Anon: Um, well it definitely changed our economics and my family, our budgeting skills. Uh, I was lucky enough to have a dad, and at the time, working mother and working father. So the budgeting and impact on our family. Not that were saying that anyone is at fault here, but its definitely there. It’s definitely a struggle to pay for much more than, ya know, we had overnight.
Interviewer: I know we enjoy smoking weed and I know you smoke cigarettes, but have you tried any other drug that — or a drug you wouldn’t try because of what has been experienced in your life?
Anon: Uh, well I would never do heroin, that’s just a never.
But I — I understand the effects of it. I’m still living it because my uncle is still addicted and I know what it’s done, and then I’ve had friends that have gone through… not heroin specifically, but things like oxycontin, percocets, and I’ve struggled myself with oxycontin, percocets, and xanax abuse.
Interviewer: And what made you stop that?
Anon: Um, well it basically was uh, what could’ve been my time. Accidents happen. Things happen. Uh, and if you take too many drugs at one time your body could shut down.
Interviewer: Have you ever overdosed?
Anon: You can call it that, i guess, haha.
Interviewer: And with your other uncle, what has he done and what has affected him?
Anon: Uh, well he is from a different side of the family. The two that died were my mother’s side and my uncle that is addicted currently, well Matthew, actually, using names here. Matthew he, uh, I mean I’ve seen him, and kind of questioned some of the things he has done after learning about his use, but I don’t ever think he was ever high in front of me. So, I’m not experiencing it like that, but I mean you hear the news. Im aware of where he is. RIght now, he’s in the rehab center for a 3rd time. uh, or 2nd time, my bad. It’s just complicated stuff.
Interviewer: Do you think he’s getting better or…
Anon: He— the first time he went into rehab and it was on his own will. Andx the day thaT he finished the rehab was all the way in California. (He) came back from California and his mother found him uh, as he was overdosing on heroin. Then, he got in trouble legally and then it was a court mandated rehab, which is where he currently is now.
Interviewer: What was he— wait so, what was he on again?
Anon: He was on heroin.
Interviewer: So he was on heroin as well?
Anon: Heroin, yeah.

Interviewer: Overall, Heroin played the biggest part in your family’s—
Anon: hard opioids, heroin, oxycontin, percocets,stuff like that. Cocaine, uh, was actually a gateway drug. And I would argue that there is such thing as a gateway drug. Like people think there's no such thing as a gateway drug. I would argue that there are gateway drugs. Uh but its more than a drug itself.These drugs and chemical can completely destroy you… very mental. mental thing opposed to a physical thing. Uh, and its not something that could be wished away or medicated away…. It affected me mentally. The situation that finally got me to stop was you know, uh, the accidents and stuff that has happened — shit that happened with me and my friends. Personally, …. to say that it didn't impact me, would be a lie. To say that it didn’t scare me or horrify me, would be a lie. (mumbles) I did not become addicted to oxycontin purposefully. I became addicted to oxycontin after I have done percocets and xanax, because I was prescribed them and abusing those.
Interviewer: And once you kept trying, you kept trying more ,yeah?
Anon: Yeah, so it just kinda escalated and it got to a point where I, personally, couldn't even tell right from wrong. The only thing on my mind was getting high.
Interviewer: And what made you realize that it was wrong or in your eyes, per say?
Anon: You know , its something… one day , it kinda just clicked to me. That like, you can't live your life everyday on hard terrible, terrible drugs. I mean, I know people that live their life and smoke weed and their high more than they’re sober. And thats, if they live their life comfortably. Sure. If they’re doing it safely, then yeah. But I mean, the stuff that it does to you and the stuff that it does, the horror behind it, mental pain behind it, it just you realize its way too much to be going through for like, this little pill that you eat.

Participants

• anon anon
  
• tyranewman
  

Interview By

• tyranewman