In a corner of the internet often filled with negativity, one Instagram profile stands out by showcasing hope and healing instead. ‘The Addict’s Diary,’ created by recovered addict Kevin Alter, shares powerful stories from people who have faced addiction head-on and found a way forward. Through raw testimonies and striking before-and-after photos, the account captures both the darkest moments and the incredible transformations that recovery can bring.
These posts aren’t just about survival – they’re about second chances and the strength of the human spirit. Reading the stories of people who have overcome this struggle reminds us that recovery is possible, and that anyone battling addiction today can transform their life and thrive.
Scroll down to see some of the most impactful stories that prove human resilience and the power to reclaim life.
More info: Instagram | theaddictsdiary.com
#1
“My name is Hailey. I am 9 months and 6 days sober from everything. The picture on the left is me at the worst part of my addiction. On the right is me today. Just wanted to spread a little hope.”
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#2
“My name is Emerald. The last year of my h*** and m*** addiction had me living in motel rooms and shelters. Both of my sons were taken from me. I was a shell of a human being. Today, I am 21 months drug free! I have custody of both of my boys and I have found peace for the first time in my life. With all the division on Facebook lately, share this to let everyone know that recovery is possible!”
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#3
“I was abusing alcohol for 18 years daily. As my second marriage was crumbling my drinking got out of control. On 11/01/19 I was 273 pounds on blood pressure and cholesterol pills. I was a mess. I had a drunken fall that broke my ribs so violently one of them punctured my spleen. What happened next was a host of complications and 14 surgeries too long to list. I was in a coma for 3 weeks and ICU for 55 days. All due to years of abuse and the body of an alcoholic shutting down. Not only was I lucky enough to survive, but I also chose to change my life forever.
11/01/21 I celebrated 2 years sober. I’ve lost 80 pounds and it feels amazing. I wanted to stop for years and live the life I’m living now but never could. Every aspect of my life is better. Family, relationship, work, and most importantly I finally love looking in the mirror and seeing who I’ve become.”
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#4
“I relapsed after having eight years clean. Luckily, I didn’t quit and today makes 10 months alcohol and drug free. Don’t ever give up.”
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#5
“From the moment I first tried a drug, I was doomed. I had no idea the ride that I was in for. I wasn’t aware of all the pain I would cause myself and others. The lies, deceit and broken promises I would spew. I didn’t understand that I was opening up a door. A door to a darkness, that would grab total control over me. By the time I even understood what was going on it was too late. I couldn’t see a way out so I just ran further into it. In 2007 I was put in handcuffs for the first time. Shortly after that, was my first treatment center. In 2013, I graduated from County Jails to State Police. In 2016 I was back upstate again. In 2018, I was homeless sleeping in tents on the streets of Philadelphia. In 2019, I found out that I was going to be a father for the first time. That same year I overdosed 4 times. Even after experiencing all that and everything in between, I still couldn’t stop. In 2020, I went back to jail for the last time. I got out a week before my daughter was born and I haven’t looked back. Today I still have fears, but those fears don’t paralyze me anymore. Today, I am stronger because of all my life experiences. Today, I have another chance at life. Today, I get to feel a daughter’s love. I get to see the joy on her face when she hands me the Father’s Day gift she made me at school. Today, I am more than 3 years clean from all drugs and alcohol. Today, my name is David, and I am an Addict. I’m here to tell you that today, you can do it too.”
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#6
“My drug use caused me to go septic and the infection in my heart left me with endocarditis. The doctors told me I had 12 months to live if I kept using. They said my heart wouldn’t hold up after that. Here’s a picture of me at my college yesterday. I have 11 months clean today!”
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#7
“365 days ago I overdosed on one pill cut with f***. Today, I celebrate one year clean!”
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#8
“The photo on the left was taken in 2014. I was 79 pounds and just got out of the hospital after being on life support for a month. I was a*** to any and EVERY thing from buying lighters, gambling, organizing, to 90+ pills a day. To the right is a picture of me today—happy, joyous, and free!”
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#9
“Today I have 18 months clean from ALL mind-altering substances! The picture on the left was taken June 28th, 2019, during the worst time in my active addiction. It makes me really sad to see how gone I was. 90 lbs and soulless. I am so grateful for how far I have come! It’s been a hard road, but every time I fell I got back up and just kept trying.
I am so blessed by all the gifts of recovery in my life today. Thank you to all the people that never gave up on me. And to all the strong women and men in recovery who have become my family and showed me how to live CLEAN. Here’s to another day, and by the grace of my HP many more to follow.”
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#10
“My name is Madison and when I was just 15 years old I started using c*** and h***. By 20 I was on the streets, homeless. In my active addiction I went through a lot. I overdosed nineteen times, and escaped situations on the street that I still don’t have words for. Drug court saved my life, and helped me get to where I am today. My family was the first thing to go to my addiction. Today, they’re back in my life and support me. There’s a lot of people out there who don’t support us. There’s a lot of posts out there knocking us. Let them see this. Let them see my picture. I’ll stand up for us. We are the forgotten ones. The ones nobody thought would make it. Look at us now. Never count out an addict.”
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#11
“My name is Meghan and I’m an addict. I always used to say it took me about 4 years to lose everything to h***, but that isn’t true. It took me exactly 30 seconds to lose it all. That’s how long it takes to pour a bag into a spoon, mix it into a shot, and jab it into your arm. It was all over from there. All I ever wanted was another hit. My lowest point was when they took my daughter away. I couldn’t settle for that so I fought back. Getting clean was the most difficult thing I ever did. It takes a long time to undo all that damage, but I’ll get there. CLEAN and sober since 3-12-19.”
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#12
“I went from being 89 pounds, addict to h***, and s***idal to finally feeling the miracle people in recovery were talking about. It took 9 rehabs and more detoxes than I can count, but one day I got it. With God, anything is possible. Don’t give up.”
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#13
“How about that for motivation? I honestly thought I’d die on a park bench with a needle in my arm or by gun to the head. I would’ve never in a million years thought my life would look the way it does today. Stop selling yourself short. You don’t know what tomorrow might bring so you might consider starting today.”
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#14
“This is Gabrielle and she’s got 4 months sober today!”
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#15
“I struggled with drug & alcohol abuse and mental health issues for over 13 years. In 2012 I got clean, had two children, obtained a master’s degree, and became a licensed counselor. “I had arrived,” as Bill says. I thought I had all the things that would make me happy and keep me clean. The reality is that I lost respect for this disease. In 2020 the pandemic hit and several emotional traumas ensued. I had every excuse to feel sorry for myself, and I justified taking drugs for a “medical necessity.” The mental obsession and physical craving took over. Nothing else mattered, and in less than six months I lost everything. I was facing 20 years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit, my children were removed from my custody, my career was all but dead, and I was sent to long-term treatment to get myself back together. Today I’m 15 months clean. All the things I lost are slowly coming back. Today I put my recovery first and let everything else happen the way God sees fit.”
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#16
“Hello, my name is Ashley.
I haven’t publicly shared my story often so.. here goes.
I have ptsd as well as borderline personality disorder. I grew up with abusive parents, was bullied every day in school until I graduated high school. Ended up with toxic and abusive exes.
I fell into alcoholism for more than 5 years. I used to boast about how much I can drink. At one point, I gained weight but it was painful. My body was swelling, and I was drunk all the time.
After the break up of my last ex who has tried to kill me, my alcoholism got worse. I used to use people for alcohol or money to get alcohol. I used to wake up thinking about what time I’d head to the bar until closing.
One night I had a big accident. I was so intoxicated I lost my balance and fell on my face. I suffered a huge concussion and if there is anything else wrong with me, I have no idea. I have a hard time with our medical system here.
One of the hardest steps that I am going through right now is forgiveness. And to not feel ashamed of myself. I am trying to learn how to forgive myself.
I’m soon getting my own place for the first time. Might even go back to school! I’m succeeding my life goals that I had for a long time and it feels really good.
I’m happy to be alive still. I used to be suicidal and hoped one day alcohol would take my life. Nothing in this life is ever worth losing it over. You matter. Your progression and your recovery matters. If you fall, always pick yourself back up. You are all so inspirational to me, and we are warriors. Thank you for reading.”
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#17
“I don’t want to post this, but maybe it can help someone. This is where my addicition took me, and the second picture is where I am today. I suck at life, it’s hard for me to live life on life’s terms. But a day I don’t stick a needle in my arm is a day worth living. I’m grateful and blessed to still breathe the air God gave me. Today I am healthy. Today I have amazing people by my side to support me. I have relationships with friends I never thought I would have. So to anyone who is struggling with active addiction, there is a better life to live. You just have to want it. I’m grateful beyond words today. Thank you to everyone who wouldn’t give up on me. Every day I will push to be a better person than I was yesterday. And I owe it to God. Much love.”
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#18
Hi y’all, my name’s Abigail & I am 22 years old. I always thought that the before and after pictures of people on drugs were fake when I was younger, just a scare tactic & that would never happen to me. At the age of 17, I was introduced to m*** and h*** and started using them both intravenously almost immediately since that’s what the people around me were doing. At first, it was fun and I finally felt like I fit in somewhere. Plus, the feelings I had been trying to mask for so long, were finally gone. I had no idea what I was actually getting myself into. I ended up dropping out of high school my senior year, ran away from home, was getting arrested, survived 6 overdoses, etc. I was literally thriving in chaos. I thought at the age of 22 I would be anywhere but where I am now. I think a lot of people think “oh, that would never happen to me”, until it’s too late and you realize that it did. After 3 arrests, 2 felonies, 6 overdoses, 9 times in residential treatment, 4 times in long-term, a million broken promises, the chaos has finally stopped. I have 16 months clean & sober, I ended up getting my GED, I have had a job for over a year now, I have my own apartment, my family trusts me, the list goes on. I pray that one day I’m able to help others with my story, even if it’s just one person. Never be afraid to reach out if you’re struggling, I have seen way too many amazing souls leave this earth too soon because of drug & alcohol. There are people who genuinely care & would love to help you.
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#19
“To deal with childhood trauma, I started using drugs and running away by 12. I was turned over by my parents to a ward of the court and navigated through foster care and juvenile detention in my teens. I was drawn to gang activity and eventually found myself to be a gang member; fully entangled in drugs, crime and addiction. Eventually I became a liability to the gang with my drug abuse and was forced out.
I spent three decades in a vicious cycle of jail, homelessness, treatment attempts and hospitals in Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside. I died six times from overdose and survived five osteomyelitis bone infections. I nearly lost my leg to amputation and had to learn to walk again after a back infection left my legs paralyzed.
I felt hopeless, worthless and didn’t believe I could recover. I was one of the first clients of Canada’s first ever safe consumption site and used the facility to inject drugs up to 100 times per day. Harm reduction services were created to help save drug users like myself.
At 42 in a jail cell I asked God to end my life. I woke up the next morning with the desire to get my life together and realized God didn’t end my life, He was giving me a chance at a new one.
Today I am a husband, a father of three, a public speaker and an advocate.
I have done two TEDx Talks, I was included in VanMag Power 50, I won the 2021 Courage to Come Back Award and have been featured on dozens of media outlets including The Today Show on NBC. Most important to my heart is speaking to schools and universities to educate on addiction.
I am an example of how harm reduction saves lives and recovery keeps the life you have today. Without one, the other wouldn’t exist.
We Do Recover!”
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#20
“The picture on the left is the last picture I have of myself before being admitted into the hospital for the 4th time with endocarditis (and actually staying). I was a straight j***, using anything and everything I could get my hands on. It’s hard to look back at what I once was, but I am thankful for that girl because she taught me so much.”
+Today I am 18 months sober!
There is no going backwards… only forward!”
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#21
“I started doing m*** when I was 15, started shooting up at 26 and at 29 I decided to get sober due to having no memories and being miserable.”
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#22
“Nobody told me that when I grew up, I was going to be a drug addict. Nobody knew to warn me that I was going to be in for the fight of my life. Nobody knew that I had to go through 26 years of pain and misery, in active drug addiction to come out on the other side stronger than I’d ever been. After losing my brother to a h***/f*** overdose I decided to stop using his death as an excuse to get high. I had been getting high for years before he died. I started using it as a reason to fight. To live. But today, I can tell you that I had to go through every minute, every day, for over a quarter of a CENTURY to become the person that I was created to be. To understand the horrors of d*** addiction and be willing to recover out loud so others don’t have to die silently. If anyone needs support, I’m here. We can recover together so we don’t die alone.”
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#23
“This is my daughter, Bradie. In active addiction, at the age of 18, she contracted endocarditis from her drug use and had to have open heart surgery by 19. She is now 23 and sober for 35 months! My prayers have been answered!”
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#24
“3 years sober and in recovery from opioids and m***! We do recover!”
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#25
“I spent years in denial about my addiction. “I can stop any time”, I would always tell myself.
Then one day, I overdosed. Even with a PICC line in my arm from a recent heart infection, caused by shooting up, I continued to use. And that was nearly my last time. My mother found me in my room, on my bed, clinging to life. EMS was able to arrive on scene and reverse the opiods in time to save my life. If my mom wouldn’t have found me, I wouldn’t be here today to tell my story.
Like nearly every addict, I relapsed a few weeks later. Instead of pills and f***nyl patches, I moved to heroin. I loved the rush I felt when shooting it up. It provided me such serenity and a mind-numbing experience. My family and partner at the time found out a few weeks later. I was so embarrassed of my addiction, I fled and hid for 4 days.
Upon returning home, law enforcement was called and I was committed to a local psychiatric facility for 5 days. There, they provided some medications to aid in my withdrawals. Still so, I had numerous days of body aches, cold sweats that would soak my bed sheets, and incessant, projectile vomiting. Upon my discharge, I went through months of grueling therapy, medications, and learning new ways to confront my emotions and fears, instead of numbing them.
I have been clean since October 6, 2015. 1,372 days of sobriety. 32,928 hours. 118,540,800 seconds of struggling and learning to cope with life without drugs.
In January of 2016, I acquired a new job where I am now a manager of a department. I have also taken up a passion for EMS, working as an EMT in a county with numerous heroin ODs since May 2016. I am now nearing the end of a 2 year paramedic program. As it has been since the day I got sober, my goal every day is to continue to find myself and help others in a similar position do the same.
I am, and always will be, an addict. Sobriety isn’t easy. Life isn’t easy. But my God, a life without drugs is surreal.”
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#26
“1 year sober today y’all!”
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#27
“Two pictures exactly a year apart. I don’t know if anyone else gets as happy as I do when I can see the drastic changes that happen to one’s physical appearance in recovery. Not to mention, my mentality, maturity, and overall positive outlook on life in general. If you don’t feel like change is possible, I am here to tell you THAT IS A LIE!”
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#28
“From c**ck to Christ! 11 years clean! I feel so brand new, I haven’t touched a rock since God showed me how to stop.”
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#29
“For years I was the guy they said would never get clean. For years I was the guy always getting locked up. For years I was the guy going in and out of treatment. For years I was the guy who couldn’t keep a c**k stem out of his mouth. For years I was the guy who couldn’t keep a needle out of his arm. Today I’m the guy who shows up for life. Today I’m the guy who raises his son. Today I’m the guy who does the right thing. What changed? I changed.”
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#30
I’ve been an addict since I was 15. In and out of the system as a child, going into my adult years. I had a baby at 15, stopped using, then found the love of my life, m*** and h***. I was in and out of jail, and prison, until one day it finally clicked. I can’t live like this. I have a daughter, and I’m now almost 3 years clean. Prison saved my life.”
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#31
“At 53 years old, I was an opioid addict for over 30 years. I lost my children, my family, and my nursing license. In 2017, after my 3rd s*** attempt, I went to rehab for 1 solid year and, by the grace of God, and my determination to give my kids the mom they’ve always deserved, I’ve been clean and sober, rocking my recovery, for 4 years. I am currently attending the University of Central Arkansas enrolled in the Addiction Studies Program on a scholarship, making the Presidential Scholars List for Fall of 2021. In the Spring of 2023 I’ll receive my Bachelors as an Addiction Counselor so I can spend the rest of the life I have left trying to help others like me, suffering from this disease, praying I can make a difference. In recovery this is possible for ALL OF US! I’m grateful for this chance at a new life and I’m not going to waste it!”
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#32
“8 months clean and about to move into my very first ever apartment! This is a feeling unlike any other! WE DO RECOVER!”
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#33
“You put me anywhere in the world with a dope habit and I’ll find h***n—I’m a drug addict. You put me anywhere on God’s green earth clean and sober with nothing to my name and I’ll build a whole new life for myself in 3 months—I’m a drug addict. You give me 5,000 dollars, a c***e dealer, and a pack of syringes and in four weeks I’ll come out of a motel room unrecognizable—I’m a drug addict. You show me anyone who thinks we’re just some worthless junkies who can’t change and in 30 minutes I’ll make a believer out of them—I’m a drug addict. You stick me in any bar give me one beer and in one hour I’ll be snorting c***e.
Two days later I’ll stop sniffing when I finally shoot h***n—I’m a drug addict. You show me anyone on this planet who’s hopeless and in 30 minutes I’ll inspire them to change their life—I’m a drug addict. You show me you love me, and I’ll make you hate me—I’m a drug addict. I am an extremely talented living series of contradictions. There’s actually two of me. Which one you see depends entirely upon one thing—sobriety. I’m a drug addict.”
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#34
“Let me tell you a story about the nurse who treated me like a human being and how that made all the difference for me. When I was homeless on 103rd St and addicted to h***, I overdosed and died. I woke up in the Park West ER with this nurse holding my hand. I was scared and alone, and he spent the next couple of hours holding my hand and letting me cry with him. Every time I ended up with MRSA raging in my limbs from infections I gave myself from shooting up, he always happened to be my nurse and would help me. And finally, on April 1st, the day I went to detox, I went to a completely different hospital and he was there. He wasn’t my nurse but saw my name on the board and remembered me. He came in, gave me a hug, and wished me luck on my journey to rehab. Since getting clean, I’ve wanted to tell him the impact he had on me. Every other nurse had always treated me like scum and the junkie that I was because they knew I was just going to go back out again anyway. He didn’t. He took time out of his busy schedule and made me feel like a person. He held my hand. He talked to me. And he helped me. Today I went back and found him. He’s a manager now, which he totally deserves. Nothing made me happier than to thank him for saving my life and for the kindness he showed me in a really dark time. So thank you, Ali Fares. Hospitals need more people like you. Congratulations on your promotion—you most definitely deserved it. And if you’re reading this and wondering how you can help, just treat people like human beings. Today, I am 3.5 years clean!”
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#35
This is Cara and she just celebrated 1 year clean and sober. “Growing up, I experienced a great deal of trauma and pain, so I found instant relief with drug and alcohol. At 17, I began using h***, m***, and c***. This led me down the darkest road I’d ever experienced. In 2012, I got sober when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I stayed sober for 6 years, built an amazing life for myself, became a registered nurse, and was truly so happy. But in 2017, I had a major surgery and was prescribed painkillers. It only took 8 months of abusing the pills for me to return to h*** again. For almost 3 years, I lived on the streets of Detroit, degrading myself daily for the next high. I lost my nursing career, became isolated from my daughter and family, was in and out of psych wards and detoxes, and truly despised myself while actively trying to die every day. I finally had enough in June 2020. Someone said to me, ‘If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for your daughter.’ So I went to treatment for the last time and really put my entire heart into it. I just celebrated a full year of sobriety, I have rebuilt an even more beautiful relationship with my daughter, family, and fiancé, and I just had another beautiful baby girl in August. I am so blessed today to be free from addiction and have another chance at life.” We do recover!
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#36
“My name is Isaiah Miller. Growing up the only thing I ever wanted to be was a professional wrestler. Wrestling was everything to me. After turning 16 in 2014 I found a wrestling training academy and was able to get my foot in the door of the pro wrestling business. (The first picture is of me sweeping out the ring during a show, the first time I’d ever been in a wrestling ring) Ever since then I wanted to be the champion of Pinfall Wrestling Association.
Unfortunately a few months went by and my family moved from the area I was training at and we went back to our home town. There I was surrounded by synthetic marijuana and eventually started to use it. I was hooked. Getting high became my priority. Wrestling was still heavy on my mind but the sweet innocent Isaiah everyone knew became a addict, Willing to steal for his next high. It got to the point going a whole day of school because unmanageable. The sweats and sickness became to much. I dropped out in April 2016 after telling myself I would never do it.
After a couple attempts to get clean and move away I always found myself coming back. The days became the same, going one of two ways. Either feeling like death, fighting, arguing, feening for spice, or smoking it then consistently passing out through out the whole day as time passes by until one day something came over me. The life style wasn’t for me anymore. The high wasn’t fun anymore. March 21st 2017 I moved away with a friend I trained with in 2014 and began training again leaving behind my addiction.
After a year of training I became a professional wrestler. I became IJ Sweet. On April 17th 2021 I became the PWA Regional Heavyweight Champion.
I don’t regret anything I’ve done in my life. I grew and learned so much from my addiction from the consequences of drug use but also the value of time. I went from wasting my days passed out high to living out a childhood dream.
Thank you all who took time to read my story. I hope it can help at least one person.”
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#37
“Well, today marks 1 year clean and sober. It’s been the hardest year emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually of my life, but also the most rewarding. I put a lot of hard work in over the last year, day in and day out—shedding a lot of tears of pain and joy. But that’s exactly it: it’s working on myself day in and day out, one day at a time, for the rest of my life so that I’m capable of carrying the message to others in need.
To my beautiful daughter Sienna Macmillan, I’m doing all of this for myself first so I don’t die and am able to help others, but secondly so I can be the father for you that I never was throughout your entire life and show you that I’ll do whatever it takes to be the man and father you need me to be and deserve!”
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#38
“Today my daddy has been clean and sober for ONE year! Can we show some love for him?! “
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#39
“My name is Desiree and I am a recovering addict and alcoholic. I have suffered for years with abusing c***k c***e, h***n, Xanax and Alcohol. I had lost everything including my children. The first picture is me broken. I was homeless and desperately looking for a way out . The second picture is me now with 6 months sober . I have so much gratitude today. By the grace of GOD and the fellowship of AA. I am now sober and serene. WE DO RECOVER “
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#40
“Today, I am 2 weeks clean from injecting myself with m***. That’s two weeks distance between me lying to my friends and family, being in and out of detox, and nearly overdosing after every shot just to get high. I didn’t only look like I was going to die, but I was getting told from everyone around me I was going to die. Two weeks is considered nothing to most, but to me I feel lucky to even be here. I’m so blessed to have found the courage to let go of the person I had become. I am only 20 years old. I went from 155lbs to 85lbs in the blink of an eye. I was injecting myself with higher doses than anyone else around me and my body couldn’t handle it. I was ruining myself by the day. I was skin and bone. I have never looked so frail. My body would turn blue after every shot. I lost over 50% of my hair. I lost everyone close to me and despite everything, I continued using. It takes everything in me every day to not use and stay clean, but so far I can see that it is worth it. I am gaining weight. I am slowly gaining back relationships that I have lost. My hair is growing back. I got accepted into a Medical Aesthetics program beginning in December. I start working this week and things are slowly shifting together for the better. I am slowly learning to love life again. It will be a process but I know it’s worth it. This is how quickly things can come together in only 2 weeks of sobriety. It may look like nothing to some, but to me I am finally starting to recognize myself again. Reading other people’s stories gives me the hope I never thought was possible, and I hope I can do the same for others.”
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#41
“I was addicted to h*** and m*** for about 8 years. I found myself homeless, without anyone or anything. I was taking from everyone, and found myself in the s*** industry making terrible choices in order to get to my next high.
After moving across states from Wisconsin to Arizona, I found myself at some point just tired enough. I found someone who was actually worth not losing. Now, that doesn’t always work for everybody—that’s a fact; but for me it did. I celebrated almost 2 years clean.
I’m coming from a place where I never wanted to see tomorrow. Today, I look forward to tomorrow every single night. It’s definitely not easy, but it’s absolutely worth it.”
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#42
“I wanted to share my story in the hopes of maybe reaching someone. At the end of my addiction to m*** and h*** I was 90 lbs. I lost my kids. I lost job after job because I’d either fail to show up or I’d quit before they could figure out I was an addict. Today I am 30 days clean after a relapse in April that cost me 2 1/2 years of clean time I’d worked so hard for. I spent nearly 1.5 out of the last 3 years on the streets and was overdosing on h*** alone, with a raging kidney infection by May 11th after relapsing in April. I’ve gained 20 lbs and I talk to my family regularly. I have a sponsor and I’m working the steps. Checking myself in to detox, and then rehabilitation—was the best thing I ever could’ve done for myself. I don’t think I’d ever have a chance at getting my daughters back if I didn’t seek professional help and admit my complete powerlessness and spiritual bankruptcy. I’m so grateful for my community of recovering alcoholics and addicts because without them I’d have never known I had hope, and that I wasn’t alone. My daughters will have a strong, self-loving, nurturing, and emotionally and physically present mother because I decided to put down m*** and h***. 30 days might not be a lot to many, but right now it’s everything to me. It’s hope that I can and will get back my two and a half years and go on to reach 5, 10, and 20 years of sobriety. There’s hope for everyone. You just have to want it as badly as you wanted to use.”
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#43
“3 years ago I was a shell of a person. Today, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and living every beautiful day with so much gratitude. Gratitude for rehab, for choosing this side of life, for a second chance. Today I am free!”
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#44
“H*** destroyed my life. From the moment I tried it, I was hooked. All I cared about was getting that warm rush. I didn’t care about what I looked like, or who I was hurting. I didn’t even care about myself. Two months ago, I went to treatment and now I’m in a sober living. Today, I have 53 days sober—and I am thriving. I feel so much happier without the chaos that drug brought into my life!”
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#45
“My ex tried to k*** me. But the abuse started long before that. My childhood was rough. I was in and out of foster care, adopted at 3. I was abused a lot until I was 14. That’s when I turned to hard partying to numb the pain. I used m*** for the first time and have struggled with it since.
At 20 I relapsed shortly after giving birth to my daughter. My best friend raised her while I went on another binge for almost 2 years. I was homeless and constantly in and out of jail. It didn’t matter what I had to do, I would do it to stay high.
My turning point was my last relationship. Over the span of 8 months he beat me up more times than I can remember. Then on August 13th, he attempted to kill me. I left the state immediately and went to treatment on 8-20-22.
I came to treatment to get sober and deal with my trauma. I still have a lot of healing to do but it saved my life…”
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#46
“Hello, my name is Sierra and I am a recovering drug addict. Today I am celebrating 2 years sober! 2/16/2020. Some blessings that I have received in the last year are: repaired relationships, waking up daily with a grateful heart, a sound mind, & joyful! Also, I have NO FEAR of the future! I can be myself fully. I don’t have to hide who I am. I am comfortable in my own skin. I love my savior Jesus Christ. My faith increases daily. I am a strong, clean woman. I am living a life that I didn’t even know was possible. I have learned that I can do hard things & that all things are possible with God.”
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#47
“I am never looking back. Thank God for recovery!”
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#48
“I wanted to share my story, in hopes that it can help others who may be struggling see that recovery is possible & will change your life if you let it. In the before picture I was a mess. I struggled with h*** and m*** addiction. I was an IV user. I had abscess and MRSA. I spent years homeless. I was arrested 23 times in 4-5 years. I had to be revived from overdosing multiple times. My son was taken by CPS & was in foster care. Luckily my now husband reunified and got our son back. But I kept using. Finally on 1/14/18 I came to a crossroads. My husband ended up being sentenced to rehab for 9 months. So I decided it was either keep living the way I was & lose my son. Or get out. I moved 3 hours northeast, with my son, into my brother’s family’s house. I got on m**hadone. I started to see changes within my life immediately. I got state/county benefits and within 6 months I had an amazing career offer that appreciated my lived experience. Within 8 months, I had a car, and my son and I rented a room from my nephews. By end of 2019, we got our own place and I tapered off m**hadone. It took 4 years of tapering but I’m m**hadone free for over a month now. The gifts of recovery have been endless. I got married to my son’s father and we both have about the same amount of clean time. We’re looking to purchase a home, and I’ve flourished in my career to where I make more money than I ever imagined I could after my criminal history. If you get clean, and just stay clean, opportunities come your way. Things have a way of working out better than you ever imagined!”
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#49
“3 years ago today I called my dad & told him I wanted to go back to treatment.
3 years ago today my dad told me he was going to k*** me.
3 years ago today I asked God to take my life.
3 years ago today my aunt handed me a picture of Jesus & the serenity prayer.
3 years ago today God’s plan went into action.”
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#50
“It’s Overdose Awareness Month. The first picture is me during my struggle, and the next two are me now!
I’m a walking miracle. I’ve survived 9 overdoses, only by the grace of God.
I went through some of the darkest times and felt stuck in a place I thought I’d never escape.
I even gave up on myself, like so many of us do.
BUT, when I was ready, I stepped up. And I didn’t look back. I turned my life around for myself and my daughter.
And I am proof that anyone can.”
Image source: theaddictsdiary
