Instagram was a thing. I was clean for four years before I found out about ‘Junkies of IG’ and I just loved it, because I could identify with those kids who were strung out on heroin. I’d like their pictures and message them, but I wouldn’t persuade them to get clean. Some of the kids reached out to me, I talked to them and they’re clean now.”

Alzate is outspoken on Instagram about the dangers of prescription pills and uses specific hashtags to reach users and see what’s going on in the community.

He doesn’t believe that using hashtags to post pictures of drugs glamorizes drug use.

“It’s only glamorous to other drug addicts,” he said. “There are books and movies that glamorize drugs. At least [Instagram’s] real. It’s not like ‘Pulp Fiction,’ which makes heroin seem fun. Most people see someone with a needle in their arm and think it’s sad or disgusting. It’s part of the disease, it has a lot to do with being attracted to things that aren’t really attractive.”

Alzate believes the internet has been assisting addicts way before Instagram and said a lot of people participating in Instagram’s drug community are not open about their addictions in their everyday lives and use anonymous Instagram accounts to vent their pain.

Dig deeper into the exchanges, and it becomes clear that there are actually many supportive interactions happening. For some users, hashtags like #junkiesofig are a cry for help. For others like Alzate, they are an opportunity to inspire those suffering from addiction by sharing their own stories through pictures.

The picture on top was taken when I got arrested at school, 6 months before I got clean. I wouldn't even consider it that bad, I can tell cause I'm still wearing this gold chain I've had since I was baby. Shortly after this picture was taken I sold the chain for a pill, one pill, one 30mg Roxy M box. I sold my phone. My tv. My computer. My parents jewelry, taking money from my brothers atm card, taking my clothes to plateo's closet, when you're addicted to Opiates using is a full time job. Everyday I woke up I knew if I didn't get 30 dollars I was going to be sick. The crazy part was that it was totally normal. All my friends were strung out on pills, sometimes we worked together to get high, sometimes we ripped each other off. If doing drugs taught me anything, it taught me If I want something bad enough, there's nothing that can stop me. The bottom picture is me at 19 years old with 2 years clean at my sisters birthday. #Na #writebloody #poetry #sober #cleanAndSober #SouthFlorida #florida #browardcounty #painClinics #roxy #oxycontin #choreboy #recovery #onedayatatime #relapse #gratitude #inspiration #addiction #faceaddiction #selfhelp #inspire #positive #dailyquote #adayatatime #support #soberissexy #junkiesofiggg #recovery

A photo posted by @themainthingbook on

“Thirty or 40 years ago if you were a heroin addict, you didn’t have a cell phone,” Alzate said. “Nowadays, the opiate epidemic is attacking all social classes so you have kids with iPhones who want to socialize and talk about it because they can’t really talk about it to anyone else.”

*Instagram did not respond to our requests for comments. 

Livia Areas-Holmblad
Author: Livia Areas-Holmblad

Livia Holmblad is an editor at Addiction Now and covers breaking news, features and everything in between. She moved to SoCal after living in NYC for about 10 years, where she worked for VICE and SinoVision as a writer, editor, host, producer, and director. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro. Contact Livia at liviah@addictionnow.com

Summary
Addicts flock to Instagram to share their pain
Article Name
Addicts flock to Instagram to share their pain
Description
Last June, the photo/video sharing service Instagram, reported reaching 500 million monthly active users. Many of those users share images of themselves using drugs. Others post pictures of their stash and track marks; or graphic pictures of prescription pills with artsy Instagram filters, bruises, and blood – lots of blood. Instagram is aware that there are countless users posting pictures and videos that go against its community guidelines. Yet those pictures appear on the site, day after day. So is Instagram fostering a safe community for inspiration and expression, or is it providing a platform for people to glamorize their unhealthy lifestyles?
Author
Livia Areas-Holmblad
Publisher Name
Addiction Now