WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — While the heroin epidemic continues to plague western Pennsylvania, especially Washington County, a former addict is speaking about how she overcame and persevered.
“Nine years ago, I found myself addicted to heroin, homeless, facing a state prison sentence, and all I wanted to do is die,” Ashley Potts said during Sen. Bob Casey’s press conference Friday.%
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In her 9 ½ years of being clean, she’s gone from homeless addict to advocate.
“I did horrible things to support my drug habit. I did really bad things to good people. Everything the drug told me to do, I did. I couldn't go through the physical withdrawals,” Potts said.
She now works at South Western Pennsylvania Human Services fulltime, helping people in recovery while getting her master’s degree as a presidential scholar.
“When I got clean on Sept. 11, 2006, I never thought someday I would be sitting with federal legislators holding a press conference to stand up for those in recovery,” Potts said.
She told legislators Friday she believes the only way to beat heroin is long-term treatment.
“I spent seven days in detox, 29 days inpatient, six months in a halfway house and outpatient after that,” Potts said.
A total of 216 days later, she said she’s now healthy and happy.
“My life was worth saving 10 years ago and so is everybody else’s,” Potts said.
Cox Media Group