Trading Sex for Survival: What It's Like to be a Street Prostitute

Continued from previous page

Probably my biggest problem is drugs. The meth keeps me up and geared for each new day, but has its downside besides my mouth being dry all the time. I have to drink a lot of whiskey to be able to sleep. I could probably take downers, but they would step on the meth high in the morning. Someone told me and I believe it's true, if you're trying to sleep with meth in your system you're not getting REM sleep and won't be refreshed. And sure enough I wake up not just crabby and cranky which is maybe where they got the word, but downright paranoid. Some days I am afraid to leave the apartment. The hood is so dense with people it feels like everyone stares at me. There's not a patch of green anywhere where you could sit and just be a normal person. Within minutes some guy will come over and hit on me. I used to tell them to go away, but now I just name a price. Still, shouldn't I get a goddamn day off?