29 People Who Refused To Lose Their Life To Addiction And Took Back Control (Best Of All Time)

She met her childhood friend who went mad after being addicted to drugs. Instead of running away, she bought him breakfast, spoke to him, then decided to have him admitted to the hospital. Now he's in treatment and on the road to recovery. Now that’s a true friend.

For most of my life I struggled with addiction. Today, I am 2 years and 6 months sober off meth and pills. In recovery I got my driver's license back after 18 years. I am working full time, and next week I start college to become a drug counselor. Recovery is possible

8 miraculous months sober... Longest I've ever went... Without being forced. Because I want it this time.

A prolific thief has turned her life around with the help of a neighbourhood officer after being told she had just 12 months to live.

Caroline Best was a heroin and crack cocaine addict and has spent the last 15 years in and out of prison, due to shoplifting to fund her addiction.

Only 12 months ago, the 36-year-old was told she had just a year to live. Her addiction had caused her heart to start failing and she was told they would be unable to operate on her until she came off the drugs.

PC Stuart Toogood from Erdington neighbourhood police team reached out to Caroline last year to try and turn her life around and ultimately save her life.

With PC Toogood’s help, Caroline attended a rehab facility last August and following an intensive programme, she is now living in a dry house and has been clean ever since - celebrating 12 months clean today (27 August).

More importantly, Caroline was told she no longer needed a heart operation as her faulty valve had mended itself due to her drastically improved lifestyle.

I was going to jump off the bridge because I’d had enough of the lifestyle of being high, being homeless, having nowhere to go and being completely unhappy. Now I have real friends. I talk to my family a lot. I’m gaining relationships back. I can show up. I can show up in life. I can be a friend; I can be a brother, a son. I can be an uncle and those are all things that I value and all things I couldn’t do before.

Hey guys this is Alicia. She sent me this photo a few minutes ago. She said, “I am proud of this photo. I had no where else to post it or anyone to talk about it with. Sorry for any inconvenience.” I decided to post it because I know all of your care. Let’s show her some love. She has 11 months clean today.

A little while ago my grandma sent me a message saying, “ If you ever start to forget where you came from, here’s a reminder. I’m so proud of you!” Along with that, she sent me some pictures of me in active addiction. And can I just say ... WOW! Passed out in her bathroom, on the toilet, pants down, because I thought if it looked like I was actually using the restroom she wouldn’t suspect I was using drugs when she busted in. And passed out in her driveway because I was no longer was wanted inside anywhere and just needed somewhere I felt safe enough to use and sleep without the fear of cops or being seen. My life is a direct reflection of the work I’ve put in to get and STAY clean and I cant wait to see what this next year brings.

My name is Donae, and I am a RECOVERING drug addict.

Today (12/6/16) marks 4 years clean from heroin and meth. I was a terrible iv user and like most, progressively got worse. On the left is me the day I was arrested 12-6-12 and coincidentally the day I finally surrendered to God! With the help of God I am completing my BA and hope to one day be a prison minister. I have a beautiful 18 month old and everyday I thank God that I am not where I once was! Sobriety is possible.

My Mugshot From Two Years Ago Following A Massive Pcp/Benzo Overdose And Before Homelessness And A Trip To Prison. I'm Now Two Years Sober, Living A Wonderful Life And Happier Than I Ever Thought I'd Be!

From dying in the streets from a heart infection, to sleeping in my car starving for days at a time. To being turned away from the hospital and left to die because they wouldn't treat me, to abandoned by everyone and everything, I found the strength to get clean, get treatment at a different hospital, get the heart surgery I needed, and from there I stayed clean even though I was still homeless. It's been a rough ride but it's now been six months since then! I've come so far. Yesterday I finally moved in to a shared house and my own little space and bought myself some nice things for it! I'm so happy. I thought I would be dead by the end of the year last year. But I'm thriving more than ever. It's cool to be back to living.

This is what 393 days clean looks like. This is a miracle!

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 fentanyl 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 aide in my withdrawls. 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.

This is me in dec 1995. This is me in dec 2017. I overcame addiction, homelessness, and a history of incarceration.

It started with pills, mainly percocet when I was 21. I was really sick one day and a friend gave me heroin. I started shooting it at 24. I tried meth for the first time at 25. I was shooting them both in no time. Over the next 3 years I overdosed 8 times. If I wasn't homeless, I was living at a trap house with no electricity or running water with a 61-year-old man who was on disability and sold meth. In and out of jail constantly for possession, identity theft etc. I used needles I found in the bottom of a shopping cart full of trash. I didn't care. I was 100 lbs. I hated myself and I truly wanted to die. I went to prison. I did 15 1/2 months on 18. I got clean. I'm 30-years-old now, I've been clean for 2 years and 8 months, and I have a 6,5-month-old baby girl, and a great fiance. Finally, as I lay here breastfeeding my beautiful baby I can say I love myself and I enjoy life now without heroin or meth

My name is Elizabeth Quiroz and I am a Human Trafficking Victim Advocate/Drug and Alcohol Counselor. I am also a human trafficking survivor, a former Foster youth and a formerly incarcerated student. The picture on the left is a broken woman. The picture on the right is who I am today. Growing up, I endured so much physical abuse that I landed in foster care. I come from a family of gang members, child molesters, drug addicts and alcoholics. I ran away from everything at 15 years old and right into the arms of my trafficker. My trafficker got me hooked on meth and my family supplied him with the drugs. For 12 years I was addicted and sold on the streets of San Francisco. I endured physical abuse and sexual assaults beginning at the age of 4 and rapes from the age of 14 to 26. Throughout the years I went to Valley State Prison and in and out of numerous correctional facilities. At the age of 26, I lost my son and was arrested for the final time. I was numb from all of the horrific abuse. That day brought me back to life though. I did 18 months prison term in the county and completed 2 programs. I decided to change my life around.

Today, I have 8 years clean and I graduated last May with 3 AA degrees with the highest honors. I am currently at Sonoma State University obtaining my bachelor's and Master's degree. I will be the first person in my family to obtain a degree! I am breaking generational curses! God, the programs, and the arresting officers gave me a new life. I am also on the Sonoma Counties Human Trafficking Task Force and I have been featured in multiple articles and newspapers. I was granted a full and unconditional Governors Pardon from Governor Jerry Brown on Christmas Eve. My long term goal is to become a probation officer and start non-profit housing for Human trafficking victims here in Sonoma County. If I can turn it around to help others then there is hope for the broken!

Today, June 3rd 2020 marks my one year... that’s 1 year, or 12 months, or 365 days, 8760 in hours, 525,600 in minutes, 31,536,000 in seconds… & I’m still standing.

I was a hardcore addict for about 5 years up until 2009 when I was arrested for a DUI on what would turn out to be the last night I ever touched an opiate. I found the mugshot on one of those extortion "pay us to remove your mugshot" websites, and placed it next to a picture of myself after 6 years clean. I honestly had no idea at the time that I looked that bad.
Getting through withdrawal was hell... I went cold turkey from everything, including a daily 130mg dose of methadone. The first week, I spent in jail. The rest I spent at my mom's house curled up in a fetal position. It took about a month to beat it, and I initially stayed awake for 11 days. If you're currently struggling with recovery, stay in the fight. Believe me, you probably don't remember how awesome it is to wake up and not worry about finding drugs to not be sick for the day.

A few months ago, Shaun Weiss was arrested on drug charges. He starred as Goldberg in our childhood favorite film Mighty Ducks. I’m sure you remember this, because his decline went viral. Everyone couldn’t wait to share how far he had spiraled down. Well, now he has over 200 days sober and a brand new smile.

I spent six weeks in the hospital after that. Two weeks in a coma, two weeks learning how to walk again, and two weeks in the psych ward because of how s***idal I was. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I still used again after that. One day I just couldn’t take it anymore. I called a friend who I knew was sober and told him I was willing to do ANYTHING. My friend took me through the 12 steps and I changed my life. For anyone out there who is hopeless, look at me. On August 9th I celebrated one year clean

Hi! My name is Brittany and I started this recovery journey 16 months ago. After 27 overdoses, God felt that I was worth keeping around. A life that I never thought I deserved. I’ve been set free by my Lord and savior Jesus Christ.