Book excerpt: Have you ever felt like your entire existence was meant only to break you? Like no matter how hard you try, nothing would ever get better? Have you watched a loved one veer so far off from the person you thought you knew? With every action and decision resulting in plummeting to rock bottom with no hope of ever getting out? Many people live this way without change because they are unaware of a different, less painful way of life. Everything they knew stemmed from why they became addicted to a substance that helped them escape from reality – a reality that was filled with fear, pain and negativity. How does one change a life of unnecessary suffering that was once so normal? What steps and actions need to take place to overcome these obstacles? Ashley recounts her experience living with a life-threatening addiction for ten years, and how her struggles and adversity eventually manifested into hope and recovery. She shares her heartfelt story about the trauma that led her to substance abuse, and what her life is like now being free from the binding grips of addiction.