Stunning Before & After Transformations Of People Who Quit Drugs
Health, life, and the happiness of those you love are all at stake if you don’t. Bored Panda has prepared a collection of the most remarkable, majestic, and astonishing transformations of people who have left heroin, meth, and other substances to serve as a source of encouragement that absolutely anything (and everything) is possible in life. Browse these before and after photographs, share them with your friends and let us know which makeovers you think are the most dramatic in the comments below. Scroll down to read our conversation with a representative from ‘Transform’ about drug addiction.
#1
Currently, I’m thirty years old. Since I started taking steroids at the age of 19, I’ve been battling addiction. In the Brazilian state of Ceara, I spent 14 months in prison. A loving family reared me during my childhood, and there were no indications that I would face this challenge. I became addicted to bodybuilding. Steriods, amphetamine, and cocaine are among the most often used drugs. Last year, I was a daily crack smoker. Despite my arrogance, I was enraged for reasons I still don’t understand. After my first rehab session on May 27, 2019, the emptiness inside was still there. I have been sober for 78 days today. I’m modest because I put my ego aside and asked for help instead of trying to do everything myself. This program saved my life.
#2
My first methadone clinic was my 22-year-old self, as you can see in the picture on the left. Intoxicated with that, pills, and whiskey, I came upon a windshield with my face on it! It’s been 15 years of drinking and drugging. When it was all over, I was homeless, degraded myself by not showering or taking care of my basic hygiene, and was a thief. Every night, I prayed to God to let me die peacefully in my sleep because I felt hopeless. To keep me out of jail, I went to yet another rehab facility to help me overcome my addictions. This time, I was so sleepy that I listened to what was being said. When I tried the suggestions this time, they seemed to be working. No one told me it would work, but I didn’t care. Eventually, I found a glimmer of hope and recovered.
#3
As a teenager, I began injecting heroin and meth into my body. That prompted me to continue down the rabbit hole even more. As a twenty-five-year-old, on December 12th, I was left alone in an alley to overdose and die!
#5
After 15 years of chaos and addiction, my husband and I have finally found a way out. The two of us took different paths to rehabilitation, but once we were both healthy again, we joined together. We’ve been clean for three and a half years and are enjoying life to the fullest! My recovery is something I praise God for every day and the fact that we were able to overcome all odds and do it together.
#6
My life was on the line eight months ago when I overdosed. ‘I don’t know how I survived,’ the doctor said. In the ICU for ten days, my face was half paralyzed, and I could not speak. As soon as I was released from the hospital, I began using again. A broken and battered man, I sought professional assistance before moving into a sober living environment. I’ve been sober for 84 days today. A lot of things have changed for me since my face was mended, including my life. Not everything went according to plan, but the adventure was well worth the effort. Show your family and friends this photo. What drugs lead to is this.
#7
With the support of a local police officer, a serial thief has turned her life around after being told that she had only 12 months to live. Caroline Best, heroin and crack cocaine addict, has been in and out of prison for the previous 15 years because she shoplifted to feed her habit. She was given a year to live only a year ago. Sadly, her drug use had weakened her heart, and doctors told her they could not operate on her until she stopped using narcotics. As a result of her substantially better lifestyle, Caroline was told she no longer needed a heart procedure.
#8
I fought with addiction for the majority of my life. Two and a half years and six months later, I’m still clean from meth and medications. After 18 years, I was able to regain my driver’s license. I have a full-time job and will be attending college next week to become a drug counselor.
#9
A few months ago, I woke up in the ICU with endocarditis from heroin and meth abuse. The doctors couldn’t believe that I was still hanging on to life despite their best efforts. I wasn’t meant to make it, yet I managed to do so. My second chance came from God’s kindness. In the end, I was able to leave the hospital with a new outlook on life after two months. In addition to helping addicts understand why they use it, behavioral counseling can also help them cope with stress and issues in a less violent manner.
#10
Nineteen years of age, Thought considered me as one of the most amazing people in the world. Around the time I was born, I weighed roughly 100 pounds. Wasn’t I a dick? To obtain narcotics, I robbed my peers. To get narcotics, I cheated on my family. I told a falsehood. Cheated. Hurt people who are highly good at their jobs. When I quit, I was the only one left besides my stepfather. There was no longer anyone who believed me. It was a trying period for everyone. Ten years have passed, and I’m ready to put the past behind me. The truth is, I am not a recovering alcoholic or drug addict. I’m not in a state of remission. This September, I’ll walk across the stage to receive my Bachelor of Science in Accounting. I’ve come a long way since I was 13 years old. There are no words to describe how proud I am of becoming a whole, solid and great person.
#12
I began taking medications, primarily Percocet, when I was 21 years old as a young adult. One day, a friend gave me heroin since I was very sick. When I was 24, I began filming. At the age of 25, I used meth for the first time. In no time at all, I had both of them in my sights. In the end, I hated myself and wanted to die. I was incarcerated. I spent 15 and a half months on the 18-month plan. I was able to overcome my addiction. At 30, I’ve been sober for two years and eight months had a six-month-old daughter, and am engaged to an amazing man. Last but not least, while I lay here nursing my beautiful daughter, it’s safe to say that I love myself and enjoy life now that I’m free of heroin and methamphetamine.
#13
This is me in Dec 1995. This is me in Dec 2017. I overcome addiction, homelessness, and the history of the jail.
#15
I was one of those junkies that nobody believed would get clean. It’s beyond me that I am sitting here today, laying down at a pool, mind you, with a YEAR! A year without a drink, a hit, a pill, a puff, nothing. Nothing. I didn’t believe I could do it, the number of times I’ve been done or scared out of my mind… yet I’ve kept clean, knowing nothing will get better if I picked up. Through the help of so many, my program, and my spiritual practice, I am here. As you can see from the images, the trip was quite an adventure! Despite the suffering, it is a day of joy for me.
#16
I was in the hospital for six weeks following that. It took me two weeks to get out of the coma, two weeks to learn how to walk again, and two weeks in the psychiatric ward since I was suicidal at the time. Even though I’m embarrassed to confess it, I continued to use it after that incident. I finally had enough. A sober friend answered the phone and told me I was willing to do ANYTHING to get out of this mess. When my friend walked me through the 12 stages, my life was transformed for the better. Look at me if you’re feeling bleak. As of August 9th, I’ve been clean for one year.
#17
Two years ago, I was incarcerated and homeless after taking a very high quantity of benzodiazepines (Pcp/Benzo). In the last two years, I’ve been sober for two years, living an extraordinary life, and happier than I ever imagined!
#18
My past has shaped who I am, but I’ll never go back there again. This mugshot was a sobering reminder of the desperation that surrounded him. Those in need should know that it will get better! Don’t spend your time! In an interview with Bored Panda, Ben Campbell of the ‘Transform’ drug policy foundation, based in the United Kingdom, talked about his organization’s views on drug abuse.
#21
Living on the streets and abusing heroin and meth daily was the lowest point in my life. On May 3, 2018, I was arrested and rescued from my drug habit. Recovery looks and feels fantastic. We’ve failed to reduce drug use with our current laws, which has resulted in a record number of drug-related deaths and puts many more people at risk of serious injury. For ‘Transform,’ Campbell said: “Legalizing and regulating drugs is the best way to decrease the potential harm from drug use.”
#22
As a young adult, I struggled with my addiction from a young age. I’m currently 28 years old. My 8-year-old self seemed to like the effects of Adderall, which led to very dark meth and heroin addiction in my later years. Many times I’ve been in the hospital and jail. The process of deleting my record is underway, and I’ve begun Hep C therapy due to my lifestyle choices. It means a lot to me, and I hope that this will aid anyone who needs help.
#24
He was a drug addict before he became sober. Now, he’s founded a non-profit organization that aims to help those in the same boat as him. And by addressing drug use as a health issue and decriminalizing it, other countries, such as Portugal, have had great success in decreasing drug-related harms, he said. “If we wish to reverse record levels of drug-related fatalities and damages, the UK sorely needs to decriminalize people who use drugs and regulate the drug business.”
#26
Until recently, this was what I looked like regularly. This is what my spouse had to deal with when he was younger. That’s what my little girls saw when they went in. When I did leave the house, my relatives and friends noticed this. I was ill and couldn’t do anything. I was on the verge of death. I believed I’d never been able to recover. I was so lost that a life without using was unimaginable to me at the time. I wanted nothing more than to die. I didn’t understand how short my life had been.
#27
Us in April 2017 compared. Us when we were actively addicted. We’ve both been drug- and alcohol-free for five years, and we have a three-year-old daughter. However, compared to our previous lives, we are living a dream.
#29
I was arrested for 15 offenses at the age of 28 and faced five years in prison. if I chose to pick up drugs again in the future. On November 19, 2013, I will be sober for the first time in my life, and it’s the most important date of my life. Recovery taught me how to love myself and others. It is the most fulfilling profession in the world to work as a substance misuse counselor nowadays. A second shot at life is something I will always be grateful for. This is who I am today. The result of a lot of hard work to achieve where they are. It’s worth it because I’m worth it. We are all deserving of respect.
#30
I’ve been clean and sober from meth for 1.5 years, and I’ve never been happier or more fulfilled in my life.
#35
This is Alana, and I’ll be your host. As of April 5, 2018, I am clean. For more than a decade, I was a drug addict. Last year, I was in and out of rehabs, detox centers, and halfway houses, as well as incarceration for four years. Hopeless and wishing for death was all I could think about. I checked myself into treatment for the fourth time 16 months ago. I was exhausted, starving, and had nowhere to go when I woke up. It seemed that no one wanted me around. I asked for assistance. Everything in life may be so excellent. Today, I became a mommy for the first time. I have a job where I am expected to show up on time every day. As of today, I am sober and won’t go back.
