Trina from San Francisco
My boyfriend died of a heroin overdose on October 30, 2015. I wish they knew that doctors are creating addictions by prescribing irresponsibly high doses of opioids for extreme periods of time to patients with chronic pain who have nowhere else to turn. That the profile of an addict is much broader than most people perceive and can often be that seemingly functioning, well-respected professional you know and work with. That the jump from prescribed opiates to heroin isn't as far as you think. That addiction is a disease with emotional and physical aspects and not something most people can overcome through sheer willpower. That the disease lies. That getting someone into treatment can't necessarily save them and relapse is almost certain. That no matter how much an addict loves you, they love the drug more. And that even though your brain knows you can't save an addict and that what happens to them as a result of their addiction isn't your fault, it takes a very long time for your heart to know that.