Survey
If a heroin trial comes up for debate in parliament again, I want to know who supports it before the pressure to conform is applied. Remember The Federal Health Minister, Michael Wooldridge. In 1997, he was a big supporter before Howard got to him and suddenly he was against it.
I am sending emails to politicians, doctors, media and other people who may have influence. At last count, 45% of the population supported a heroin trial. The 1997 trials were supported by The AMA, The Federal Health Minister,The Commonwealth Government, NSW, Vic, SA, Tas and the ACT and they voted for the trials to go ahead. It was John Howard himself who rejected the trials.
The feedback is going to be very interesting as many countries have now concluded their trials. Every trial has proved that prescription heroin is far superior as a treatment for long term heroin addiction than the current treatments available.
I was in Canberra when the trial was set to happen. Now a decade later, failed relationships, failed uni attempt, lost employment and still raging habit, i often wonder where i'd be now if it had've gone ahead. damn howard! i wrote to chief minister stanhope last year at 3am, hanging out, begging for him to think about another try. 6 wks later he replied (shock horror) and said he was 100% behind it, but couldnt do anything til howard was gone. well hes gone.......Methinks its time i start emailing again :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your reply, plzHoldSteady.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned Chief Minister Stanhope. I have just updated the for/against list and he was on it.
I know exactly how you feel. You sound a lot like me ... you want to get on with your life but swings of depression and the feeling of nothingness stops you. You loose interest in everything.
Are you on methadone or bup? They work fine for some but every time I get to about 40mg, I start to use again everyday until I get into a financial blackhole and have to put my methadone back up.
I tried my own heroin trial and it was awesome, not because of the buzz (what buzz?) but because I was able to function like a human. Suddenly I could smell again and sex... yo, there is sex after methadone. I even went to the pub and had a few beers with friends!
It was such a relief to taste life again but it cost me over two thousand dollars and I won't be doing that for a while.
You're right, it's time to hit the papers with reader comments and send emails to the pollies. If something doesn't change soon, I don't know how long I can cope.
Sex....hmmm....sounds familiar, i vaguely remember it :)
ReplyDeleteI wrote to him when i was up one night trying to finish 3 assignments for uni that i'd neglected because i was chasing the money to get on. i dropped out soon after.
I also function quite well when supply isnt a problem, its all the time i spend getting the money thats killing me.
I recently have got back on methadone, 45mls. It has reduced my heroin intake maginally but life is no less miserable. Still living from shot to shot.
I first went to detox 16 yrs ago. Ive tried everything, bupde, 'done, naltrexone, NA, AA, rehab.......... I can only pray a trial comes one day so i might enjoy some kind of life.
I only just found this blog, catching up. But i'd like to say i admire your honesty, and what your trying to do.
hi guys, i couldn't help myself. just found your blog terry and i'm really impressed. thanks for putting it out there.
ReplyDeleteterry thought i'd let you know that bupe is great and has worked wonders for me. i was pissed that we were all forced onto suboxone. but still in terms of my health and wellbeing it has def helped my depression... much better than methadone did. no more 6 month stints of suicidal thoughts, just a few days here and there instead ;) the nothingness dissipated. and not being depressed means a whole heap of other shit started happening for me bcos i had the energy to put myself out there... regardless i still support heroin trials for people who want and need them.
anyway thanks again for your blog.
i'll pop in again soon.
Thanks for your comments anonymous.
ReplyDeleteThat's really good that Bup & Suboxone helped. My Doc said that these types of treatments will replace methadone for most new patients who don't have large habits.
The key I feel is options. The more, the better. I think for me Heroin or Oral morphine, some suit methadone well and others, bup. Codeine is also an option used in some countries. We should also look at injectable hydromorphone as suggested recently in the ACT because it doesn't have the 'heroin' stigma and is already on the national drug list.
i am here to state as a long term methadone patient and user,that methadone doesnt work,they seem to forget about the injecting problem,and some pplknow ppl may use methaode wrong only to lose limbs,i can go on and on about the benefits,really it workls inother countries why not her in AUstralia,16 years on methadone for me ..i used for 2 years prior but its the needle fixation they never thought about,so ppl either use their donwe wrong or go use after or before their dose,its not working ive never seen 1 person beat it,if they have they only swapped it for another drug,thanks terry for getting this out,really i want a happy life all these ytears feeling guilt regret,sadness i can just go onand onabout the benefits i know a small few make it look bad for other suers when they leave their syringes in places its rong,butmaybe thats a way to let ppl know its happening i dont know u shouldnt but then others get bad name we are all stereotpyped when i think some ppl would be surprised,that its a disease emthadone always makesme sick lowers my immunity,ive told my dr and he just said it keeps pplfrom crime well i had money prior and wasted it,then went on methadone after 2 years and a lousy 50 a day habbit)but that only got bigger to get over the methadone)its nt working not just for me but many people dont want to comeout and admit it cos they feel theyll be punished,ect,its a vicious cycle and it can be atleast greatly misimised everybody wins the courts jailks,the person who may have had things taken,and the addict themselves and families,,this needs reform,and no child ius going just t line up to get on it,different drugs come into circulation in diifernt erras and thus a new phase begins sadly,thanks Terry for getting this out there,i want to be ahppy again i want my life back,i dont want to have to think of that ans wander i dont need to explain imsure you all understand what happenes,,i could go on and on i did write much but realised i could only write approximatley 4000letters,please is there any where i can write ?i dont think i can keep going on like this,thanks.
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