True Stories

Victoria's substance misuse began before she went to college. While on campus at Emory University in Georgia she helped start the school's recovery community.

Bertrand started misusing substances when he was only 9 years old. Today he is in recovery and works as an advocate for young people.

Honesty started using drugs at 12 years old. She's been in recovery since 2007, and is now helping others as a CEO of a non-profit recovery resource foundation.

I was an only child, the nerdy kid growing up, and didn’t really feel as if I fit in with anyone specific group of people. I wanted to be accepted, so I started hanging out with the cool kids and partying.

Jeremy started his drug use with marijuana, then moved on to heroin. Read his recovery story.

Kristina, who is currently in recovery, struggled with opioid addiction for years.

At age 19, Hailey is recovering from years of heroin abuse at a treatment center in New Mexico.

John Herrera started experimenting with marijuana at just 11 years old. Then, at age 16,  the New Mexico native tried heroin for the first time.

I used to picture an addict as someone under a bridge with a needle in his arm. The end of addiction might look that way, but it sure doesn’t begin like that. I never pictured myself as a drug addict until I became one as a teenager.

Ecstasy caused Chelsea to go unconscious and have powerful seizures.