Oklahoma Woman Speaks Out About Her Heroin Addiction

Hundreds of Green Country families are dealing with addiction.

Police say heroin has taken the place of meth as the biggest problem. Heroin addiction ruins lives and overdoses are killing people every day.

10/18/2018 Related Story: Opioid Addiction Driving People To Heroin, Tulsa Police Say

News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright got an addict's firsthand account.

The young woman, we’re calling Tammy, started off a straight-A student from a good family, but turned into a heroin addict. She said it started when she got pain pills for a wisdom teeth surgery, then more pain pills when she had a baby. 

She said she was a young stay-at-home mom who was overwhelmed, and the pills helped her get through the day.

"I was looking for some kind of comfort and while all my friends were drinking wine, I was doing pills and I thought it was okay because it was from a doctor," said Tammy. "You tell yourself I'm never going to do heroin, I'm never going to shoot it up. I'm going to stick with pills. I know exactly what's in pills."

But she did move to heroin. She said it not only numbs physical pain, but also emotional and that started a seven-year addiction that led to her becoming a thief, getting arrested six or seven times, even losing custody of both her children.

"Every time, you're like, ‘what's it going to take?’ I do feel sympathy for addicts in a way. I know their intention is not to keep their lives like this, but it's such a powerful thing," she said.

She said she went to rehab six times, thanks to a loving family and good insurance, but said this time, with the help of medication to curb her urges, she's determined to make it stick because she wants to get her daughter back from DHS. She's been clean four months.

"Just for today, don’t' use and you'll feel different tomorrow, then you start feeling proud of yourself. It feels so good to be sober. Even with all my problems, being sober is a lot better than using," Tammy said.