It’s been a while since I did an update for my community service project aimed at reducing the stigma surrounding opioid addiction. I have seen so many positive changes in our community since I started this project, and I am hopeful that we can get through this horrible epidemic that is taking so many lives and destroying so many others. If you are new here, check out this post to learn about the project. With that, here is update #4 of the 52Addicts Project!
Update #1 can be found at this link.
Update #2 can be found at this link.
Update #3 can be found at this link.
Here are the latest stories for those of you not on Instagram. To get these stories as soon as they are published, follow along on our Instagram page here!
Chel’s academic success put her on a path to university where she planned to study law. No one ever worried about her future. They worried about her sister, who had fallen down a dark path earlier in life. One night, Chel made a fateful decision to join her sister at a strip club in WV, where she worked as a stripper. Chel became entranced by the world of money and fun that she had been introduced to that night. She began working nights at the club, using uppers to stay awake in school during the day. She ended up pregnant and tried to change her life. When things went downhill with the baby’s father, she went back to the party scene which led to snorting pills, then to heroin. She continued using until she found out she was pregnant again. She was able to quit for the duration of her pregnancy, but her old friends came back around soon after the baby was born. Chel descended into a life of stealing to support her addiction. She made the decision to go to the hospital for help, but ended up in ICU after complications from withdrawals. She relapsed and ended up having her children taken away. Her world was suddenly darker without her children. Her addiction took over, and even though she overdosed, she continued to use every day until she ended up in jail. This gave her time to rediscover her faith. Someone had suggested that praying aloud was more effective, and even though she felt silly doing so, she went ahead and tried it for herself. This led to a transcendent experience in which she felt the presence of God by her side. She was overcome with emotion and wasted no time in telling her loved ones about her newfound certainty of God’s existence and the love that she knew would get her through the rest of her life. Since her release Chel has been reunited with her children and continues to do an amazing job on her recovery with Bible in hand.🔸 Follow along on my journey to meet 52 people who have struggled with addiction. These are our mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, nurses, teachers, military members, business owners and more. Let’s end the stigma of addiction, so we can move forward with a plan to make positive changes in our community. #52Addicts A post shared by Lori Swadley (@swadleystudio) on
David & Michelle have been together for over 20 years and had many great times building their family before addiction entered their lives. David had been in a serious car accident when he was 17 which left him with a steel rod in his arm, and a prescription for painkillers. He took his medication without any problems until his body could heal. Over the years, as long hard days of manual labor took its toll on him, his old injuries started to have a huge impact on his life. He ended up needing painkillers to ease the pain so he could continue to work. Every now and then Michelle would take a pill to ease a headache, and found that the pills gave her a boost of energy. It was during this time that they had 2 young children, and she loved that she could get so much done while still taking care of her little ones. Over time, they both grew addicted to the pills, and when doctors started cracking down on prescriptions, they had to go to the streets for their supply. They owned a home outside Martinsburg in Spring Mills, and soon found that there was an abundance of dealers in that area, even though there is a common perception that it is a quiet, safe area to raise a family. Their years of addiction were filled with heartache, including losing very close friends to overdoses. Last year, they decided to get clean and moved in with Michelle’s mom briefly to get through the worst of it and away from the drug activity in Spring Mills. Once they were clean, they moved back into their home and looked forward to getting their lives back on track. Unfortunately, being in the same area as their old dealers didn’t work and they quickly relapsed. They realized that to stay clean, they needed to sell their home and move to a new area. While they are still in Berkeley County, they feel like they are a world away from where they used to be, and have done very well in their recovery. Follow along on my journey to meet 52 people who have struggled with addiction. These are our mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, nurses, teachers, military members, business owners and more. Let’s end the stigma of addiction, so we can move forward with a plan to make positive changes. #52Addicts A post shared by Lori Swadley (@swadleystudio) on
Brittany loves being mommy to her sweet little boy. He has been a source of light through years of constant darkness. Brittany’s addiction started several years ago when she was offered a pain pill after a long 16 hour shift at work. After more long shifts where the pills were easing her aches and pains she soon found herself addicted to them and her addiction took over her life. As the years went by, life kept getting harder and she ended up losing custody of her son to her parents. She has overdosed six times and she explains that each time she was brought back she saw her son’s face surrounded by light. He is what kept her going for so long and what eventually pushed her into long-term recovery. Her parents never stopped fighting for her and like so many parents and loved ones, they suffered right along with her through her addiction. They made tough choices and gave her a choice between jail and rehab. She chose rehab, and after a short term rehab in Florida did not work out for very long when she returned home, her parents knew that she needed something more substantial. She was lucky to find a spot in a 12 to 18 month program in Keyser, WV which has proven to be her saving grace. Brittany is so excited to now be spending much of her time with her son and the rest of her family. She loves that she is now able to support herself with a good job and her own roof over her head. All thanks to her loving family who never gave up on her, and that sweet boy who provided all the inspiration she needed to keep fighting for her life. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Follow along on my journey to meet 52 people who have struggled with addiction. These are our mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, nurses, teachers, military members, business owners and more. Let’s end the stigma of addiction, so we can move forward with a plan to make positive changes in our community. Visit the link in our profile for more info on this project, and please share! #52Addicts A post shared by Lori Swadley (@swadleystudio) on
