Heroin addiction is a powerful and devastating disease that affects the lives of millions of people. Sadly, it doesn’t just affect the person suffering from addiction - it also affects friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, and acquaintances. While people who are stuck in the midst of addiction often fail to think about how their actions are harming those around them, the pain they cause is heart-wrenching. As a former heroin addict who now has several years of sobriety under her...

When I first started therapy, every time I heard the words "inner child" I wanted to puke. First of all, the only memories I have from my childhood aren't really memories. They are home videos. I have no idea how I felt as a child, and I certainly didn't care to do so. I wanted to put all of that in the past. After all, could my so-called "inner child" really play that big of a role in my life today? Well, as it turns out, she does. Sometimes, my inner child takes over, and I become an...

Blacking out and waking up the next morning wondering what had happened the night before was normal for me while I was stuck in the midst of addiction - but this time was different. I didn’t know where I was, the room was unfamiliar and dark. There were clothes scattered all over the floor. I had a pounding headache and I was completely undressed, only covered by a small blanket with stains all over it. My whole body was achy and I knew something was wrong. I had a sense of impending doom...