This Former Drug User Is Committed to Helping Others Get Clean

“People are going to use, so let’s teach them how to use and limit the use correctly. This limits the damage and harm they can do to themselves until they reach a path of recovery.”

Across the United States, opioid addiction has quickly risen to become one of the most pressing issues facing the country. With over 72,000 national overdoses in 2017, the battle to stop the illicit use of these substances continues. In Missouri, Eric Randall Moffitt is working on the ground to help people quit drugs, while also advising the state legislature on the best policies to counter the crisis. After serving time behind bars and struggling with addiction himself, Mr. Moffitt decided, upon leaving prison, to devote his life to helping others escape addiction. Here, he joins Merion West to tell his story about the journey from drug user to activist and to share his thoughts on how best to reverse the growing number of deaths from opioids.

What was it like, day-to-day, to be an addict?

I wish I could say that it is hard to remember, but, honestly, I think it’s a feeling I will never forget. A typical day began with me taking pills, either for pain or because I was eventually addicted. I would take them, and I would get a feeling of improved self-image and relaxation. It made me feel like everything was okay, and all the anxiety would drop away. When they would wear off, I would start feeling mild irritation. As time moved on, the number of pills I was taking would change. So would the route: from oral to intravenous. I would inject, and I wouldn’t even feel what you would typically call high. I would feel normal.

Withdrawal was the worst feeling of sickness I had ever felt in my life. It is like the worst flu bug you could ever imagine, and you know that all it takes is another injection or another dose to feel okay again.