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My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

mattlakeman.org

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Re: My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

#51

Post by germinalphrase »

wespiser_2018 wrote: post #24

Good write up. The US is really grappling with diseases of despair, and heroin/fentanyl addition is on of the biggest ones impacting the wellbeing of our society. A massive slice of talent and raw human resource is just dying every year, but the solutions that have worked in other countries are just impossible to implement here due because the the methods that are known to work are politically dead on arrival. I'm a…

“ The effect on new users would be profound as well: as all the current users naturally age out of wanting to use hard drugs, the majority of drug dealers (other users themselves), won't have the capability to introduce new people to hard drugs”

Why do you believe this to be true?

Re: My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

#52

Post by snek_case »

short12 wrote: post #43
8bitsrule wrote: post #29

My condolences to anyone who's lost a friend or relative to addiction - thanks to the human vultures who reap the rewards. It's possible that by vigorously pursuing and prosecuting the people who can afford to purchase and disseminate hard narcotics - instead of the users and a pusher or two - most of the problem would dry up. I'm not optimistic about that happening. The little guys are easier to catch, and caps are…

After talking to a recovering addict regarding heroin, fentanyl and the such. I did some research and found I could get half a kilo of iso (stronger than fentanyl) by the end of the week. It took me 20 minutes My point is that stuff is so widely available and easily accessible that no sort of enforcement against the higher ups will do a damn thing Treating the addict with compassion and diligence will be far more eff…

Potentially we could decriminalize consumption, open treatment centers, but still go after the traffickers. People who sell fentanyl know that they are killing people.

Re: My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

#53

Post by giantg2 »

short12 wrote: post #43
8bitsrule wrote: post #29

My condolences to anyone who's lost a friend or relative to addiction - thanks to the human vultures who reap the rewards. It's possible that by vigorously pursuing and prosecuting the people who can afford to purchase and disseminate hard narcotics - instead of the users and a pusher or two - most of the problem would dry up. I'm not optimistic about that happening. The little guys are easier to catch, and caps are…

After talking to a recovering addict regarding heroin, fentanyl and the such. I did some research and found I could get half a kilo of iso (stronger than fentanyl) by the end of the week. It took me 20 minutes My point is that stuff is so widely available and easily accessible that no sort of enforcement against the higher ups will do a damn thing Treating the addict with compassion and diligence will be far more eff…

I think it's most effective to prevent them from becoming addicts by addressing the hopelessness that drives so many to that (or crime). And through education of the effects for the others, of course.

Re: My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

#54

Post by d136o »

I’ve just finished reading Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty , and I highly recommend it.

An amazing multi generational history of how the Sacklers inflicted opioids on the US, made a fortune, and got away with no consequence.

It was pretty interesting to read this during pandemic times, and it’s a prime example of how institutions lose legitimacy in the public’s eye. The Sacklers had the FDA in the palm of their hand, as well as the highest reaches of the justice department, as well as large numbers of medical professionals who patients trusted to make decisions that wouldn’t harm them.

What gives me hope? That I can surround myself with people who I can help and who will help me if I need it, not any type of fancy concept or title (Governor Agency, BigCo, professional title etc…).

I wonder what’s being peddled these days as completely safe but survivors will look back on as absolutely foolish.

Re: My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

#55

Post by nwienert »

karlmdavis wrote: post #48
ioseph wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That was certainly not my experience, it was an intense physical pleasure but ultimately devoid of mental depth. Having tried most drugs I really think the whole addicted after one dose is bullshit and it's far more about your social economic circumstances. It's much more tempting to seek out another hit if you have nothing better to do that day.

This seems to rather callously disregard the parent commenter’s lived experience. Perhaps, just maybe, not everyone is like you; it might be different for different people? Just a thought.

It’s adding context. I agree with the reply completely, opiates are far from being an outlier in “amazing experiences” for me.

Re: My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

#56

Post by jareklupinski »

aazaa wrote: post #4

> I wish I had a happier note to end this on, but honestly, my biggest takeaway from the whole experience is that maybe some puzzles just can’t be solved. We can try to attribute Jack’s problems to intrinsic biological/psychological issues (social phobia, migraines, etc.) or to environmental causes (super high rate of heroin use and OD in the community), but both sides seem fundamentally lacking in explanatory power.…

I really honed in on this part:

> They knew he would never get drugs when I was there. He wouldn’t shatter the illusion he and his family crafted for me. It wouldn’t be worth it, not even for a fix.

seemed to be something that really worked? albeit for the while

Re: My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

#57

Post by icefo »

The author didn't consider than Jack may have committed suicide by heroin. Considering the rest of his analysis about how grim his life was with no hope of it getting better I think that's a reasonable hypothesis.

As bad as it sounds he may have wanted to end the suffering for him and his family

Re: My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

#58

Post by jt_thurs_82 »

karlmdavis wrote: post #48
ioseph wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That was certainly not my experience, it was an intense physical pleasure but ultimately devoid of mental depth. Having tried most drugs I really think the whole addicted after one dose is bullshit and it's far more about your social economic circumstances. It's much more tempting to seek out another hit if you have nothing better to do that day.

This seems to rather callously disregard the parent commenter’s lived experience. Perhaps, just maybe, not everyone is like you; it might be different for different people? Just a thought.

> That was certainly not my experience

Re: My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

#59

Post by giantg2 »

snek_case wrote: post #52
short12 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After talking to a recovering addict regarding heroin, fentanyl and the such. I did some research and found I could get half a kilo of iso (stronger than fentanyl) by the end of the week. It took me 20 minutes My point is that stuff is so widely available and easily accessible that no sort of enforcement against the higher ups will do a damn thing Treating the addict with compassion and diligence will be far more eff…

Potentially we could decriminalize consumption, open treatment centers, but still go after the traffickers. People who sell fentanyl know that they are killing people.

I think this is a great option. It seems quite a few people opposed to decriminalization don't realize that it typically means decriminalization of personal amounts, but still going after the dealers.

Re: My experience of losing a friend to heroin (2020)

#60

Post by evilos »

colinmhayes wrote: post #19
aazaa wrote: post #4

> I wish I had a happier note to end this on, but honestly, my biggest takeaway from the whole experience is that maybe some puzzles just can’t be solved. We can try to attribute Jack’s problems to intrinsic biological/psychological issues (social phobia, migraines, etc.) or to environmental causes (super high rate of heroin use and OD in the community), but both sides seem fundamentally lacking in explanatory power.…

I'm not sure you understand how good heroin feels. Nothing comes close, especially not Tennis or a wonderful community. I tried heroin once, and I regret it every day, because I am 100% positive that I will never again be as happy as I was that day. If I didn't have what is effectively a dream job I'm sure that I'd be a heroin addict.

This is the scariest thing about heroin IMO. It's basically game over, you've ruined the game of life by using a cheat code and the rest of the game will feel hollow and pointless.
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