Flemming - Voices of the Street

I usually say I have a doctorate in pills, which I've been dependent on for 40 years. It's a hard life where you work 23 hours a day to feel good for 1 hour, and the endless search for the next fix can drive you into both crazy and violent situations. What am I talking about? It can be terribly lonely to be an addict and homeless, and I was one of the lucky ones who had my girlfriend Diana by my side - without her, I wouldn't have survived. We've lived a wild life together, and a theft from a hospital brings us to Copenhagen, where we live on the streets for four years. Together with my dog Pixie, I want to show you some of the places where Diana and I slept, and explain why it's better to sleep on the 11th floor than in a basement stairwell. As a homeless person, you have to be creative, because you don't just have access to a toilet and shower. You depend on the city's spaces being open to you - public toilets and parks. When you're addicted to drugs, you do a lot to get money for them, and I've had to lie a lot to survive. When I say it that way, I can sound terribly selfish - and you are selfish as an addict. But you must remember that addiction is a disease that takes over both body and mind and pushes your values to the edge. I've many times wanted to get out of my addiction and have been in treatment 20 times. Today I get substitution medication, and that's what works best for me now. I've fought a hard battle, and although I'm not out of my addiction, I've come a long way - and I'm proud of that.