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Clean 13 Years

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Clean 13 Years

Monday, May 19, 2014 marks my 13-year anniversary. I was a meth addict from 17 to 26. By the second year, I used every day. At one point I realized I had no true friends, and nobody who I loved knew who I really was because they didn't know this secret of mine.

It was a very lonely life, and one that I never imagined myself to ever lead. I'd been a good kid, always exceling in class, and I had lots of hopes and dreams for myself. Somewhere along the line, following my parents' divorce, I became a rebel and sought out friends and situations that were anything but unhealthy. Before I knew it, I was using every day and in fact could not function without it. I'd lost total control of my life as the drug was now in control of me. I knew I needed to get out and live the life I was meant to live, so finally, after 9 years, I found an outpatient program that let me quit the way I wanted to.

Since then, I have never looked back. I went back to college and got my undergrad degree, and even went on to get my Masters from UCLA. I was so worried that all the years of abuse had killed my brain, but apparently that was not the case. Now I live a very successful life with lots of family, friends, love, and laughter. I grow every day and make an effort to appreciate all that I have now. I am lucky to be alive and beyond lucky to be clean. I know when I was using I sought out stories of people like me, just to know that I wasn't totally alone, so I want to share this story with everyone. You are stronger than you ever imagined, and you can and will get through this. You are not alone.



Partners for Hope raise critical funds on behalf Partnership to End Addiction – the nation’s leading organization dedicated to addiction prevention, treatment and recovery. Every dollar raised on behalf of the Partnership* will help ensure free, personalized family support resources, including our national helpline, peer-to-peer parent coaching, customized online tools and community education programs, can reach those who need them most. Please consider donating to this fundraiser and sharing this page.

*Donations made to Partnership to End Addiction are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. All contributions are fully tax-deductible, as no goods or services are provided in consideration in whole, or in part, of any contribution to this nonprofit organization.  EIN: 52-1736502

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Comments

1. Julie
Shelley, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Congrats to you on your recovery and your successful life!
2. Julie
Shelley, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Congrats to you on your recovery and your successful life!