Oregon decriminalizing all drugs creates hope for those in recovery

LIGHT AT THE END OF A ‘DEAD’ END POLICY –

May 28, 2021 – “My addiction doesn’t stem from something that I wanted to do,” she said. “If you take away the addiction, would you still do those things? No, I wouldn’t. People who don’t know that have never experienced that for themselves, they’re very judgmental. Humans are very harsh, very, very harsh.”

Her addiction began with several injuries when she was in high school and college.

“I shattered my collarbone and I had 7 surgeries,” she said.

That was after having multiple foot surgeries as well. Prescribed painkillers became addicting. Eventually, chasing that euphoric feeling led her to try heroin.

She said the night she tried it for the first time is burned into her mind. Someone she knew offered her the drug.

“I will remember to this day,” Suzanne recalled. “He said this to me, ‘This is the worst drug. I don’t know if I should give it to you; it will ruin your life.’ Well, he was definitely right.”

Suzanne was a nurse, but her addiction got in the way.

“I lost my job, which I very well should have, because I was falling asleep and doing very bad things, and that’s when my life went for the worse,” she said.