Young woman gets her diploma after overcoming heroin and meth addiction—she shares her journey in pictures
Despite the challenges and setbacks that life may throw our way, it is never too late to turn our lives around and strive for a brighter future.
Whether it is through making small changes in our daily habits or taking bold steps toward achieving our goals, we have the power to transform our lives and create a fulfilling and meaningful existence.
This inspiring story of then-25-year-old Jamee Valet will show you that there is hope for everyone and it’s never too late to make a change.
Jamee from Sweet Home, Oregon, made headlines in 2019 after publishing a series of spectacular before and after photos. The photos were posted on the Facebook page The Addict’s Diary, where users are encouraged to share their own recovery stories.
She described how she battled addiction and later rebuild her life; she even went on to earn her GED. The Facebook post read:
“My name is Jamee and I am a recovering heroin and meth addict. These pictures are 2 years apart. The better looking version of me being just a few months ago when I got my GED! Recovery is possible! #TheAddictsDiary”
According to Jamee, she started smoking marijuana at the age of 13, and by the time she was 15, she was taking drugs like Vicodin, Morphine, Oxycodone, Dilaudid, and Percocets. “I didn’t know limits. I remember throwing up and doing more and throwing up and doing more,” she says.
Jamee would later start using heroin and meth after dropping out of high school and being raped twice in one night when she was just 17 years old. “I was traumatized and depressed from the rapes, and the first thing I did the day I walked out of the door was met up with some guy,” she said.
She was detained for the first time at the age of 19 after attempting to rob a home. She would later be detained a further five times and attempt suicide when she was incarcerated. “Suicide was my escape plane my whole life,” she explained. “When I was in jail for the first time, I didn’t have drugs to numb myself and my actions kept catching up to me.”
Her long and difficult journey to recovery saw Jamee relapse numerous times, but she finally got clean in 2019 and moved in with her boyfriend, whom she met during a year-long inpatient program.
After fighting to leave her troubles in the past, Jamee’s ambition is to become an aesthetician. We are glad she was able to overcome her addiction and we wish her all the best life can give.
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