I was born and raised in a small rural town in Michigan—population well under 2,000 people.
There’s nothing for minors to do, and not much for anyone else. Most people get together at one of the churches, one of which has euchre parties a few times a year. (That’s more my style than sermons are!) The nearest town with something other than a gas station, dollar store, or small grocery store is around 35 miles away. We have one bar, which I don’t go to anymore. And we have the Lions Club … but I’m honestly not sure what they do there, other than the rumors I’ve heard about partner-swapping.
My parents were dairy farmers here. When they passed, I got the farm. Unfortunately, being addicted, I sold over half of it. I blew the money from that sale, and ended up signing the rest of the farm over to my son. He managed to pay the back taxes owed and keep what we have left of it.
I love almost everything about my rural town now.
I wish I hadn’t had my head up my ass about it most of my life.
I’ve always been fine with my own company and animals, probably because of being an only child. I just enjoy my peace and quiet after chasing the bag more or less since I was 18. (I just turned 66.)
I have things to do with people when I want, because the straight friends I made in high school have accepted me back into their lives after I ignored them all for over 40 years. Luckily my main friends all live within a couple of miles from me.
But I can admit that, otherwise, there are no real advantages to living here.
Treatment is hard to come by out here.
Addiction resources are extremely important and very much needed in this area. I’d still be driving over 60 miles to a clinic in the city every day if it wasn’t for Workit Health. By the time you do that, you’ve got all the temptations of drugs around you! I failed at all the clinics I tried in the city. I’d still be addicted to heroin if that were my only option.
The only other treatment option out here is the one methadone clinic that you have to go to daily, even holidays. And that’s almost 35 miles away. It’s not a pretty picture for anyone seriously looking for help.
Even 12-step meetings can be difficult.
There are some 12-step meetings. A close friend has an uncle who takes her to them. Actually, it kind of surprised me that there was more than one meeting. Usually, about ten people show up to them … and then everyone in town knows your business. And in small towns, you don’t want word getting out that you’re an addict—job opportunities go out the window.
When I was in rehab once, a counselor told me about the 12-step meetings on my last day in rehab. When she told me, she asked me not to go to her meeting place. I think she was embarrassed, uncomfortable, or something. That’s how small towns are here. You’re going to know everyone at an anonymous meeting.
Finding Workit changed my life.
I saw Workit on Facebook after I was Googling Suboxone. I literally knew nothing about it. I can honestly say, after all those years of being addicted, I had given up. Giving Workit a chance was my last try. It was a fluke that I saw the ad, and it took me a while to call. But it was the best thing I ever did.
Now I’m living on my own, not mooching off anyone, and living the best life I ever have since being on my own. There’s nothing better than the feeling I get being trusted again. People used to turn the other way when they’d see me. You can’t imagine the look on one of the local store owner’s face when I handed him $100.00 for a check I’d bounced on his store 5 years previously. That was a great feeling!
I do try to help anyone who really wants help.
I kind of point them in the right direction, which in my opinion is Workit. Most of the people I try to help are the very few from my past who are lucky enough to get ahold of me (because I don’t usually answer phone numbers I don’t recognize). A couple of times, I’ve used the built-in addict radar that I seem to have developed over the years. You know how you can just tell if a person uses after talking to them for ten minutes or so?
Addicts don’t tend to come forward, because it’s how they get busted. Friends end up telling on friends and so on. It’s definitely every man for themselves around here. There’s a lot of thieving for a small town. No one helps anyone. Now that we’ve had so many kids dying from ODing, people do seem more open to help …. the parents are, at least. I wish I knew a better way to get the word out about Workit Health! I can’t even begin to imagine how many lives it could save in these small areas!