Allow us to introduce you to Imgurian LostWingnut. Her real name is Kristy, and she is a mom, full time accounting student, and works part time at a structural engineer company. She’s also on the board of her accounting honors society, and will be getting her CPA licenses once she graduates. Her favorite thing to look at on Imgur is cats (duh).
Kristy first posted on Imgur back in April 2015 with a title of It gets better. She wanted to share her story about being clean from crystal meth for 8 years. Kristy described how she “wanted to help. I wanted to inspire someone, to save their life. If posting my story could save one life…it was worth sharing.”
Let’s rewind a bit. This is Kristy when she was 19.
She says this was “at the peak on my addiction. I was 110 pounds and 5’9. I stole from my friends for drugs. I stole from my family for drugs. I lied. Cheated. Hurt very good people. I had no one left besides my step dad when I quit…no one believed me anymore. It was…a very hard time.”
When she turned 22, she looked in the mirror and thought “this isn’t who I want to be. I walked away and never looked back.”
The first thing she did? Yep, get a dog. Meet Rockdog, who she credits with saving her life.
“I was only a few days sober when I got him,” she explained. “I looked into his little eyes and said I would live my life for him. There has been nothing better than the love and acceptance I received from him for the first few months when I was completely alone.”
She ended her first post with an uplifting message of ‘I just want you to know who ever you are and what ever you are dealing with.. that there is hope. life goes onwards and upwards if you have the courage to stand up and try it.’
Then, over a year later, Kristy gave the community another update. Ten. Years. Clean. Amazing!
Turns out that life is about love. This is Kristy’s daughter who just turned 4. ‘I love her beyond belief,’ she said. ‘I can’t believe I am able to keep her alive and healthy and teach her things. It amazes me everyday. She looks up to me and I give her the best of me.’
Rockdog is still her rock, and everyday life is about having fun. “We have so much fun every single day. Don’t get me wrong, we have all the same problems normal people have.. but I am thankful for every moment. ”
Kristy said that the community feedback from Imgur “has been amazing. I have had so many private messages thanking me for my post, people congratulating me and everyone has been so nice. I was invited into groups of users trying to get clean and people reached out to me from everywhere for advice and help.
“Later Rockdog got to the front page and I was able to tell his story about how he has saved my life. That was really cool. I have some people that still ask how he is doing.”
He is mad because I didn't take him with me and trying to hide that he is happy I am home.
When she posted the second time, Kristy said it went even better. “It reached BBC and I gave a live interview. I am going to be speaking at a rehabilitation house for women that want to go back to school soon. Also someone wants to write a book about my story! I was contacted by a small film company to do a movie/documentary. I really want to help people. I think I will continue helping as many people with my story as possible.”
I can't imagine a better friend. My hero.
As for what she has planned next, Kristy said that this would be the last time she would celebrate her anniversary. “It’s been ten years and I am ready to leave the past, in the past. I am not an ex-addict. I am not in recovery. This fall I will walk up on stage and collect my BS in accountancy. I have accomplished so much from that person I was ten years ago. I am overwhelmed with emotion writing this post. I am a whole, strong, and amazing person and I am damn proud of myself.”
This is how Rockdog and I celebrated our ten years together ![:)]()
Here’s to the future Kristy, thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
The post Ten Years Clean from Meth appeared first on The Imgur Blog.