Faces of Opioids- Chester Co.

I began smoking marijuana at age 14 but also tried several kinds of pills, including Hydrocodone, Valium and Xanax. Occasionally I drank alcohol but really did not enjoy it much. Over all, marijuana was my absolute favorite drug, and I used it daily. When I was 25, I tried crystal meth. Although I felt terribly guilty for having ever tried the drug, I was instantly addicted. I used meth and crank as often as possible after that. I was not only an addict but a dealer and a cook as well. I completely stopped smoking marijuana because it no longer gave me the high it once had. Only amphetamines could give me the feeling I was seeking.

During this time, my son Joel died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, lost custody of my other son Jacob, lost all of my familial relationships and lost homes, cars, jobs and friends. Addiction took everything from me. I blame no one but myself. I knew what I was doing was wrong, and I continued to fill my body with the poison that was destroying every aspect of my life.

It was four and a half terrible years before I was delivered from my addiction to drugs. I gave every part of me to Jesus Christ, and He gave me a fresh start. He took away the desire for drugs. To everyone’s amazement, including my own, there was no physical evidence I had ever used drugs. I was and still am totally healthy. To this day, I do not have even one cavity in my teeth.

God took the addiction, and He gave me a desire to serve Him. Through my submission to Christ and His amazing grace, I was healed and have been restored to far more than I ever imagined. I am now 45 years old, a child of almighty God, wife to my wonderful husband, a mother/step-mother, a teacher and completely free of the desire to use drugs of any kind.

There is much more to my story! I am completely transparent so my pain can be someone else’s gain, and I want to offer hope to those who feel hopeless. I am nothing special. What God has done for me, He will do for anyone who accepts Him and who will follow Him. I realize each addict and their family has to find recovery in different places. The core of the cure, regardless of where an individual encounters it, is ultimately the same.

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