The Big Fix (24 page)

To maintain a life free of heroin, I customized a familiar list of recommendations. The first thing I did was develop a
strong system of social support. This included my family, my groups, and friends who were clean and sober. The second factor was obtaining stable affordable housing. The third factor was finding employment that was flexible enough to maintain my schedule of supportive activities. The fourth was finding productive activities I loved, including school and volunteer work. The final and critical element was gaining some insight into the reasons I started using drugs, so I could find new ways of coping. This came in the form of journaling, guided recovery worksheets, and individual sessions with a therapist. While replacement meds and antidepressants were not part of my individual story, they may also be a necessary tool. Although every person kicking the habit may not be able to do everything on this list, research shows that each of these things can increase your chances of success.

Will I ever use again? I say the answer is no. I work every day to make the distance a little farther between the needle and myself.

REFERENCES

Davidson, Peter J., Michael K. Gilbert, Stephen Jones and Eliza Wheeler. “Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs Providing Naloxone to Laypersons—United States, 2014.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly.
June 2015.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6423a2.htm

           
Including:

           
a. Doyon, S., S.E. Aks, and S. Schaeffer. “Expanding Access to Naloxone in the United States.”
Clin Toxicol (Phila)
52 (2014): 989–92.

           
b. Walley, A., Z. Xuan, H.H. Hackman, et al.

           
“Opioid Overdose Rates and Implementation of Overdose Education and Nasal Naloxone Distribution in Massachusetts: Interrupted Time Series Analysis.”
BMJ
346 (2013): 1–12.

           
c. World Health Organization. “Community Management of Opioid Overdose.” Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, 2014.

           
d. Coffin, P.O. and S.D. Sullivan. “Cost-effectiveness of Distributing Naloxone to Heroin Users for Lay Overdose Reversal.
Ann Intern Med
158 (2013): 1–9.

           
e. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit.” Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014. Available at
http://store.samhsa.gov/product/Opioid-Overdose-Prevention-Toolkit-Updated-2014/SMA14-4742
.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “Medication and Counseling Treatment,” September 2015.
http://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/treatment
.

Brady, Kathleen T.; Randall, Carrie L., Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Volume 22, Issue 2. “Gender Differences in Substance Use Disorders,” June 1999.

Dennis, Michael L., Foss, Mark A., Grella, Christine E., Scott, Christy K. 2007 UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, “Gender Similarities and Differences in the Treatment, Relapse, and Recovery Cycle,” February 2008.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

T
here are many people I want to thank for helping to make this book possible. Thanks to my family for supporting me, especially my husband Christian and our three children. I want to thank: Debi Alley, Jason Norelli, Paul Dertien, Jen P. Bixler, the Sept 2007 moms, The She Wolves, Ron, my writing group including Teddie Honey and Justin Tyler Hughes, Ali Onder, Guilherme Borges da Costa, my workplace support system, my Reddit friends, Dr. Don Teater, Eliza Wheele, and the people, both alive and dead, who believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Kerner

T
racey Helton Mitchell is a recovering heroin addict. After completing rehab in 1998, she dedicated her life to the care and treatment of heroin users. Tracey entered school through an ex-offender's program where she earned a bachelors of business administration and masters of public administration. In addition, she is a certified addiction specialist and supervisor. She was featured in the documentary
Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street.
She has also been featured by
CNN, Anderson Cooper, Vice, the Huffington Post,
and
the New York Times.
Tracey lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children.

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