Written by DeAnna Britton, Relate Contributing Writer

When you’re thinking about college, you most likely focus on your potential major, what classes you’re going to take, college location and who you’re living with, just to name a few. One of the things no one ever warned me about was drugs. I choose to tell my story to make sure that those of you who read this are aware of the risks and the consequences of drugs. While I have never done them myself, I have seen what happens and it stays with me every day.

(Photo by http://www.cityofsparks.us)

My roommate my sophomore year was addicted to hard drugs. She had added me on Facebook and told me she was my roommate. It kind of shocked me because I was unaware I had one. I just knew that I went through random housing and as it was, I was suitemate to four girls I didn’t know. It did comfort me to an extent knowing that I wouldn’t be alone in getting to know everyone.

She was addicted to Heroin and I’m not exactly sure what else. She mostly drank alcohol and did heroin. Then she had a bad night and got caught by public safety. She either had to go to rehab or she was going to get kicked out of school. So she went to out-patient rehab three times a week.

There was one night, before I knew all of the drugs she was using, that she came into the room shivering. I had personally been sweating just sitting in the room. I asked her if she was OK and she didn’t really respond. She just kept shaking. Finally, she said she felt really hot and didn’t know why she was shaking but I turned the heat on full blast anyway, hoping she would warm up. She lay on the floor and continued to shake. I kept an eye on her but continued to work on my homework because I did not know what was going on. When I turned back around, she was turning kind of blue and her eyes were closed. I thought she was dead except that she was still breathing heavy. So I put my hand on her to try and wake her up and she opened her eyes and just looked at me. I told her she was turning blue and asked if she was feeling any warmer. She didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know she was high. I didn’t realize she was shooting up until I saw her entire arm swollen weeks later. I thought she was just cold.

The day she got arrested for possession, I thought that was enough to turn her around. She had been gone all day, which wasn’t out of the ordinary, but usually I see her at least once. Then she came home when she was supposed to be at rehab and I was confused. I didn’t ask her any questions, though. She called her dad and started shaking and crying when she said, “I got arrested today.” I was silently horrified. I pretended to read, but I listened to every word. She had been arrested for possession; I don’t know how the cops knew. She had been driving with a friend and they got pulled over. They must have looked high or been suspicious because they found the heroin and then she went to jail. They took her picture and fingerprints. Her dad continually screamed at her for five minutes. I started shaking. She started yelling back. And then I left the room. I never did hear the full story of that day. I think I didn’t want to know. It was all too much for me at that point.

I walked in on her shooting up twice- and I can tell you, those are images I will never be able to erase from my mind. She relapsed twice as well. She got kicked out of her first rehab and then had to leave her second one to go into an in-patient rehab. That part was where I came in. I turned her in at the end of the fall semester because I couldn’t live like that anymore. My life consisted of constant worrying about whether or not she was going to overdose in our room or if I would have to take care of her to make sure she didn’t die in her sleep from alcohol poisoning. I proved to the Dean of Students that she had been drinking, and that broke the contract they had agreed to so that she could stay in school. She was kicked out and forced into an in-patient rehab for a month.

I haven’t seen her since. We haven’t talked. I can guess she probably blames me for ruining her life, but one day I hope she realizes I was just trying to save her. I think it hurt the most because we actually became friends throughout this whole ordeal. I helped her stay sober for as long as she did and I listened when she needed to talk. We had heart-to-hearts all the time at night. It was a difficult decision, but I believe whole- heartedly that I made the right one.

Drugs are a big problem in our country and it could even affect you personally. Be smart. Make the right choices. If you don’t, it could change your life forever and not in the best way.

Tags: alcohol poisoning, drug possession, drug use, drugs in college, heroin, just say no, rehab