Editor’s Note: Jennifer Wheeler is a recovering 35-year-old heroin addict who lives in South Berkshire County. This is the first of her articles about her life, the lessons she’s learned, and the new path she’s taking. To read a letter she had previously published about her struggles with addiction, click here.
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This is very close to my heart.
I have been struggling with heroin addiction for more than half my life and many dear family and friends I know are also affected by addiction, either them personally or someone they love. I am grateful to tell you today I am 14 months free from heroin and I am blessed!
I’ve started a private group, D.O.P.E, which stands for Discussing Our Personal Experiences, on Facebook at the end of December and it has grown to more than 450 members in such a short time. The reason for this group is I wanted a space where we can all come together and when I say all I mean ALL: addicts, families, friends, teachers, doctors, politicians, police officials (yes, even police officials), therapists, and people who don’t understand addiction and want to learn more. Here we can unite, share and come to a common understanding to help find solutions, and to save people from being consumed by this terrible disease, as I was.
Let’s be there for one another because we are all the same. We are family. Let’s show love and compassion to one another. I want our group to be a place to celebrate our accomplishments and the hours, days, weeks, months and years we fight for our freedom from addiction. I want it to be a place to inspire and encourage one another and show our talents that we’ve learned in sobriety. We are talented, creative people; let’s show everyone. Showing people that we can recover gives them hope and a light at the end of that long dark endless tunnel. Let’s be their light and their voice until they find their way. Never forget: you can recover.
Relapse has been a big part of my story and if I didn’t keep trying new ways or suggestions, I would not be here today. We all got into to our addiction a different way and we can all get out of it in different ways, too.
So with that being said, please feel free to share whatever has worked for you to be clean: Suboxones, methadone, vivatrol, depression or anxiety meds NA, AA, spiritual practices, therapy, recovery coaching and even if you participate in a marijuana maintenance program, if any of these keep us from not picking up, use them as long you need it. No shame here! We are here to share what has helped us; your way might help someone else. No way is the wrong way! If you are still struggling, please keep trying until you find what works for you. Don’t ever stop trying!
So if you or someone you know might want to be a part of this group please join — or have your acquaintances think about joining — Discussing Our Personal Experiences. To do so, contact me at ripple80edge@gmail.com.
My hope and goal is to hold gatherings face-to-face in my local community — or wherever it’s needed. By face-to-face I mean we are sitting in a circle, telling each other our names, so that we see each other as equals. The purpose is to come up with solutions to the heroin epidemic in Berkshire County and nationwide. At these gatherings there will be no name-calling, stigmatizing or meanness. This will be a circle of compassion and understanding.
I truly believe if we all come together and see each other as the same we can really start to solve this horrible epidemic that is affecting so many, our children, family, friends, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. This is a disease that doesn’t care who it gets its grips in; it affects everyone in every race whether you are poor, rich, young or old. This is happening everywhere in the big cities and small towns like Great Barrington. Please join me in being a part of the solution and showing people we can recover!
