Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Wilson R. I’m 54 years old. Haven’t used drugs in seven months, and I’m feeling good about myself, saving my money. Back in the day I was a kind of bad boy. I got into a lot of foolishness, and my problem with drugs was a big part of it.
When did your drug use start? And what were your drugs of choice?
I was like 13 years old when I started smoking weed and taking heroin. I started slinging it at 13, too. I spent 17 years in prison, but I’ve been out since 2005, and proud I haven’t been back.
What were some of your triggers? Did they change from when you were a teenager, first starting to use heroin, to last year?
No, not really. The people, places, and things that triggered me might’ve changed, but it was always anxiety, anger, and pain. I lost important family members and friends close to me from a young age. I don’t like talking about it.
Okay, of course. Sorry. Can you tell us how you came to find Alliance for Positive Change?
Yeah, I was hanging out in the library up the block and saw signs for the harm reduction center. This was about June 2023. I was already taking Methadone to try to quit heroin, but it wasn’t working. I talked to some of the people here, they were really cool, and I started sitting in on the daily groups here. I don’t really do N.A. (Narcotics Anonymous) but I found it easy being with the people here. I hang out here when I’m not at work, I feel a sense of—I don’t know—community.
Oh and I took the Narcan training here, and a few weeks later I saved someone’s life because I saw them overdosing and gave them Narcan.
Was it a friend?
No, just a total stranger. I was just in the right place, right time.
Wow. So did you say you made the switch from Methadone to Suboxone last year?
Yeah, I think it was November. Dr. Hopping talked to me about treatment options. I wasn’t liking Methadone, because I could still get high from heroin while taking it. He helped me transition to Suboxone, which works better for me because on Suboxone I couldn’t feel the high from heroin, so that kind of removed the temptation (*Editor's note: some people report this side effect, while others do still feel the high from opioids while on Suboxone, a Medication-assisted treatment that consists of Narcan, and Buprenorphine, an opioid receptor blocker which blocks cravings.*)
I started out at a dose of 100mg and I’m now at 50mg.
Congratulations. Is the temptation to use totally gone, or—
No, no, definitely not, it’s still hard not using, but it gets a little less hard every day.
It sounds like Suboxone isn’t the only change you’ve made it your life to stop using. What else have you been doing?
I don’t hang out with the people I used to when I was high. It really is true that the people, places, and things you associate with drugs are the most tempting. But also, working with Ana, my Recovery Coach, has changed my mindset. I see things differently now. I learned to think things out more, instead of just reacting. I can be impulsive, so she’s helped me slow down and think.
Are there any other changes in your life lately?
Yeah, the two big ones are financial and housing. Well, I got a job in sanitation with a private company last year, and I just got promoted. Honestly, if I had been offered the job when I was still using heroin, I would’ve turned it down. Now, though, I kind of think things through. I got a promotion there, which is more money, but changes my shift from nights to mornings, which is going to be a tough change—at first. Like anything, change is always hard. But yeah, I’m getting my first debit card, and trying to find some financial literacy classes, to save my money a little bit.
Congrats. What’s the other big change?
I got an apartment. I started the process after I was released from prison in 2005, but never finished it until last year. Let me tell you, it’s way easier to be sober with a roof over your head. I come here, listen to people’s stories, and then I go to work, or I go home.
Lots of changes: sobriety, housing, more money and financial literacy. Is it overwhelming?
It’s a lot of change, but it’s good, you know? I think the biggest change is just my mindset. I try to really think things through more, not just be impulsive. I think every day, the hard things get a little less hard.