Crack Cocaine Abuse: HopeStories.ca – Verissimo’s Story
Crack Cocaine Abuse: HopeStories.ca – Verissimo’s Story
To the outsider he appeared to function normally. But behind the scenes, Verissimo was a full-blown cocaine addict. Once a successful businessman earning six figures, he never dreamed he would be homeless at age 42. Verissimo, known to his peers as trucker, grew up in a drug-infested community in the heart of Toronto. He smoked his first joint at age nine on a dare. What followed was 26 years of drug abuse and criminal behaviour. When I owned my trucking company my cocaine use escalated, says Verissimo. The drug kept me hyper and awake for four to five days at a time so I could make quicker deliveries. I eventually met a girl, had a son and stayed clean for five years. Then we separated. My son went with his mother. I was devastated. I couldnt cope and fell back into my crack cocaine abuse. The drug made me feel like superman—like I could handle anything. I started to hang out with shady people. Before long, I was involved in criminal activity. This led to a conviction and I was sent to Torontos Don Jail. For four and a half years I lived in a three-foot-wide cell. When I was released I was homeless. I had nothing and no one to turn to. My family had abandoned me years ago. While in prison, I was told of The Salvation Armys Turning Point, an addiction and rehabilitation program for men. I was familiar with the address. It was a shelter for the homeless in my old neighbourhood. I called my sister for help, something I had never done before. I was crying uncontrollably …
Crack Cocaine Abuse: New Vaccine Approach To Drug Abuse
“And so the drugs of abuse have no effect on you, you don't feel anything.” Kosten says 80 percent of the patients had a good antibody response. Roy Young is a Navy veteran and a former crack cocaine addict. He now works as a counselor at Career and …
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