Cheryl G.'s Recovery Story

I am a recovered heroin addict. I've been clean over four years after using for 16 years. I started sniffing, and ending up jamming a needle in my arm. It took being on the run for 14 months, not being able to see my son, losing my family, my dignity (we all know what addicts do for a fix), and finally prison for me to stop.

I remember praying to God, the evening before my 34th birthday -- begging Him to either let the next fix be my last or to just have something happen, so that I would stop.

I woke up the next morning, shot my last 12 bags and then turned myself in to my son's father, who is a police officer. I spent a few years in jail, went to a halfway house and have been clean since.

Living With An Addict

I have been keeping a journal since I was 13 years old and am now 39. I have hopes of publishing it when I turn 40 next year.

I currently live with a functioning meth addict and am having difficulty stepping away from the situation, knowing that it's the worse place for me to be. I had the courage and strength to stop myself after all those years, but can't seem to help the one I love.

It's Possible to Have a Normal Life

No one can ever catch that "first high" and are kidding themselves and wasting money and valuable time thinking otherwise.

I would love to get involved in the prison system and visit to let inmates know that it is possible to quit and have a "normal" life after incarceration and drug abuse.