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Anne is a patient at TASC, a federally supported program which provides alternatives to incarceration for low-level offenders with substance abuse issues through the University of Alabama in Birmingham.
Through Shelter Plus, through the state or government or something, I haven’t figured it out, they provide housing for recovering addicts after you go to so many groups. I think the subsidy lasts for five years. It’s like Section-8 for addicts.
Because of my drug addiction, I would go to 12-step meetings, Narcotics Anonymous, and someone told me that Shelter Plus could help with my housing. I haven’t even got a voucher yet, but I’m hoping to get one. Right now I have a roommate, she’s a school teacher. She’s in recovery, 16 years clean.
I started using drugs I believe when I was about 14 and my first arrest came at the age of 19. I had 13 prison commitments all due to using drugs. I have five children. I have never raised any of them. My family members raised them. I always like to point out, I didn’t come from one of those dysfunctional families. My father was a policeman and my mother was a nurse. I was the only dysfunctional person in my family. I grew up with a real wholesome family and I just ventured off… into the wild side.
I believe I was always a follow the leader type. I can’t even remember the first time I did drugs. I know it started with marijuana and then I went on to heroin and cocaine. I’ve tried it all. I’ve never done crystal meth- that one has never appealed to me. I remember doing heroin because I had a boyfriend who did it. I remember doing it because he did it. I’ve always been a dare devil, I will try anything once. But what nobody ever tells you is that you’ll get addicted to this stuff. So I have many, many regrets now. Many.