Imagine being a 28 year old woman or man who might have a child or two and just enough income to get by on. Just like everyone else, you are working your way up the ladder, so it’s okay. Unfortunately, you have an accident at work or play, and your injury requires surgery. To help with the pain your doctor prescribes some opiates, like Norco or Oxycontin. The medications work well, but your pain persists, so you ask for a bit more. If you are one of the unlucky 18% of Americans who are genetically predisposed to Opiate addiction, you will now be on your way to building a tolerance to pain medication and heading down the path of addiction. Your body is now dependent on opioids, and you feel very sick (like you have a horrible case of the flu), when you try to cut down or quit.
Your doctor is now getting worried, because your daily dosage is now quite high, so they suggest stopping the medication and trying to find another solution. Within 12 hours of stopping your medication, you are deathly ill and ask a friend if they have any opioids. They do. This goes on until there is no more medication to borrow or lift, and you start to buy from a guy on the street. The cost of “oxys” are $1 per milligram, and you need five 30 mg pills each day ($150). That’s $4,500 for 30 days, and that’s about all you earn each month. Your choices now are to lie, to steal, to cheat, to deal, etc. in order to buy 5 bags at $10 each of heroin for $50 total, or you can go into rehab at $30,000 for a 1 month stay, which insurance should pay for if you have insurance.
You have kids, a job and a home to care for so you decide to just snort a bit of heroin, with the intention of tapering off ASAP. The taper doesn’t work, and now you are using more heroin than you can afford, you are living for a $10 bag every 2 hours, and you are not proud of how you are getting the money. You are way behind on rent and car payments, and you can barely buy enough food for the family.
It’s Sunday, and you don’t get paid for another 7 days. In about 6 hours, whether it’s at work or in front of your family, you will start to be sick. Within 18 hours, you will be so sick that you cannot function and it feels like you will die. After another 4 hours of calling to find a doctor who can treat you, you find one who can see you in 2 days for just $250, but you don’t have the entire amount, and you can’t get it, because you have already begged, borrowed or stolen from everyone you know, even family. So… now what?
Call H4H for the down payment, and, within an hour of getting Suboxone, you will have no more withdrawals or craving. As long as you stay on Suboxone, you will be comfortable, more clear headed, and you can start to repair your life.