I can't remember which of these threads I've posted in, but I'm coming up on four years sober from opiates/heroin here soon.
Got hooked on Oxys, Methadone Fentanyl suckers back in the early to mid 2000's. Had some crazy hook ups at the time and me being the extremist I am when it comes to that stuff I took it way too far. Overdosed a few times. Once passed out on my back and threw up into my lungs. Got airlifted to a city hospital and spent a few days in a coma. Ended up losing my hook up on being prescribed Methadone, Xanax, Adderall and Vics and came off all that cold turkey for awhile. Ended up in the ER and finally couldn't take it and went to a Methadone Clinic. Did that four about two years, switched to Suboxone and actually came off successfully only to try IV Oxy a couple months later.
Of course that turned into IV everything including meth, other pain pills, coke and H. Add in liberal amounts of benzos and I was going to jail constantly for dumb shit like shoplifting and firing a weapon at shadow people. Picked up hep c at some point, too. Finally ended up getting four years at 50% after spending well over a year in and out total in county jail and rehab.
Lost a lot of people close to me while I was away. My grandma died six days after I got to county jail. I'd put off visiting her in the hospital because I'd been up like a week. Lost my grandpa a few months before I got home. My dad died of lung cancer a few months after I got home and I did at least get to spend some time with him during house arrest. Worst part is he died having really never seen me as anything other than a deadbeat drug addict besides that short time on house arrest and that's huge motivation for me to stay clean and finally live a life he would be proud of even though he's not here to see it. I actually had a guy come to my house and put Oxys in my hand right after my dad died and I didn't take them.
For once being broke and unemployed paid off right when I got out of prison because I was able to qualify got patient assistance and got my hep c cured. Now I've got a steady job, got engaged recently, life is good and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I don't smoke or drink. Powerlifting is my addiction. All that emptiness that substances used to go into is now my drive to be relentless in my pursuit of strength gains. Lifting has been a huge part of my recovery.