According to NIH, "Opioid use disorder and opioid addiction remain at epidemic levels in the U.S. and worldwide. Three million US citizens and 16 million individuals worldwide have had or currently suffer from opioid use disorder (OUD). More than 500,000 in the United States are dependent on heroin."
John Watson was seventeen when his best friend was in an accident and given Oxycotin for the pain. Kids being kids, John and his friend discovered that this pill made them feel very good. At the time, no one knew the addictive nature of these drugs and John thought he was just having fun and experimenting. Eight years later, he realized he was trapped and could not stop using on his own. When he couldn't find any on the street, he turned to heroin, something he said he would NEVER do. Listen to John tell his story about how opioids highjacked his brain, stole years of his life and almost killed him. Despite knowing he was on a downward spiral for years, his family never turned their back on him. If you want to better understand the realities of opioid addiction and gain hope when it seems all is lost, listen to John Watson's story and you will know that everyone can recover.