The Teenage Face of Heroin Abuse: Sean O'Conner, 19
Sean O'Conner had what he considers an enjoyable, average childhood, but this did not stop him from becoming a heroin addict in high school. Drug abuse slowly destroyed his life.
When he first began abusing heroin, Sean, now 19, lived with his aunt, uncle, and cousins in East Windsor, N.J. After they found out about his heroin abuse, Sean's relatives kicked him out. They feared the consequences of allowing a drug user to live under the same roof as their children.
Sean is just one in a flood of teens and 20-somethings in suburbs of the Northeast who are becoming addicted to drugs like heroin and prescription opiates.
A few weeks ago, Sean entered Daytop, a northern New Jersey drug treatment facility. Being around peers with similar problems is already helping him want to stay clean. He recently spoke with U.S. News about his addiction. Excerpts:
When I was stealing from my aunt and uncle and stealing from my neighbors, I was in a really bad place. Anything lying around and worth money—I took it. The night I overdosed, I was at my friend's birthday party, and I got really drunk because I was waiting to get heroin and it wasn't there yet. When my neighbor got some, I got a ride from the party to his house. I don't really remember this, but from what people told me, after I shot up, I started freaking out [having seizures], and my neighbor propped me up against a tree, went back inside, and just left me there. Thankfully, another neighbor saw me outside and called the cops. The next thing I remember is waking up in the ambulance after they gave me the Narcan shot. They told me I had been having seizures and that I almost choked on my tongue.
After I relapsed, my mom said, "Go and get better or you're done, no more family." My first few days here I said, "F--- this place, I'm leaving. I would rather sit in county [jail] for six to eight months." Then one night I realized all the positive things about this place. I can get my high school diploma. I can get my family back. By the time I'm out, my probation will be over, I'll have a large amount of clean time, and I'll have more tools and coping skills to use when I'm back out in the world.
I've only been here 14 days today, but I've realized this is the place where I have to be, and it helps. Seeing people actually be here for seven, eight months helps. If they can do it, I can do it too.
Reader Comments
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Hello Sean,
I just read about your situation and see its been awhile...hopefully this e-mail finds you in a better place in your life. My life has been greatly effected by herion. My nephew passed awy this past September from an overdose, he was only 23 years old. It was a shcok to the whole family...he was doing well we thought....in fact I think he was doing well...but back slided and decided to do herion....again, this time it took his life and part of our hearts went with him. I am now trying to do research on this drug and eduacate myself and try to help others to stay away from it....I want my nephews death not be in vain...somehow if I can help one person to realize to TAKE NO CHANCES WITH THIER LIFE BY DOING HEROIN, educate them of the danger they are dealing with.
I am glad to hear you have taken the steps to get off this drug and remain alive. I would love to hear from you. Any advice that you may have to pass onto to me to pass along would be awesome!
To Sean
You seem like a very strong young man. Yes, you probably very fragile, too. But, it is your inner strength that will hold you together so that you can tear down the walls and allow yourself to be fragile. Because, it is a lot easier to put up mental and emotional walls when you are feeling consumed by doubt, pain, and insecurity. But, it takes TRUE STRENGTH to actually LET YOURSELF FEEL THOSE THINGS AND TRULY BE FRAGILE.
There is more strength in vulnerability than there is in putting up fake walls.
What impressed me about your story was your voice - your humbleness, your honesty, your realness. THESE are the qualities that make you impressive - not your friends or your money or how outwardly impressive you are... but how INWARDLY impressive you are. (I hope that that makes sense).
You have come so far! Please don't make the mistake that EVERY SINGLE ex-addict makes before they relapse... PLEASE DON'T EVER TAKE YOUR SOBRIETY FOR GRANTED!!! You are so young and you have so much ahead of you. There are going to be WONDERFUL times when you look around and you can't believe how lucky you are or how amazing your life is! But, there are also going to be times when you can't believe that things seem to be getting worse and you can't believe how horrible things feel.
But, DON'T EVER TAKE YOUR SOBRIETY FOR GRANTED!!! No matter how HORRIBLE things may seem, NOTHING IN LIFE WILL EVER BE AS HORRIBLE as the night when the people, the situations, and your decisions in life led you to be convulsing against a tree with a neighbor who treated your life as if it was just disposable.
That low moment saved you by letting you realize that you had hit your bottom.
And that moment will save you again and again if you remind yourself that nothing in life is so horrible that you would rather be convulsing and dying against a tree than enduring the hardships that life may throw your way.
So, if things are getting unbearable (and, they will, at times), remember that nothing is worth being back at that tree stump. And, using once will get you right back to that horrific place. Drinking ONCE is just a longer route to THAT TREE STUMP. Call a friend - even if you feel like a burden. (It's better to be a burden than to be treated like your life is disposable). Impose a little if you have to! Call a sponsor. Call a crisis hotline. Cry uncontrollably for days...weeks...MONTHS, if you have to! Do WHATEVER IT TAKES to NEVER drink or drug again!
The only sure-fire way to show yourself that your life IS NOT disposable is to show that YOUR SOBRIETY is not disposable. Guard your sobriety with your life BECAUSE IT IS YOUR LIFE. Only by doing WHATEVER IT TAKES will you show yourself how much you love and value yourself.
And, even if you think that they are full of BS, FOLLOW THE ADVICE of the ex-addicts who have been in the trenches.
You're strong, real, humble, and honest. You're owning up to your mistakes (which a lot of non-addicts can't even do). I'm so proud of you!
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