Killer High: "I didn't care if I was alive," Fresno man opens up about fentanyl addiction

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Editor's Note: This communicative contains references to cause use, overdose, and termination that whitethorn beryllium disturbing to immoderate readers. If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is struggling with substance maltreatment oregon thoughts of suicide, assistance is available. Call oregon substance the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline astatine 988, oregon scope retired to the SAMHSA National Helpline astatine 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential support.

Danny Griggs says helium had a mean childhood. He grew up successful Fresno, raised by loving parents, the mediate of 3 brothers. He played sports each 4 years of precocious school, stayed progressive and athletic, and remembers, "I had precise bully morals instilled successful me, and I had a very, precise decent childhood. I don't person immoderate antagonistic memories oregon immoderate traumatic events happened to maine erstwhile I was a child."

But Griggs' beingness would yet instrumentality a precise antithetic turn.

According to national information from SAMHSA, astir 1 successful 6 Americans, astir 48 cardinal people, lived with a substance usage upset successful 2024. Experts accidental addiction tin impact anyone, careless of background. Danny's communicative reflects that reality: adjacent with a unchangeable puerility and beardown household support, helium inactive fell into years of dependence connected OxyContin, heroin, and fentanyl.

He said his cause usage started successful precocious schoolhouse with play drinking and smoking marijuana astatine parties. In college, helium experimented much - cocaine, benzodiazepines, and OxyContin.

"I tried OxyContin - it was like, oh, this is 1 of the champion feelings I've ever felt successful my life," Griggs said. "Pretty soon it's been 2 oregon 3 weeks and you effort and stop. And you transverse this enactment and your body's like, no, we request much of what we're doing to consciousness better. And you're like, oh, I mightiness person a cause problem."

For years, helium balanced school, jobs, and relationships portion hiding his addiction. "So it's surviving a treble life," helium explained. "Being capable to spell into immoderate societal mounting you privation to, radical not knowing, but astatine the aforesaid time, you person this immense cause occupation and you're trying to equilibrium it."

When OxyContin became harder to get, Griggs said helium turned to heroin, and yet fentanyl. "I had tried it and it was 1 of the astir almighty highs I'd ever had," helium said. "It was capable to wherever I was like, I privation that again implicit thing other I've done... truthful heroin went close retired the window."

In 2022, his begetter died unexpectedly - 1 of the fewer radical Griggs said genuinely understood his struggle. "When helium died, it truly shook what small instauration I inactive had left. I conscionable didn't attraction anymore," Griggs said. "I didn't privation to die, but I didn't attraction if I was live either."

That loss, combined with mounting consequences, yet pushed him toward treatment. Griggs entered sober living, where helium met Howie, different recovering addict. Together, they founded Fentanyl Anonymous, a enactment radical that has since grown to chapters successful aggregate states.

"We benignant of looked astatine each different like, bash you deliberation we could bash this?" Griggs said. "So we 501(c)(3)'d it and conscionable benignant of been moving since then."

Now, Griggs says his beingness is steady. "I person my household backmost successful my life. I person friends that enactment me. I person a full-time job, I person a woman who has 2 boys, and I'm trying to reenroll successful schoolhouse and conscionable determination from there," helium said. "My favourite hobby close present is paying bills. That's it. I don't beryllium anybody anything. I'm conscionable genuinely contented of wherever I'm at."

Griggs knows betterment is simply a regular process, but it's 1 helium embraces. "When I was using, I had ever told myself if I could conscionable get clean, Danny, if I could conscionable get clean, I would tally with it. So I got cleanable and I'm going to tally with it."

To larn much astir Fentanyl Anonymous and to be a meeting, visit their website here.

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is struggling with thoughts of suicide, assistance is available. Call oregon substance the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline astatine 988 to link with a trained counselor, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Support is escaped and confidential.