Lyss

From a really young age, I turned to drugs as a way to escape. I started using at 13, and for years it felt like that lifestyle was all I knew. I lost sight of who I was, and I was stuck in a cycle that kept getting darker. I thought I was in control, but I was really just surviving and numbing myself.

Eventually, I had a near-death experience that completely shook me. It felt like my body and the universe were giving me a final warning — that if I didn’t stop, I wouldn’t make it. That moment changed everything for me. I decided right then that I couldn’t keep living that way. During the pandemic in 2020, I quit everything cold turkey and began rebuilding my life from the ground up.

Today, I’m living a life I never thought I could have. It wasn’t easy — early sobriety was exhausting and painful — but it was absolutely worth it. I’ve learned how to sit with myself, heal, and truly live again. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I’m grateful every single day that I made the choice to get sober. My life has meaning now, and I finally feel free.