Drugs have a way of crippling an addict from the inside out, warping their mind until the person believes they can't exist without a little help from their vice.
That doesn't mean it's impossible for them to find a way to break through that hold and finally find health and sobriety. It certainly isn't easy and, unfortunately, too many individuals just can't make it through the pain of withdrawals and end up tragically succumbing to their dangerous habit.
Shame can play a huge role in those setbacks, something the young mom in the photos below isn't letting hold her back from being the parent her daughters deserve. When Reddit user DisregardThisOrDont recently stumbled upon her old mug shot from her worst days, she realized just how far she has come from the girl she used to be — and knew she could encourage others to find the same success against their own demons.
After locating the photo on her county jail's website, she wanted others to know it's possible to change their lives.
"I felt the need to share it so openly because when I found my mug shot I felt so bad for that girl," she said. "I wanted to hug her and tell her it will get better.
"I then realized that girl is still out there somewhere. She isn't me any more though. There are other addicts out there who are in the same circle of hell that I was in in that mug shot."
Despite knowing that there are those in her life who had no idea about her dark past, she was determined to be open about the hardship, knowing that if it even helped one other person, it would be worth it.
Now sober for over two years, she explains how she wound up in her former situation, in an abusive relationship with a man whose solution for all of life's problems was taking a shot of heroin.
She doesn't place all the blame on him, though. After her oldest daughter was taken away to live with her mom, she became deeply depressed and leaned even harder on the drug as a toxic coping mechanism.
While in court over the guardianship of her little girl, she was finally able to find the strength to ask for help.
She told the judge she had been using the drug on a daily basis for the past eight months, but that she wanted to get clean.
That judge held her in contempt and sent her to a jail cell while they waited for a space for her at the local rehab center.
"It took me longer than I would like to admit to get over being bitter over being sent to jail," she confesses. "However that judge saved my life. I owe him everything."
Now, the 24-year-old has her daughter back in her custody and recently gave birth to another little girl.
Her thread on the community website has been overwhelmed with users congratulating her strength and bravery for allowing herself to be so vulnerable in sharing her story.
She has also been happy to provide heartfelt, encouraging words to those who confess to their own issues with addiction, stressing the importance of taking it one day at a time.
She also acknowledges that setbacks are inevitable, but don't have to derail your whole road to health.
"Recovery has been an uphill battle," she writes, "but now I am at a point where it all just feels like a bad dream."
It could not have been easy for her to divulge so many details about her personal life in such a public way, but that courage just might help countless others finally crawl out from under the weight of their own strife.
Be sure to SHARE her inspiring story with your loved ones!
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
