I was a heroin addict for 6 months and it was an absolute shitshow

**Introduction**<br><br>Hi guys, I made a similar post like this on /c/AskTeenGirls a few days ago and received amazing support, much thanks to the girls who were all kind and helpful. I figured it won't hurt to make a similar post here and I hope I can just vent out a little bit about my previous drug experiences. I would also love to hear your stories and experiences, as long as you keep in mind I'm only 17.<br><br>**Background Information**<br><br>I'm a 17 year old girl, I'm a senior high school student and I'll be going to college next fall. I was a victim of domestic abuse, and my mom used to beat me almost everyday when I was younger, and I used to cut and burn myself and use drugs to cope. I've been in therapy for almost 2 years now and my life has significantly gotten a whole lot better ever since I started receiving help from a therapist. I no longer self harm, and I don't do drugs all that much. I'm planning on quitting cold turkey once I graduate and I won't let the demons overpower me again. I got a bunch of hobbies that keeps me occupied and I have a awesome support system and I feel blessed to have the loving people I have in my life.<br><br>I was a heroin addict for almost six months, during my sophomore year of high school. I started doing heroin fall of 2015, and I quit spring of 2016. I no longer do heroin, and I don't do drugs as much as I used to. I currently smoke weed and occasionally do ecstasy and LSD. I plan on quitting all together once I move out and go to college.<br><br>**Introduction to heroin**<br><br>I was introduced to heroin by a friend, she was a senior at the time and she was also a heroin addict. She showed me how high she got when she did it, and how much fun it was to do. She made it seem like a fun thing to do, and that it was amazing. She gave me my first dose of heroin for free and told me how much it cost and who to buy it from, in case I wanted more. I was immediately hooked once I did it and I didn't care how much it cost, I just knew it made me feel good and it was a great escape for me. I was going through a lot of shit back then, and my therapist at the time had just quit and moved to another state, so I had no one around to talk to. I was alone, and I felt as if I didn't have anyone. I thought doing heroin would help me cope, and that it would ease the pain inside of me. I was wrong, the pain didn't go away, it only got worse once I was addicted.<br><br>**My addiction**<br><br>I was addicted to heroin for almost six months, I didn't care how much it cost and I spent all of my money on it. I started off doing 1/4 gram, and gradually worked my way up to a whole gram, and that's where I stayed. I skipped school a lot just to get high, and I didn't do any of my school work. I didn't care if I failed or not, I just didn't care about anything. I would rather get high and hang out with my friend who introduced me to heroin and her boyfriend than go to school and be responsible. I started to steal from my mom and my grandma to fund my habit, I would take their jewelry and their purses and sell it and pawn it for heroin. All of my relationships began to fall apart once I started doing heroin, my mom and my friends hated me and they were all so worried about me. I didn't give a fuck, as long as I got my heroin and I was high, that's all that mattered.<br><br>**The horrors of heroin**<br><br>I went through many horrors while I was doing heroin, and I've had the worst experiences and I wouldn't want anyone to go through that shit. I remember once, I was withdrawing really bad and I didn't have any money nor did I have any heroin. I was sick to my stomach, I had diarrhea and I vomited blood. I was shaking really bad and I had cold sweats, I couldn't sleep and I couldn't eat, all I could think about was getting high. I went to this guy's house and I sucked his dick and let him finger me for a gram of heroin. I hated every second of it, but the thought of getting high overpowered me.<br><br>I had another instance where I brought some of my friends from school over to my house and I let them do heroin with me because I didn't want to be high alone. One of my friends got so high and she passed out, she started to foam out of the mouth and her entire body started to shake and she was having a seizure. I didn't know what to do and I didn't know who to call, I was really scared and I was in a panic. I called my friend's boyfriend and he came over and picked her up and took her to the hospital. Her parents called me while she was in the hospital and asked me if I was okay and if I needed any help, they were amazing and very supportive. My friend and I are still great friends and we've been friends since middle school.<br><br>**The downward spiral**<br><br>Things started to spiral out of control once I started doing heroin, everything in my life was going down and I was losing everyone. I skipped school a lot and I didn't care about anything anymore, I didn't care about my health, my relationships nor my family. All I cared about was heroin, I cared about the feeling it gave me and how it made me feel good. I didn't care about anything else, I just wanted to be high.<br><br>I started to develop teeth problems while I was doing heroin, I didn't brush my teeth or eat or drink properly and my teeth were starting to rot. I had tooth pains and my teeth were bleeding, I didn't care about my health and I didn't care how I looked. I would neglect myself and my health just to get high. <br><br>**Quitting and moving on**<br><br>I started to realize all of my mistakes once I was going through the worst withdrawals I had ever felt. I didn't have any heroin left nor did I have any money, I had spent my last on a gram that didn't even last me that long. I had a nervous breakdown and I locked myself in my room for three straight days, I didn't eat, drink nor sleep. I brushed my teeth every hour and I took five showers a day. I didn't want to feel dirty or like a junkie, so I always kept myself clean. I started to realize all of my mistakes while I was locked in my room, I started to think about how much heroin cost me, how much money I spent and how it made me feel like shit. I started to think about all of the relationships I ruined because of heroin, how I started to steal and lie and cheat. I felt so disgusted at myself and I hated myself so much, I thought I was a terrible person. <br><br>I started to work on myself once I felt better from the withdrawals, and I made plans to turn my life around. I started going to school again and I met with my school counselor and I told him everything. He was understanding, and he got me extra help and he worked out a plan for me to catch up on my school work. I didn't fail any of my classes, but I got a lot of low grades and I didn't pass a few of my classes. I made up for it over summer break, and I took summer courses at community college and I got all of my credits back. I reconnected with my therapist and I started going back to therapy, I also joined a support group and I made new friends who are also recovering addicts. I still have a long way to go but I know I'm doing better. I still use drugs, but I don't do it to cope with my problems nor do I do it to escape reality. I do it for fun, and because I enjoy it. I plan to quit all together once I move out and go to college, but as for now, it's okay I guess.<br><br>**Conclusion**<br><br>I'm not sure what the purpose of this post is, I guess I just want to spread awareness about heroin and other drugs. I've learned a lot from my past experiences, and I know what it's like to be addicted to heroin. I'm currently on a road to recovery, and I'm doing my best to stay clean and be a better person. I still make mistakes, but I learn from them and I move on. I guess that's life, you learn and you move on. Thanks for reading guys, much appreciation <3<br><br>**Edit**: Jesus this post blew up, thanks guys for all of the love and support, it really means a lot to me. Glad I could help a lot of you out, and all I can say is stay strong :)