🔍 From Relief to Recovery: Abby Johnson’s Story
Abby Johnson, a 35-year-old mum of two from Gloucester, faced an unimaginable journey after a gastric sleeve surgery. What started as a simple prescription for pain relief ended in a struggle with addiction that almost consumed her life. Initially prescribed codeine to manage post-surgery pain, Abby quickly found herself unable to let go of the habit, eventually taking up to 120 pills a day.
Caught in a whirlwind of addiction, Abby’s life took a downward spiral, leading her to amass a staggering £8,000 in debt. The daily routine of pharmacy hopping became exhausting as she sought over-the-counter relief to stave off painful withdrawal symptoms. Abby was living a secret life, hiding the chaos from everyone except her mum.
Abby realised her dependency wasn’t giving her the buzz it once did. “I was taking it to survive,” she admits. The turning point came when a near-fatal overdose shook her to the core, prompting Abby to seek help from a drug and alcohol service. Nine months on, she is bravely overcoming her addiction journey.
Determined to recover, Abby hopes to break the stigma around opioid addiction. She’s on a mission to introduce a national database to monitor codeine sales, preventing others from slipping through the cracks. “Know you’re not alone,” she says. “There is help out there.”
Abby is now relishing life’s simple pleasures: cooking, walking, and spending quality time with her children. Her story is a powerful reminder of resilience and the strength to reclaim one’s life from the clutches of addiction. 🌟✨
Follow Abby’s inspiring recovery journey and support her cause to raise awareness about opioid addiction. Let’s start conversations and break the stigma together! 💙 #OpioidAwareness #RecoveryJourney #BreakingStigma