Self-Improvement
‘The Addict’s Diary’: 25 Powerful Before & After Transformations Of Drug Addicts
The Addict’s Diary features addiction recovery stories from around the world. It is an outlet for the hopeless and hopeful, it is an inspirational tool for the still addicted and a platform they use to celebrate the triumph of those who’ve recovered.
Kevin Alter, the founder and writer wrote on his website: “My name is Kevin Alter and I am the founder of The Addict’s Diary. I struggled with substance use disorder from the age of seventeen to twenty-seven. When I got clean I noticed that there was a general misconception of the addict. I wanted to change that, so I did my best to humanize addiction. I wanted people to see us for who we really are. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I wanted to break the stigma, inspire people, educate students, and save lives all with stroke of a keyboard. I decided to take the reader along with me on my journey. I put my all into it and it worked.”
They often post pictures on their Instagram Profile taken before and after they kicked the habit. The ‘before’ photos (sadly often mugshots) show open facial sores, dislocated jaws, red “high” eyes, emaciation, and misery. But the ones ‘after’ reveal how eradicating drugs can recover the outlook and our whole physiology.
Better sit tight before seeing
1. Heroin 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 drugs brought into my life!
2. We’ve been thru hell and back but my son has 6 months clean and I’m so proud of him.
3. “How about that for motivation? I honestly thought I’d die on a park bench with a needle in my arm or by gunshot 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.”
4. From a 98lb crystal meth addict doing the unthinkable to fuel my addiction, escaping jail just to get high and becoming a fugitive on Hawaii’s Most Wanted I hit rock bottom and my future seemed doomed. Everyone gave up on me including myself. Because of my crimes that were fueled by my crystal meth addiction I ended up doing 10 years in a high custody prison. I am free going on 7 years and I now own my own business and I’ve become a motivational speaker. In my 7 years of freedom I spoke to over 150 schools and when I speak to these kids I share with them the dangers of drugs and incarceration. I share my haunting past to influence them to make the right choices. If I can save 1 child from not doing drugs my mission is a success. My name is Kyle and this is my COMEBACK.
5. Five years ago today, I knew the war was over. The drugs had won, and I had lost…. everything.
I surrendered and chose recovery. I found a new way to live. Thank you God for this beautiful life.
We can and we do recover.
6. I am never looking back. Thank God for recovery!
6. For 15 years all I cared about was getting high. I I lost custody of my children, was arrested, and found myself homeless in the end. After many failed attempts at treatment in 2016 something stuck. Today makes 5 years clean for me! Recovery has given me the opportunity to go from a meth addict to a productive member of society working in healthcare.
7. Hi my name is Ryan and I have been to 30 plus treatments and detox’s, 10 overdoses, long term mandated therapeutic alternative to prison, jails, kidney failure and dialysis in the icu for 22 days and 3 major surgeries after nodding out on my arm and leg for 13 hours. Today I have 6 months sober. I swear if I can do it you can. Never give up. Who cares what they say.
8. My name is Nick and I am an addict. I spent a long time trapped inside the cage of addiction and I never thought I would be able to pull myself out. I was hopeless, broke, lonely and sometimes homeless. I lost everything to this disease. My father committed suicide a year and a half ago and after that I didn’t want to live anymore. After I lost my dad I just kept losing and losing until I had nothing left to lose. I was beaten down, weak and desperate for a better life. I left my life in NJ behind and started a new one in South Florida. Next week I’ll have a year sober. Today I have my family back in my life, my nieces and nephews who are so happy I’m doing better, a sober woman who loves me, a great career doing what I love and most of all i am sober, and happy. Recovery is possible though the steps, hard work and dedication. If you are struggling and think there is no way out, just take a look at me, there is hope and there is a way out. Sobriety was the best thing I could ever do for myself.
9. My name is Bryan, and I’m an addict. Like most people I started with OxyContin. Where I lived we called it “hillbilly heroin.” Once they cut the pill mills off I fell even further down, and so began my 15 year heroin addiction. I was once married with a family and a home, heroin took that from me. I’ve been incarcerated multiple times in multiple states. I pushed my parents away. I’ve overdosed multiple times. And in the end—I didn’t care if I lived or died. Out of desperation I decided to try treatment again. I went against my own sick know it all type of thinking for once. I got into fitness. I worked on building up my mind, my body, and most importantly my spirit. I’m proud to say I have 6 months clean now. My parents are back in my life, and I’m learning to love Bryan again.
10. Want to see the miracles God can perform? Just look at the proof in these pictures!
Years of addiction, homelessness and pain! Now, 4 months of recovery and Jesus!
11. The people I hurt the most during my addiction was my family. Guess what? They were the only ones there for me when I needed help. I’m proud to say after ten years of active addiction I’m finally clean and sober!
12. My name’s Angela & I used call myself a junkie. My addiction lasted 13 years, and during that time I lost absolutely everything and everyone I love; including my 3 children. Today I’m celebrating almost 3 years clean. My children are now grown up, and one has a beautiful child of his own . They’ve since forgiven me, and we’re very close. Our relationship is finally that of mother and child. It hasn’t been easy, and sometimes is still very hard.
For me, recovery didn’t happen overnight, but it DID happen. That terrible, lonely, empty place inside my heart is whole once again. I’m so proud my children are back in my life, and that they know how incredibly fortunate I am. I have the most beautiful Granddaughter who I’ve been grateful to spend the last 3 years building an incredible bond with. She may have saved me. I now own my own vehicle, have a beautiful home, a good job and am in college for chemical dependency. I know it’s terribly cliché, but I really was “sick & tired of being sick & tired” , and if you are too, please try to get help. Our children grow up way too fast. I was able to make it happen. So can you. I’m sharing this picture because I want anyone who’s still out there sick and suffering to know your never to far from a different life. I’m not ashamed of this picture or the judgment that may come with it because it may save a life. That same person in that picture gave me the strength to be the person I am today.
13. A little over a year ago, Mighty Ducks goalie Shaun Weiss was being ridiculed all over the internet for his struggles. Today, he celebrates one year sober. Why don’t you make THAT go viral!
14. At two years sober, if I could say one thing that y’all would listen to, it would be this. The next time you look at an “addict,” “druggie,” or “junkie,” try seeing a human being instead. You’d be surprised how much showing a little compassion can help someone else.
15. Good morning everyone my name is Courtney and I’m an addict. I know there hasn’t been a whole lot of good news in the world lately but today I am 20 months sober!
16. Hey everyone my name is Tom and a little over a year ago in a drug induced stupor I cracked my forehead, broke both of my eye sockets, my nose, my cheekbones and two of my teeth. It was then that I decided I finally had enough. Today, I am one year clean and sober. Can I get an amen?
17. 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.
18. I was addicted to meth for two years. My mother told me I could sleep outside or I could go get help. I slept outside. Later that night, I decided to go. I did an inpatient/outpatient program and maintained sobriety for about six months. I then relapsed for six more months. I hit a different rock bottom. Everyone in my family was absolutely sick of me and my decisions. Glory to God that I got my head out of my ass. I’ve been sober from meth for two and a half years now. There’s always hope.
19. This is what recovery can do for you in 283 days! Keep it up, Chase!
20. From being filmed overdosing to coming up on 3 years of continuous sobriety. Don’t ever count an addict out!
21. Thank you Jesus! 31 years old, and after years and years of IV heroin and meth use, Jesus set me free. This November will be 5 years sober for me!
22. Change is possible. So glad I finally decided to ask for help. please if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction reach out! It’s never too late!
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. 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.
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