Heroin Cape cod HBO documentary

[Griffin (OP)]

Has anyone watched this yet? It is on hbo so if you get HBO you can watch it on their site, it is pretty realistic. I didn't like it at first because of some of the stats they used and the people in the documentary kind of made it look like harm reduction is increasing use, and stopping people from quitting. They have a scene where a guy dies from od after the ambulance got their to late and wasn't able to narcan him in time.

It goes on to show other users say that since they always get narcan and don't die from the OD that their is no reason to worry about dying from OD and there is not reason to stop. It is kind of realistic as I believe that the people who are saying those things genuinely feel that way, I just think it makes people who watch it be against harm reduction and using narcan and having needle exchanges.

I always knew that the Heroin problem was bad and especially in the north east but it is insane they had almost 1300 people die in Massachusetts last year from OD alone. It shows a parents of addicts support group and gives you an in depth look at how bad the problem is and how many people are affected by it. Also shows how treatment systems here aren't working and how it is treated so much differently than all other diseases as well as the horrible struggle these parents have to go through and how hard it is to deal with and beat.

I would recommend watching it, just because it is very eye opening on how many people are affected by it and how many people die from OD. It shows how readily available and easy to get it is in cape cod and that it is basically everywhere for very cheap. So many of these kids started using before they were 18 and that it doesn't have the same stigma it had a decade or 2 ago.

It definitely highlights the type of people who become heroin addicts today. That a huge population of addicts are kids under 30 who had an amazing life, with no abuse, major trauma, and were blessed with opportunity. It breaks some of the stereotypes that only people who are immoral, poor, or abused become addicts by showing a lot of well off kids from good families who are addicts that started before 18. I just wish it showed harm reduction in a better light and maybe some of the research on why HR and rehab is better than incarceration.

[Smacky-Doodle 2.0]

Yeah it was okay.....these shows just make me jealous tho.  Fucked up right?

I took note of when it said a bag of H is by far the easiest drug to procure, and also how many of the kids they interviewed either relapsed and/or wound up dead from their usage.  The statistics in that area were staggering.

[candy]

I watched it just last night. I don't know if I can say I enjoyed it, but it certainly does bring to light the problems opiates can
bring and they are pretty shitty consequences.
It is scary to think that the age of those in the documentary who started to use opiates are much younger than they were when I was a teen.
Not that I am surprised, but as a parent, I would be devastated if my teen overdosed at 16 and passed away.
It puts it into perspective what my family went through with me.

It was done well and some of the scenes did make me squirm.  Just watching them drawing up dope and injecting it gave me the chills.
It has been a very long time since I have done heroin, but once you have been there, it is hard not to feel anything when you are watching someone else get high.
My kid uses insulin syringes for growth hormone injections and he usually gives himself his meds, but I do help him out a few times a week to make sure he is switching up sites. I know they are there and sometimes I do want to just hit a vein to see if I can just get blood. I know if my family saw a bruises in any areas I used to hit, they would question it. I can't blame them for feeling that way.

I am not sure if this is the best documentary to watch about heroin if you are trying to stop. If it can have an affect on me after a decade, I would assume it would really effect someone trying to detox.

This is why having Narcan available to purchase or get at any NEX is so important for those using opiates. We just need to keep advocating for Narcan to be available to avoid needless deaths.

[Griffin (OP)]

I agree 100% candy! There are quite a few scenes where it makes you crave it, I am glad that I wasn't born and don't live on the east coast because I doubt I would be able to stay clean even on methadone. It being everywhere for cheap, plus it being powder, would be a bad deal for me. I think that since I can't get high from smoking bth, and my hands are usually to shaky to inject that being able to snort it and find good enough quality to get high from that, I wouldn't be able to quit.

I can definitely see how and why so many young kids start using it, their is almost no stigma to it among high schoolers like their used to be. It is almost accepted and being readily available and being able to snort it all attract the younger naive user. I just couldn't believe how many ODs they had in mass. almost 1300 last year and how all the people on the show started using it before they were 18 and some were addicted before 16. It is truly heart breaking.

I couldn't imagine being strung out at 16 and how much pain it causes to parents. Having your young kid die from heroin is so hard, and the lady saying if my son had any other disease this deadly people would be bringing her casserole. The stress and heartbreak that these parents go through is sad, they don't know what to do.

The parents probably blame themselves even though they provided everything they could and gave their kids a wonderful life. They just don't know what to do and it makes it much worse because rehab isn't working and you don't know what to do. Everyone is telling you to get them out of your life until they get clean and their isn't much support or help for the parents dealing with it and telling them the best way to handle it. idk if I would ever be able to watch my family suffer through w/d without caving and wanting to fix it or make it better.

One lady said that it goes against every basic instinct to not try to help your child. It almost always becomes enabling and they are told to not help them at all with anything that is the only way they will get better. I don't agree with that. I think their is a huge difference between enabling and supporting the person and helping them through this. I think if you are giving your kid money for drugs, and a house and everything else so that he doesn't have to take care of himself and is basically rewarded for the behavior I think is counter productive.

At the same time I don't believe that hitting the bottom is necessary to get clean, I think most people either come to the point where they want it or don't. Unfortunately even if they do want it it is very hard to get past and stay clean but it will only happen when that person is 100% ready and prepared. I think supporting someone through this is the best way to handle it.

If you don't reward the deviant behavior but at the same time don't neglect and cause guilt it makes it easier for the user. Having more people that love them and less guilt makes them have much better odds at getting clean and staying that way. Supporting them through compassion and empathy instead of money is the way to do it. If they steal from you don't allow that to happen but let them know they are family and you love them and always will but you aren't okay with their behavior and won't allow it to happen again.

[hanna]

Interesting documentary. Brought to you by the person who did the other heroin doc. The dark end of the road or something  like that so its no surprise the body count was off the chart. Dude had to up their gutpunch to surpass the first doc. Nevertheless, it makes me glad iv is off my table and sad because of my pain that I'll never get this monkey off my back.

[thetalkingasshole]

This is the whitest, most privileged group of junkboxes I've ever seen

Tell me about how you got addicted to painkillers
and had to move to cheaper heroin

[Sand and Water]

I saw it advertised but haven't seen it yet. I plan to, but if anyone knows if the producer/ directors etc are credible & can pass the info on, I'd appreciate it. I'm not thinking they are or aren't--just have seen SO much media "spin" especially lately, I'd like to know if they've got good reputation/or are looking got the all mighty ratings.

[Griffin (OP)]

TTA yeah I thought it was a little ridiculous when the parents were all sitting in their group and they all said, the kid had a perfect life, we gave them everything, they never had to worry about money, and they had everything they could possibly ever want and were taken care of forever. How do they not see that is a huge part of the problem. When you give someone everything they are taught only immediate satisfaction and that they don't ever have to worry about anything especially consequences.

I think that is a huge part if the problem. I understand the parents reasoning when they want to give their kids a perfect life with everything. My dad did that because he had to work for everything from clothes to food to housing since he was in 4th grade and never wanted me and my brothers to ever have to worry about anything. They understandably want to provide the best life possible but the kids don't learn the importance of things and to respect it like they should. It causes a lot of problems as they grow up and are forced into it.