Ex-heroin addict who ‘used at 15 and overdosed 19 times’ reveals sober transformation

A US woman who overdosed 19 times on heroin and crack has shared her remarkable recovery after getting clean for first time since she was 15.

An ex-addict who overdosed 19 times and started using crack and heroin aged just 15 has revealed her incredible sober transformation.

US woman Madison McManus was introduced to hard drugs as a teenager by her then boyfriend and suffered life on the streets before she managed to get clean.

The mum-of-one is now battling to win custody her nine-year-old daughter after she fell pregnant when she was 18, reports Daily Mail.

She was forced to give up the girl because of her addiction as she lived a life controlled by drugs and got into trouble with the law.

Her family is now back in her life after being homeless since she was 20 with the New Jersey woman explaining she beat her addiction with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous.

She is now eager to tell her story and help show people there is a “solution to this disease”, The Sun reports.

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Madison McManus is an ex-drug addict who began using heroin and crack at age 15. Picture: Facebook

“I lived a life full of misery and prayed every time that I slept to please not wake up. I thought for a long time that I would never get out of there,” Madison said.

“When I had enough, I found a new way of living. It is possible, there is help. Grab on and don’t let go.”

Madison said she entered rehab for the first time at age 15, describing her “family through my addiction” as hurting them and others.

“Until the age of 18, I would go to programs and get out and pick up again. My disease had me,” she said.

“When I was 18, I had nine months sober while I was pregnant with my daughter, who is now nine. Until now, that was my longest time not using.”

During her addiction, she overdosed 19 times and ended up homeless. Picture: Vernon County Police

She would spend six years living on the streets when she hit “rock bottom” as her addiction took over her life.

It was an arrest which finally helped her realise she had to try and take back control and overcome her vices.

“I dropped out of school, I signed away temporary custody of my daughter, I just couldn’t stop using. I had no family in my life at this point, no friends, no soul, I was alone,” Madison explained.

“I pushed everyone and everything away, and it began a six-year run homeless in a rough and dark city.”

She went on: “The things that I dealt with and accepted in my active addiction could write a book.

“The disease had me in its grips for six years, holding me captive.

“I held so much shame and regret for losing my daughter, losing my family, and losing myself.

“My lowest point was on July 18, 2018, the last time I ever used a drug.”

She said her life spiralled out of control and drugs had her in its ‘grip’. Picture: Vernon County Police

But after reaching ‘rock bottom’ she’s now sharing her incredible sober transformation. Picture: Facebook

She recalled sitting and just breaking down as she cried “God please get me out of here”.

Within two hours she was arrested, and after that she pledged to get her life back on track.

Being placed in jail, she decided she was “done” with using drugs and chose to try and rehabilitate herself after previously being arrested for shoplifting and drug possession.

She said: “I had no idea at this point how, I just knew I didn’t want to use anymore.

“I went to a 30-day program in south Jersey, then wanted to continue treatment and went to a halfway house for four months.

“The real work came when I got my own apartment in South Jersey after all of my programs.

“I found Alcoholics Anonymous, and that’s when the real growth started, and now I know never stops.”

Her family then returned to her life and she now has the full support of her parents, sister and friends as she works to get back her daughter.

She’s hoping to help others and become a full-time mum to her nine-year-old daughter. Picture: Facebook

Madison says her recovery has become a process she deals with every day, and compares it to a “maintenance job where I better myself and grow spiritually”.

“I wouldn’t ask for anything else in my life besides keeping the positivity that I have and the hope I have to keep growing every day, and continuing to give it away to others,” she said.

“It was such an enlightening feeling to see that I was the problem, and nothing would change until I changed me. I have an inner peace and tranquillity today that cannot be put in words.”

Madison first told her story through the Facebook page The Addict’s Diary as it shared a picture of her transformation.

She is encouraging those who deal with addiction to try and realise there are ways you can find a “new way of living” to overcome the drugs.

The mum said: “This life is short, it’s meant to live, not to exist stuck in a disease that has you feeling empty. Just keep fighting, this new way of life is beautiful.

“And always remember to be grateful, humble, and open and accepting to everything that comes your way. There’s a bigger plan, you can do it.”

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission