have a Chinaman on (one's) back

To suffer from an addiction to narcotics or the withdrawal symptoms caused by it. A derogatory phrase, it likely refers to opium's classical association with Southeast Asia. Having that Chinaman on her back has kept Janet out of work for years. I want to get clean and turn my life around, but having this Chinaman on my back is absolute torture.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Tsukiko	tsoo-kee-ko	Japanese
LukÁCs	LOO-kawch	Hungarian
Richa	-	Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali
Ji-Yeong	jee-yung	Korean
Iairos	-	Biblical Greek
Ernestina	-	Italian