Addiction can really mess up lives, but there are folks who’ve fought through it and found a better path. No matter why they started using, the key is they had the guts to change their lives for the better. And to celebrate their wins over addiction, we’re looking at 40 people who turned their lives around and broke free from addiction.
19 months clean and she’s glowing!
Amber Nicole here (or so her Reddit username says) shows what being clean for just 2 years can look like. It ain’t easy, but getting your life back is something you can’t put a price on. More power to you, Nicole!
Just in time for 30.
Giving up alcohol ain’t easy, especially when you’ve been addicted for as long as this guy. But he proved that a bit of perseverance and optimism can easily change lives.
We love to see it.
10 years an addict, until his son was born and he decided to turn his life around. It’s amazing what the birth of a child can do to you. It almost makes you into a better person!
5 years clean is 5 years happy.
The years are going to go by whether you like it or not, so it’s never too late to start. You’ll either be 5 years older and still an addict, or 5 years older and be clean. She chose the latter, and showed why it’s the right choice.
Talk about a glow-up, right?
Sometimes, the best glow-ups aren’t the ones about simple looks. We love a health glow-up just as much, and this one’s the best of both worlds.
Making January his special month.
Your sobriety anniversary is worth celebrating just as much as a couple’s anniversary, and this man is doing just that. Look how much happier he is!
New life, new puppy
Kaitlin here was worse for wear before going clean. Her face had sunken in and she lost a few teeth. That didn’t stop her from turning things around and becoming sober – and she got a dog and a spouse in the process too.
1 year is enough to be proud of your progress, pal.
OP here says he’s been clean for “just” one year, but that’s already longer than the old you could have ever dreamed of. Progress is progress, no matter how little.
A reenactment is in order
From a post captioned “Fat drunk girl is now sober and toning this body up!”, we see this pretty hilarious recreation of when she was first an alcoholic passing out on the floor. Glad to see how long she’s come since then!
5 years worth of story told in one smile
This man’s proud to be sober for 5 years, and shares why before and after pics can go a long way to inspire and encourage people to go clean. Keep posting your recovery photos, it could easily be the push someone out there needs!
You wanna see a rebound?
Having suffered a cardiac arrest back in his addiction phase, this man decided there was more to life than substance abuse and self-pity. And now he’s going to uni and turning his back on addiction.
6 years and he looks like a totally different person.
Being sober for a few years is worth a celebration already, but he wanted to go even further. He’s now sitting at 6 years sober, and check out how much healthier and happier he looks.
Results that speak for themselves.
OP’s 4 months clean from a heroin/fentanyl addiction, and look at the incredible difference it made. The hair is pretty slick too, not gonna lie.
From depending on it to not looking for it anymore.
OP’s been alcohol sober for an impressive 2 years already, and it goes to show that you can break free of it too if you truly want to. Of course, seeking help and having a support group is important as well.
With sobriety comes a new way to challenge yourself!
At first, even staying sober is one tremendous challenge. But once they got over that hurdle, hiking up a mountain didn’t seem too hard anymore.
He recovered just in time to enjoy his 20’s.
Taking your life back is one thing, but doing it when you’re at some vital periods of your youth is even better. It means you’re just in time to make the most out of your 20’s, and life has a lot to offer then. OP here got his first job already. Awesome!
A supportive partner can help a whole lot too.
Getting clean from substance addiction isn’t always a singlehanded effort – in fact, it rarely is. OP here shows one of many cases where a supportive partner, friend, or family member can make a big difference in your journey. Look at him now!
45 days of your life getting better already.
If you think that it’ll take a year or two before you start to see results, think again. OP’s sobriety journey is “only” 45 days in, but take a look at him and you’d think a year had passed.
Skin care can sometimes come with it for free.
Being in an addiction phase will do all kinds of things to your health, as we’ve already seen from some hospital pics earlier on this list. But addiction can manifest some unwanted side effects on the skin too, which can improve with sobriety as OP shows us here. She’s so gorgeous now!
Talk about a flex.
The man didn’t just turn his back on addiction and ask for help, he also got ripped. That’s the kind of before and after that’ll inspire just about anyone who sees it.
Look at the journey she’s been on!
OP here was an addict for around a decade, and has been in and out of rehab. It wasn’t until a few years ago, and until she met her supportive partner, that things turned around for her.
A lot can change in 3 years
OP was in some rough shape when he was 27. Then came his son, who was born on the same birthday as him. That may have been the push he needed to turn away from substances and change his life – and he did just that.
Life still had plans for this man.
His 2 year streak of sobriety is impressive on its own, but wait till you find out that this man medically died 5 times in a single month. Doctor were able to revive him that many times, because it would seem fate had other plans for him. Never give up!
I’d be smiling too if I was her.
OP is celebrating 4 years of sobriety, and it looks like she celebrated by traveling and hiking around nature. It’s great to appreciate the outdoors after beating an uphill battle like that!
From doing crime to looking sublime.
OP was a meth addict who had more than a few run-ins with the law. Thankfully, it wasn’t too late for him to leave behind the life of meth and crime and instead live a normal life. Also, kinda ironic that he’s dressed like Walter White in the second pic, no?
Sick beard too!
This man shed 200 pounds, and he shed the alcohol addiction with it. Now, he’s rocking some killer specs and a sick beard.
Substances aren’t the only thing she’s recovered from.
Drugs and alcohol can be pretty hard to get rid off on their own, but anorexia being paired with them makes it quite the uphill battle. But she proved her mettle, and just look at the face of a victor right there.
Another one who used to have run-ins with the law.
When addiction is on the table, and the substance is drugs or alcohol, then offenses like possession of illegal substances or DUI tend to follow. Good thing this man learned his lesson and has remained sober for 4 years now!
“It has given me my life back”
The partying life is fun, but it can get out of hand real quick with all the drinks they serve there. Breanna here struggled to give up alcohol, but she did it and “feels like a teenager again” in her own words.
Looking 20 years younger already.
Sobriety can do wonders for your appearance. Being in a phase of addiction can age you a couple years, and going sober can reverse that.
That’s the mom her baby deserves.
From 3 years of addiction to being sober for over a year, this lady really put her foot down and said “No, I want my life back.” Now she’s a happy mother, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.
A date he’ll never forget.
Remember when I mentioned celebrating the anniversary of your sobriety? This man’s doing just that, 7/26/15 is the date, and it’ll be an occasion to celebrate every year.
19 months clean and her life is so much better
From living in he car and getting arrested to becoming the brightly-smiling girl on the right, this lady’s life took the greatest 180. And she’s very thankful she was able to do it.
30 days already showing those results.
Some sobriety timelines here have been as short as 45 days. Well, this even shorter one of 30 days should showcase why it’s worth a shot. Look how much less sunken and haggard her face looks now.
Another weight loss journey to add to the list.
Here’s another recovering addict with an iron willpower. Sober for 6 months and already showing a much better outlook on life – and he shed 16kg too!
A smile that tells of a story.
OP’s sober streak was 90 days at the time this picture was taken, and that’s pretty impressive if it really has been just 90 days. She looks gorgeous, even if there’s better lighting and a bit of editing on that photo.
I would never have guessed!
This OP boasts 5 long years of being sober, and the photos don’t lie. I’d never have guessed he was a recovering addict from the 2nd pic.
9.6.16 is the date
Another one who marked down the date she decided to call it quits for good, our star Kristine here has been sober for over 7 years. She started her journey on a fateful September, and doesn’t plan on ever going back.
8 months of remembering what real life was like.
David’s been on a sober journey for 8 months, and you’ve got to be proud of him. He also shares that he thinks he almost died at one point given the condition he was in. That makes us even happier that he called it quits and started on a new leaf.
You can see it in her eyes.
Some folks just show in their eyes the journey they’ve been on, and this woman’s one such person. 2 years sober from a cocaine addiction, and she’s glowing with a contagious smile. Be proud!
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