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Opioids Saving Lives (Still Standing)

OxySniffSniff

Greenlighter
Joined
Jul 1, 2011
Messages
8
Hello, everyone! My Name is Joe. I'm an underweight, unhealthy 22yr old man from PA. I've suffered from Opiate addiction since I was 16yrs old. By the time I was 17, I was taking 325mg of oxycodone at once every single day. I switched from painkillers to Heroin when I was 18.

After I graduated from high school, my parents sent me to a 12-Step rehab in Arizona for 2 months. I relapsed 2 hours after I came back home. At that point I felt so depressed, and I felt worthless that I started to hate myself. I felt like I was trapped and alone. I loved my parents so much that I felt like the only way to stop myself from ruining their lives, was to take my own. I was eventually given Suboxone to help taper myself off of Opiates. I ended up relapsing while I was taking the Suboxone.

On August 25th, 2015, I accidentally overdosed and killed myself in my bathroom from Heroin laced with Fentanyl. My dad found me on the bathroom floor. My lips were blue and my skin was starting to harden. My dad immediately dragged my dead body into the hallway and started giving me CPR. I didn't even have a pulse. I was dead for 8 minutes straight. When the ambulance arrived at my house, they started to feel a light pulse. They gave me a shot of Narcan, but I didn't respond to it. So they gave me a 2nd shot of Narcan. And 20 seconds later, I finally woke up. To this day, I still feel ashamed for making my dad see my dead body on the floor, and for making him do CPR on me for 8 minutes, not knowing whether it was already too late.

I've been clean ever since that night. My new passion is helping other people understand that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. Whether they're suffering from a drug addiction, alcoholism, food addiction, or even if they have depression that has nothing to do with addiction.

I'm more than 25 lbs underweight and during middle school and high school, I'd have people make jokes about it almost every day. I used drugs to mask how I really felt on the inside. I developed a fear of judgement from others. Even if someone was genuinely complimenting me, my brain would perceive it as sarcasm. I would wear hoodies during summer because I was afraid to show my skinny body.

Now that I've been sober, I finally realize that I was believing things that weren't true. There really is a way to beat your depression/addiction. If there's one thing I learned over the years, it's that people with addiction and depression want to help each other. They need help from people who have experienced addiction and depression. They need to talk to people who were able to go through hell and come out on the other side.

So I decided to create a Facebook page called "Still Standing." I wanted to create an easy way for people to connect to others who are fighting the same demons. A place where people suffering from addiction and/or depression can help each other. It can also be a place where non-addicts can get a clearer understanding of what true depression/addiction is. I've always wanted to be a part of something important. This gives people the opportunity to save someone else's life, including my own. I truly believe that I was given a 2nd chance at life in order to save the life of another.

It's a non-profit organization/brand. Bluelight.org is a great website and helped me through my addiction. The Bluelight community is full of great people, but most addicts don't even know it exists (Unfortunately). So my question to you guys is: Would you guys/gals like to join me on this journey to raise awareness and give support to the people who need it the most?

This is my passion project because on average, 120 Americans die from an overdose EVERY SINGLE DAY. Between Bluelight's focus on harm reduction and Still Standing's focus on the men
tal aspect of depression and addiction, I know that we can lower that statistic and let others know that addiction isn't a death sentence unless you let it become one. I hope to see you join the Still Standing Community!

www.facebook.com/StillStandingCommunity

https://m.facebook.com/StillStandingCommunity

**Please share this post/page because you never know who is silently screaming for help on the inside.**

-Joe
 
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Hi Joe, what an inspiring story, I will certainly join you due to my benzo and opiates addiction, you are such a strong person and what you are doing is brilliant, much love, Rachel xxx
 
Thank you. That really means a lot to me. And I'm so glad you want to be a part of this. I was a benzo abuser as well. I've been prescribed Librium for the last few months because I was having anxiety and tremors from Suboxone withdrawal. Ever since the night that I accidentally killed myself, I developed a strong passion for helping people who need support in their lives. But people who have never dealt with depression or addiction just act as if we're worthless criminals when in reality, once thry sober up, they are kind, lighthearted, intelligent and loving people
 
Thank you for doing this. I'd love to help in any way possible. You're absolutely right - most people just don't understand. I didn't myself for a long time until I got addicted. Every day is a challenge, and most addicts are genuinely good people who just need a little support

I accidentally overdosed and died myself last spring. My girlfriend's three year old daughter found me on the living room floor. She said when she came in, her daughter was talking to me as if nothing was wrong. It broke my heart, knowing that's something she'll carry with her the rest of her life

It's still a struggle to stay sober, but I think all most of us really need is someone to listen and some meaning in life. Anything I can do, please let me know. It's so often easier to help others than oneself...
 
I'm sorry to hear that. I feel so ashamed about the night I overdosed because my little brother had to literally step over my dead body in order to get a phone and call 911. And I can't imagine how my dad felt while he was doing CPR on my for 8mins, not knowing if I'd ever wake up again.

The only thing I need help with right now is actually making people aware/join the Still Standing Facebook page. So if you guys could try and share the page/link on social media, the community can grow and start to have a positive impact on other people who feel alone and depressed.

The links are: www.facebook.com/StillStandingCommunity
 
I am inspired by your story and strength to be on the other side. I struggle with depression and addiction to oxycodone. As much as life would be simpler if I did not take it anymore, I actually do take it for headaches, I just take more than I should. I think we should all talk more about the role depression plays in this world we live in. Depression is a terrible, terrible animal to live with. And even though it is prevalent today, I don't think it is truly understood by those who do not suffer from it. My husband got a crash course in it after living with me for 10 years, but god bless him he must love me to put up with me sometimes! Anyway, I don't post very often, but I just had to show support for such an inspiring post.
 
Better find a load of admins if you're gonna have a fb page.. We have a vast recovery community here ( well maybe not vast )
 
Glad your all right mate...

Im a paramedic in the UK and heroin overdoses have become a lot more common especially now the heroin market has recovered somewhat from the drought a few years back and potency on the street has gone up. It's now so bad that we have been instructed to give 400mcg of narcan I'M to anyone we find unconscious in the street just in case. Unfortunately narcan isn't given out in needle exchanges here in the UK as it is in other countries and the police don't carry it either. It really is worrying. Glad your OK though. Take care <3
 
Glad your all right mate...

Im a paramedic in the UK and heroin overdoses have become a lot more common especially now the heroin market has recovered somewhat from the drought a few years back and potency on the street has gone up. It's now so bad that we have been instructed to give 400mcg of narcan I'M to anyone we find unconscious in the street just in case. Unfortunately narcan isn't given out in needle exchanges here in the UK as it is in other countries and the police don't carry it either. It really is worrying. Glad your OK though. Take care
 
wow i fucked up my post i was gonna ask when 911 is called for an od do the police are before the emts if so they should be trained to administer narcan most states in the U.S. train troopers to do so.
 
In the UK the police would only come out if there was a flag on the address as being dangerous for the ambulance crew. Like a history of violence with emergency services or something. Or if the paramedics radio for the police cos we can't get in the property or something. The police don't come as a matter of course. And police in the UK don't carry narcan (or guns.... Apart from specialist firearms units which are rare. They mostly have a big metal stick, cs gas and a tazer)
 
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