WARNING: Contains graphic images
Melissa Lee Matos/FacebookA former heroin addict bravely shared photographs of herself ravaged by drug addiction, in images that depict distressing scenes.
Melissa Lee Matos is a self-confessed addict, who at her lowest was like ‘a dead girl’ who barely left the house and forgot to feed her children. In a heartfelt post, Melissa called herself ‘a needle junkie’ who ended up covered in scabs and sores; the tell-tale signs of heroin addiction.
She shared photographs as proof, in order to shock fellow addicts into seeking help, which you can see below:
Melissa Lee Matos/FacebookMelissa wrote:
My name is Melissa, and I’m an addict. I have been clean and in recovery for just about a year and five months. This was what I looked like, daily, for years. This is what my husband dealt with. This is what my little girls walked in on.
This is what my family and friends saw, on the rare occasions I left the house. I was SICK. I was DYING. I was so far gone I thought I could NEVER recover. I was so lost I couldn’t imagine a life without using. I just wanted to die. I didn’t realize [sic] I was hardly alive.
Melissa Lee Matos/FacebookThe brave woman also had a ‘plea’ for those currently in active addiction, saying:
Look at these pictures. Images of a dead girl. A needle junkie with a habit so fierce she spent days and nights in a self induced coma on her bathroom floor. A girl who would spend every cent on dope and forget she had kids to feed and take care of. A girl who lost every single thing she ever had. A girl who was so sick she thought she would never ever find a way out, until she did.
***Warning: Graphic Images***I have NEVER shared these before. I'm not sure I ever intended to. This is extremely hard…
Posted by Melissa Lee Matos on Friday, 14 July 2017
Melissa now works closely with the charity RecoverMe, which helps heroin addicts get back on track. She is an inspiration to many.
If you are suffering with addiction, please visit the NHS for treatment, or call Action on Addiction on 0300 330 0659 for impartial, friendly advice.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.