Woman Shares Before-and-After Photos of Heroin Addiction — and Looks Amazing
One young woman’s shocking before-and-after shots — one in the midst of heroin addiction, the other after 1,000 days sober — has landed her on the front page of Reddit, inspiring others to share their stories of recovery. Her post has been upvoted more than 100,000 times on the social sharing site and has nearly 5,000 comments.
The young woman, who posts as DisregardThisOrDont, wrote of her journey through addiction to recovery, “I realized the only way to get help is to ask. Sure, it’s not going to come in pretty wrapping paper with a bow on top, but it will come. Addicts can only be helped if they are ready to be helped (no matter how help comes). I sat in jail for a month, then was sent to the best rehab in my state 2 hours from home and then to a “pray your addiction away” place in my hometown to a homeless shelter to have my true awakening. I had to have a few hard slaps to the face to realize my happiness and my future was in my own hands. No one else’s.”
When DisregardThisOrDont was asked how she found the courage to overcome her addiction, she shared, “I realized I still had hope when I was sitting on a cold cement floor of a jail cell block sobbing like a baby because my mom told me she still loved me. Cheesy as it sounds that’s exactly what I needed at the time.”
Many posters asked for her advice on dealing with addiction, and she offered some great, actionable advice, saying, “The self help tool that has helped me the most is to ‘check myself before I wreck myself.’ Meaning before I react to something I have to halt and ask myself am I any of the following: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. That check list seems to save me a lot of grief.”
That’s great advice for all of us, not just those recovering from addiction.
Other Reddit users shared their own stories about recovery and sent encouragement.
“11 years here. I still get the urge when I hear aluminum foil being torn. It not only saved my life but improved the quality of my life 1,000 fold. Gratz and best wishes to all trying to pack this in,” wrote lichkingsmum.
“15 years here. It’s been many weeks since I thought about it. My capacity for joy feels restored, like I’m seven or something. It will come for you, too,” another wrote.
Before-and-after-recovery photos have become a popular thing to share, providing inspiration for those struggling with addiction.
Dejah Hall, now an avowed Jesus devotee and mom to an 18-month-old girl, posted a series of photos to Facebook on Dec. 6 to mark four years of sobriety. While the before shots have her looking vacant and worn, the current-day photo shows a well-coiffed Hall looking vibrant and glowing from within.
Both women have had their message of hope heard by thousands across the globe. We’ve reached out to the original poster and will update if we hear back.
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