Tracey Helton Mitchell, The Big Fix

“I used to shoot up heroin, speed, and [more] all day long for years and years. Now, I don’t. That, to me, is proof alone that even the most hopeless of user can stop with proper supports.”

After surviving nearly a decade of heroin abuse and hard living on the streets of the Tenderloin, Tracey Helton Mitchell decided to get clean for good. With raw honesty and a poignant perspective on life that only comes from prolonged exposure to the darkest places, The Big Fix tells her story of transformation from homeless heroin addict to stable mother of three, and the hard work and hard lessons that got her there. Rather than dwelling on the pain of addiction, Tracey focuses on her journey of recovery and rebuilding her life, while exposing the failings of the American rehab system and laying out a path for change. Whether you know the journey of recovery because you are on it, or because someone in your life struggles with substance use disorder, or maybe you just see all the suffering addicts on our streets and wonder how you can help—Mitchell’s memoir is an inspiring, harrowing account of a changed life. Armed with 19 years of recovery work, Tracey also presents powerful resources to understand harm reduction approaches—more important in our current climate than ever.

Tracey Helton Mitchell is a recovering heroin addict. After completing rehab in 1998, she dedicated her life to the care and treatment of heroin users. Tracey entered school through an ex-offender’s program where she earned a bachelors of business administration and masters of public administration. In addition, she is a certified addiction specialist and supervisor. She was featured in the movie Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street. She has also been featured by CNN, Anderson Cooper, Vice, the Huffington Post, and the New York Times. Tracey lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children.