JimC60

Two little towns in western Massachusetts, "Hollywood" heroin has made an appearance in these towns and has been linked to 8 deaths in one week. Police have seized 8,000 bags.

Lethal strain of heroin strikes western Massachusetts | WMDT.com Maryland-Delaware

Similar to the influx of fentanyl laced heroin that hit our town and scared my daughter into her first rehab. So young, so fragile, what a waste.........

Keep coming back,

Jim

Vale

Each and every one of them was a treasured & unique soul and will be missed by our human family. God damn this scourge.

zoso77

Jeez, that's just to the west of me.

One has to wonder what compels people to take that first dance with the White Lady when our pop history is littered with cautionary tales. So long as someone believes "that'll never happen to me", these stories will continue.

JimC60

zoso,

".......One has to wonder what compels people to take that first dance with the White Lady......."

I can't speak for everyone but, for my daughter it was economic necessity.

Like most she started with pills following oral surgery; she discovered that she "liked" them alot..... she stayed with ever increasing doses of pills because they were "safe". Then her money started to run out.........

By that time she was addicted and she was faced with two choices 1) quit using, she tried but that did not last for long due to withdrawal symptoms; or 2) switch to heroin which was and is much cheaper.

The article from Newsweek which you posted in the last few days was a very familiar story.

One day at a time,

Jim

zoso77

Jim...

I had surgery this past June to repair a tear in my extensor tendon near my right elbow, and for pain management, they sent me home with Percocet. I took a few the day of the surgery, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the big deal was about it. It made me feel sleepy, and that was it. I chucked the rest the next day. I think it's reasonable to assume individual brain chemistry plays a role with addiction. Something I discard is something my AXGF would eat like candy.

God bless your daughter, man.

Ann

It's so sad and yes, these are somebody's loved one who took a bad path.

Thanks for the article, Jim.

Hugs

hopepraylove

Jim,

How are you doing? How is your daughter? I've been thinking of you. (Meant to respond to your PM, but as I'm sure you've read...the Holidays were difficult.) Thank you for being such a wonderful and kind contribution to the forums here.

Keeping you and your family in my prayers.

Gettngstronger1

This is just to the west of where I live as well. These towns are just about an hour's drive from me. I also live an hour and a half's drive from Cape Cod. It's crazy to me that such a small state can have such a huge epidemic on its hands. I understand that it's happening everywhere. But these two stories have been in the news just in the last week, both stemming from one of the smallest states in the entire country. Very sad for sure.

JimC60

I had knee surgery years ago, I was sent home with Tylenol 3 with Codeine. 30 tablets to start and 3!.......3!!.......3!!! refills. Instructions said 2 tablets every 4 hours as need for pain. I was hurting but I eyed the bottle with great suspicion and decided to take just one tablet and see what happened.

The bottom line is that I never took more than 1 tablet at a time and then only about every 12 hours. I ended up taking a total of about 15 tablets and never refilled. The stuff made me suffer very rapid short term memory loss and remain in a constant state of drowsiness. I could carry on a conversation and be cognizant of what was being said and my responses - 10 minutes later I would not remember what was said or sometimes who I had said it to.

I think you are correct that individual brain chemistry plays a HUGE role in addiction.

Thanks for thinking of my daughter!

Keep coming back,

Jim