‘The Addict’s Diary’ Showcases Before & After Transformations Of People Who Quit Drugs (18 Stories)

On August 18th, 2017 — liquor completely shut my pancreas down. I was alone in the hospital room and I begged the nurse, “Please don’t leave me, I think I am dying.” I was dying. Today, at 18 months sober, I start my first day of patient care for my extern. I just graduated from medical assistant school last Thursday. Share my story to show others that they can get back up too!

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.

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!

My name is Hlynur. I'm 30 years old and I'm from Iceland. I have been battling addiction since I started steroids when I was 19 years old. I was in prison for 14 months in the state of Ceara in Brazil. I was raised by a fantastic family and there were no signs of this upcoming battle while growing up. I developed an addiction while competing in bodybuilding. Steriods, amphetamine, and cocaine. Last year I was smoking crack on a daily basis. I was the arrogant know it all type and I was quite angry, for what reason, I still don't know. But, the emptiness inside was always there until I went to rehab on 5/27/19. Today, I am 78 days sober. I'm humble because I set my pride aside and asked for help. It saved my life. I'm a living example that even though I went to h**l and back, there is still hope!

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!

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.

My name is Matt and I’m an addict. A sports injury at 14 led me to a doctor’s office. That’s where my life changed forever. The doctor transformed me from a regular kid to a drug addict with nothing more than a pen and a prescription pad. The next 6 years were a nightmare. It very quickly went from painkillers to heroin. I lost everything—family, possessions, and was even evicted. A bad car accident led me into recovery on April 21, 2012. I got clean at 20 years old. Today, at 28 I am a father of two, a man who has found God, and a business owner.

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.

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was me and my three friends sitting in a car getting high on heroin. My buddy picked his head up from a nod and said in his raspy voice, "We won't be doing this forever. One day we'll grow out of this and have normal lives." Everyone in the car agreed. At 20 years old we really believed it was a phase. We were actually convicted that it was something we would grow out of. Everyone who was in the car that day is now dead except for me. They weren't bad kids. They just got caught up in something bad. Something that put their hooks in them. Something that doesn't let go so easily. Addiction isn't a phase. You're either going to deal with this, or this is going to deal with you.

Check out this miracle. A once incarcerated heroin addict is now a productive member of society again. I want to thank United Recovery Project for another job well done. Today, my friend Dylan has 18 months clean. He said, “I just want to be famous for a day Kev.” So, let’s make him famous and pass his story around the world.

I went from being 89 pounds, addicted to heroin, and suicidal 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.

People always told us that two “addicts" can never make it, that we should just get a divorce and go our separate ways. Well, we just couldn't accept that solution. In 2010 after the sudden death of my younger brother & after 10 years of active addiction, we had both finally hit bottom...we each went into a Christ-centered recovery center. We spent almost a year apart from each other both determined for a better life. This year, he in May & I in July, we made 9 years clean and sober and free from addiction together! In August we celebrated 11 years of marriage. Through the power of GOD & a ton of forgiveness, we now live our lives as if our past never happened. Our journey has not always been easy but it has been worth every second. Recovery is possible

My name is Sarah and I am 29 years old. I started heavily drinking at the age of 15. I was in and out of treatment centers. By the age of 26, I was diagnosed with stage 1 liver disease and alcohol neuropathy. I weighed about 75 pounds. I became paralyzed and lost the ability to walk or use my body. I was told I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I ended up having to get sober in the hospital and I worked my b**t off with physical and occupational therapy to learn how to walk again. At 27, I was able to get to treatment for my alcoholism and I have been sober since June 24, 2017 — and I am grateful everyday!

My name is Jamee and I am a recovering heroin and meth addict. These pictures are 2 years apart. The better-looking version of me being just a few months ago when I got my GED! Recovery is possible!

Three years ago, I had a life threatening heart infection. One that most addicts die from (endocarditis). It is such a bad condition that after they tell you, they ask if there is anyone that you would like them to call. For me, it was my mom.
“Your daughter was admitted to the hospital with a terrible infection due to her drug use. The infection has made it to her heart and we’re not sure if we caught it in time. You might want to come see her.”
I hadn’t spoken to my mom in years, but when I found out she was on her way, I waited in the hospital parking lot. She didn’t see me, but I saw her. She was crying alone in her car. It made my heart ache.
I’m sure she had so much going through her mind. She had already lost my brother at a young age due to a genetic illness. I was her only child. Even though she was working full time, she would come visit me after having a long day at work just to show she was there for me. She did this for the month that I stayed in the hospital.
I had to keep a portable IV machine on me for 3 months after that. I would have to go to pick up IV fluids once a week at the hospital. She came from out of town all those times, just to show she was there and that she cared.
I would always try to make her feel bad for not “helping me” through my addiction. (Although I know now she was ALWAYS only trying to help me me by not enabling me, as I would always ask her for money and make her feel terrible when she didn’t give it me). But it’s that morning I saw her in that parking lot, crying, not knowing I was watching her, that gave me that guy wrench. Seeing her woke something up inside of m. I was just so tired.
I was so beat. My body hated me. I asked god to help me over and over again. “Please help me stay sober. Please give me the strength.”
I’m officially three years clean of that lifestyle and all that comes with it. I was addicted to drugs for ten years, basically from 18-28. I have tried every drug. I went from taking pain killers my dentist prescribed me to oxys, to crack, back to pain killers, then meth, and finally heroin and finally fentanyl. I went from being in college with my life ahead of me to a homeless “junkie” using needles and putting myself in situations I could have never imagined being in — including having a criminal record.
Now I have such a wonderful life! I have my own home. I have a job. I have my loving family back that I missed SOO much. I’ve never been happier. My mom has never been happier or more proud of the woman I am becoming, and that alone makes this whole journey that much better.
So what I’m trying to say is, even if you feel like giving up, DON’T! Everyone has the strength to get to the other side. You just have to find it! Just keep believing you are worth it!! You deserve happiness. I’m happy. I’m sober. I’m alive. And as of July 1st, 2016, I am 3 years sober.

For the past 6 years of my life I have been living like a lost soul. Partying, lying, stealing, robbing, and shooting or smoking dope. I have 60 days sober today, and this is the most alive I have ever felt. I was in a 30 day program in South Carolina. When I left, I moved to California into a sober living. I knew that if I left I would get high and I didn’t want to do that so I knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone. That was the best decision I’ve ever made. I know I am still early on, but I have already learned so much about myself that I never knew. I’m learning what I struggle with, what makes me happy, what makes me sad, and this is the first time in years that I’m actually okay with feeling these feelings. Because for so long I’ve drowned all of those emotions with heroin, cocaine, crack, and meth. I had no idea it could be this great. I couldn’t imagine a life without drugs. I thought it would be lame and boring, but I quickly learned how wrong I was. This is only the beginning. I can not wait to see what sobriety holds for me, because I know it’s going to be so beautiful.

The mugshot was my lowest point; living on the streets using heroin and meth. May 3, 2018 I was arrested and pulled out of my addiction. Recovery not only feels good, but it looks good too.

My name is Samantha. The picture to the left is one of my booking photos. I have been through a lot of trauma. For a long time I lived as though my own body and mind were in a personal hellish prison. By the grace of God, I have overcome my demons. My daily life is now conducted in a manner that is far different from my sick and suffering days. The places I go, the things I do, and the people I am with are a reflection of my spiritual progress. My life is conducted with the knowledge that God is always at my side and that he guides me through the day. I am not automatically entitled to succeed in everything, or in anything. Through the steps and receiving love from my AA family, my perception of life has changed. Once my thoughts changed, so did my actions. That is when I finally got results. I have learned that it takes a steady hand to hold a full cup. There is hope. There is a lot of work ahead of me, but I will keep coming back.