My name is Troy. I live in Williamsburg. People describe me as kind, loving, and quiet. I’m not loud or showy by nature. I’m comfortable by myself, and I like to go to museums, parks or walks alone with just one or two people.
I’ve been coming to Alliance LES Harm Reduction Center for services for 15 years, and most of that time, I’ve been completely sober, coming here for the support groups and community. These are really the only groups where I feel totally comfortable, and that’s because of how special the staff and Peers are. They understand people who are actively using drugs, and people like me, who haven’t used in a while but need ongoing support and engagement.
I’ve been on methadone for 20 years, and it has helped me stay off heroin, but I don’t appreciate having to report back to a counselor all the time like they were my parents. What I really want to do is ease off methadone with a support network that I have here. I don’t want to go back to heroin or keep increasing my methadone intake. I’m thinking about trying Suboxone offered here through Alliance’s CHOICES program.
I had a stroke just this year, just before my 60th birthday, so I’m not working now, but I was working in visual style. I’m a very artistic person, I love to dance, nothing professional, but club dancing. I’m getting back to being myself, and my speech is fully back, as you can hear.
I get a lot of support from my sisters and nieces, many of whom live in Switzerland, so maybe one day I’ll move out there. While I’m here, I’ll always come to Alliance for the community and support.