I first got into opioids at age 16 or so when I found boxes and boxes of tramadol prescribed for my father who had died of cancer some years earlier. Eating them made me feel good, really good. I guess that sparked my love for drugs.

I was a recreational user and managed to keep things under control (except spending all my money) for many years. But in those circles most people are a bad influence on you. Eventually it all just spiraled out of control. It was so easy to keep slipping deeper a little at a time while taking steps in the other direction felt enormously hard.

It's been about 6 years since I last shot up. Everything's going really good now. Granted I'm not sober by AA standards; I still smoke weed, and drink a couple of beers every now and then, and do psychedelics maybe once or twice a year. Whenever I start feeling blue.