The Agony

We bring you the deeply intimate journey of a heroin addict trying to regain his life.

The Agony The ravages of ten years of addiction have left Pedro with no alternative but to go cold turkey. For three weeks we suffer every cramp, craving and sleepless night on Pedro's rocky road to recovery. A hugely personal and frequently discomfiting story that offers a real insight into the terrible devastation and pain heroin can cause.
Pedro has been a heroin addict since he was 17. Ten years of desperation have reduced him to theft, male prostitution and, most humiliating of all, knocking on doors to beg for money. It's been 10 years of permanent anguish, just fighting to stay alive. His mother can hardly take any more. He ends up hurting everyone he meets. Enough is enough.

With the support of a doctor and his long-suffering family, Pedro begins the arduous and excruciating process of withdrawal, accompanied every step of the way by our cameras. But kicking the habit was never going to be easy. Sheets are tossed, ripped off the bed: Pedro's legs are in constant agony. A plastic bag is soon filled with vomit. "This night was one of the longest in my life. It was as terrible as it was indescribable. It was like taking small electrical shocks every 30 seconds. As to the spirit, things are even more complicated..."

Pedro hardly knows what to do with himself, he feels empty, confused and anxious. He fidgets, does press-ups - anything to distract himself. His determination is constantly tested by the never-ending pangs and cramps. His doctor and father deny him alcohol, the only escape he can think of.

When he first began smoking smack with his friends, the possibility of becoming an addict never entered his mind. "I thought being addicted meant that if I didn't smoke, I'd think about it all the time. I never thought it could actually make you ill and drive you insane, make you smash things and steal. I would have thought twice..."

Pedro can only think in short-term goals. The first is implemented in the bright sanitation of a dentist's clinic. "For most addicts the main priority is to get their teeth fixed," explains the nurse. "So that they can look good and get a job...You know, to have a normal, confident social life." Next is to get a job. His last goal - to stay clean - is much more difficult.

It's a hard road, and Pedro often looks close to cracking. It's hard to say whether he'll ultimately make it. We are left hopeful. But his message is clear: "Life is hard, but problems don't go away. You get high, but it's over soon and the problems are still there. Sooner or later you have to face them. That much you can be sure of."

Produced by Sik TV
FULL SYNOPSIS

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