To battle addiction treatment and family support are offering one man hope
Larry Bing
A few months ago   Larry Bing  noticed that the quality of heroin that  he  was buying in the District had become more potent.  He  had no complaints about the âhigh â but the lows were becoming unbearable â the cravings more intense  the drug-seeking behavior more desperate  the withdrawal symptoms more painful.
A friend recommended that he see Edwin Chapman  a physician who treats people addicted to drugs at his office in Northeast Washington. Blood tests showed that  Bing  had used heroin  but there were also traces of fentanyl  an increasingly lethal synthetic opioid that drug dealers often mix with heroin or cocaine to increase the quantity of their product.
 Bing  was 64 and had been using heroin for decades  since  he  was 17. And those factors put  him  more at risk of overdose death than  he  realized. In the District  the typical overdose death involves a black man  age 40 and older  who has been using heroin for 10 years or more.
 Bing  showed up in the nick of time.  He  was prescribed a daily dose of Suboxone  a drug which blocks the effects of opioids â including relief from pain and the feelings of well-being that can lead to addiction. That was roughly 180 days ago.  Bing  has been clean ever since.
âI get up every morning  take my medication and that takes away the urge â  Bing  said. âI had no withdrawal symptoms. The only fight I have today is getting a job and becoming productive.â
 Bing  said  he  could count on support from  his  wife  as well as an array of social and religious organizations that form a recovery network in the city.
âI donât want to stay in that small corner of the world where addiction limits you â  he  said. âMy world is bigger than a sidewalk and a street corner. I want to move forward and get on with my life.â
âYou go back and look at some of those [drug-using] moments in your head  and you want to believe it was great â  Bing  said. âThatâs why you have meetings  so you can talk about it and get a reality check â he added  referring to 12-step programs.
For  Bing   so far so good.
A few months ago    [TGT] noticed that the quality of heroin that   [TGT]   was buying in the District had become more potent.   [TGT]   had no complaints about the âhigh â but the lows were becoming unbearable â the cravings more intense  the drug-seeking behavior more desperate  the withdrawal symptoms more painful.
A friend recommended that he see Edwin Chapman  a physician who treats people addicted to drugs at his office in Northeast Washington. Blood tests showed that   [TGT] had used heroin  but there were also traces of fentanyl  an increasingly lethal synthetic opioid that drug dealers often mix with heroin or cocaine to increase the quantity of their product.
  [TGT] was 64 and had been using heroin for decades  since   [TGT]   was 17. And those factors put   [TGT]   more at risk of overdose death than   [TGT]   realized. In the District  the typical overdose death involves a black man  age 40 and older  who has been using heroin for 10 years or more.
  [TGT] showed up in the nick of time.   [TGT]   was prescribed a daily dose of Suboxone  a drug which blocks the effects of opioids â including relief from pain and the feelings of well-being that can lead to addiction. That was roughly 180 days ago.   [TGT] has been clean ever since.
âI get up every morning  take my medication and that takes away the urge â   [TGT] said. âI had no withdrawal symptoms. The only fight I have today is getting a job and becoming productive.â
  [TGT] said   [TGT]   could count on support from   [TGT]   wife  as well as an array of social and religious organizations that form a recovery network in the city.
âI donât want to stay in that small corner of the world where addiction limits you â  he  said. âMy world is bigger than a sidewalk and a street corner. I want to move forward and get on with my life.â
âYou go back and look at some of those [drug-using] moments in your head  and you want to believe it was great â   [TGT] said. âThatâs why you have meetings  so you can talk about it and get a reality check â  [TGT]  added  referring to 12-step programs.
For  Bing   so far so good.