Opioid user brings personal story to Jones County


Tim McGullam
By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     Take it from a recovering substance abuse user… the opioid epidemic is present in Iowa, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s in rural Iowa.

     Timothy McGullam, age 30, of New Jersey, started drinking alcohol and doing “weed” (marijuana) at the age of 13.

     “It was a progressive thing for me,” he said initially.

     McGullam’s usage transitioned to cocaine, acid, crack (methamphetamines and heroine), and prescription drugs. By the time he was 19/20, he was using a multitude of substances.

     “My parents never thought said McGullam.

     After more than 10 years of using and abusing, McGullam saw the light. And now, as an AmeriCorps representative working with ASAC, McGullam is here in Eastern Iowa hoping to stop the stigma of drug users, and to help prevent the spread of opioids.

     Growing up in a small town in New Jersey, McGullam said it was very representative of Anamosa in population.

     At the age of 20, a good friend of his passed away from a heroine overdose.

     “It blew up fast,” McGullam said of the number of deaths attributed to drug use.

     Before long, 40 people had died in his community.

     It took an arrest for possession of drugs before McGullam opened his eyes to seeking the help that he needed.

     “It’s hard before you feel hopeless and helpless,” he recalled. “You don’t care if you live or die.”

     He said people around him saw where his life was headed, and reached out with support. McGullam said that support system is one of the most important aspects when it comes to helping a loved one seek the help they need.

     “Support is important in recovery,” he said. “I saw friends getting help and getting better.”

     McGullam said while he was in recovery, he will also be recovering.

     “There is no cure,” he said. “It’s a disease.”

     McGullam said he honestly doesn’t know when his craving for alcohol or other substances “went away.” While attending a friend’s wedding, he just came to realization that he didn’t need a beer to have a good time.

     So what brought McGullam to Iowa in April 2018?

     After knowing he needed to do something to give back, he looked at getting involved in the Peace Corps.

     “I was looking at more opportunities for service work,” he said.

     That’s when McGullam landed on AmeriCorps. He’s a member of the organization’s Vista program, volunteering for service projects across the country.

     While searching for groups to volunteer with, McGullam came across ASAC (Area Substance Abuse Council). He now serves ASAC in Jones, Linn and Benton counties.

     “I never knew about ASAC before,” he said.

     As it turns out, ASAC’s mission falls in line with McGullam’s goal or preventing the spread of substance abuse.

     “Because of my downfall,” he said, “I wanted to do prevention work. I firmly believe in prevention and stopping the epidemic in its tracks.”

     McGullam said opioids are already taking over the East and West coasts. Prevention is no longer useful there. The Midwest is in need to prevention measures to help save lives.

     “I want to help plant those support seeds in people’s minds while I’m here,” he said. “If someone had done that for me, it may have had an impact.”

     McGullam has already made an impact in Linn County where he established an opioid steering committee made up of doctors, pharmacists, law enforcement officials, and legislators. “The initiative is to fight opioids as they increase,” he said.

     McGullam said those at a higher risk of using and abusing opioid are people 25-34 years and 65-plus.

     He would also like to see emergency response teams equipped with NARCAN to help offset an overdose and save someone’s life. McGullam explained when someone overdoses and is saved through the use of NARCAN, they have a 40 percent chance of seeking treatment. He said increased NARCAN trainings are needed.

     “This message is so powerful,” he said of his history and vision. “I just want to provide a different point of view.”

     McGullam said it can definitely be a culture shock for those who either don’t believe or choose not to believe that opioids is prevalent in their community.

     “It’s already prevalent in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City,” he said. “The likelihood that it spreads to the rural areas if super high.”

     He said Jones County needs to be ready to combat the opioid epidemic, and start having the important conversations now about the signs of an overdose.

     “We need to make people aware,” said McGullam. “People need to be proactive versus reactive.”

 

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