With the Help of Faith & Family
Meet Sanya. Recovery from a car accident turned into a need to recover from Oxycodone addiction in this bloom story. Sanya shares the role pain played in her opioid use disorder and the realization that the role she played in her family’s life was more important. Faith gave Sanya the strength to heal and be there for her family.
Stock photos. Posed by model.
Pain Fueled My Opioid Addiction
In 2009 while driving I experienced sharp back pain, so I went to the hospital. They took x-rays and saw that I had a herniated disc. They gave me Percocet and a prescription for Oxycodone, and my opioid use started there.
As time went on the pain got worse and I switched over to Norco and began smoking marijuana noticing that they both felt the same. I found myself taking them as a scheduled routine and made it a habit to make sure I didn’t feel the worst pain that I could feel. I can remember being in fear of the doctor not refilling my prescriptions so I threw somewhat of a fit to make sure I would get them out of fearing the pain I may experience.
Accepting that I Needed to Recover
After my surgery, my pain lessened as I lost weight. I still needed something to curve the pain as I healed. I took opioids from 2009 until 2017.
The doctor abruptly stopped giving me a prescription for Norco, refused to give me an opioid. So I had to accept that. I never accepted the fact that I was addicted, stayed in denial the whole time. I told the doctor I wouldn’t get addicted. The look on the doctor’s faces every time I said that!
I never sought help for recovery through a professional. I solely depended on God. I prayed and prayed. And set my mind that I could recover as I healed and I did. I am one of the blessed ones.
If there were other alternatives to daily severe pain we would not be addicts. Until you experience true pain and fear the pain, don’t judge us. SHAREI would like for people to know that if I was still in severe pain, I still would be an addict in denial. If there were other alternatives to daily severe pain we would not be addicts. Until you experience true pain and fear the pain, don’t judge us.
My children, my family and God inspired me to bloom. I needed to be more supportive to my children, family and my church and I couldn’t do that high. I definitely tried. The first lady of my church and another member inspired me to take a chance with surgery and I did. Once the pain started subsiding, I had hope.
If anyone feels like they are facing an opioid use disorder and needs help, please call SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service in English and Spanish.
