From Heroin Addiction to Saving Lives in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside [SUJY #004]

In this episode of the Stably Unstable Podcast, I sit down with Dale, a former heroin addict who survived addiction, rebuilt his life through recovery, and now works on the front lines of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside helping people struggling with addiction, homelessness, and mental illness.We explore Dale’s personal journey into addiction, what opioid addiction actually feels like, the turning point that ultimately led him toward sobriety, and the most impactful interventions that helped him break free from addiction.We also have an honest conversation about the realities of the Downtown Eastside — one of the most heavily impacted neighborhoods in North America when it comes to addiction, overdose deaths, homelessness, and mental health challenges.Chapters:00:48 - Dale’s Origin Story06:03 - When addiction took over09:25 - The appeal of opioids12:02 - The cycle of addiction15:35 - Dale’s experience with Fentanyl16:55 - How Fentanyl feels different from Heroin17:30 - Dale’s experience with overdose19:11 - What’s it feel like to wake up in the hospital?20:50 - Impact of harm reduction after overdose24:14 - What is it like to go into withdrawal?26:30 - Dale’s housing situation during addiction27:43 - The bio-psycho-social model of addiction29:37 - How addiction impacted relationships34:17 - Dale’s path to recovery37:05 - Detox centers and which resources were helpful vs not39:00 - Advice for anyone going trying to break free from addiction42:07 - 12 step programs43:22 - Opioid Agonist Therapy (Suboxone / Methadone)51:07 - Temptation to relapse53:55 - Different substances for different issues58:34 - Alcohol and cannabis as gateway substancesWhether you agree or disagree with current approaches to addiction and harm reduction, I hope this interview encourages deeper understanding and empathy for people who are often overlooked or stigmatized.Trigger Warning:This episode contains discussions surrounding addiction, overdose, homelessness, trauma, violence, and mental illness.