A mum who battled drug addiction and homelessness has become a formidable force in the fight against the opioid epidemic Jessica Danielle, of East Texas, became addicted to prescribed pain medication following complications from a minor surgery. Now four years clean, the 33-year-old is sharing her story and helping others overcome addiction through her work with Texas Against Fentanyl (TXAF). Jessica's early life in a Dallas suburb was marred by familial instability.
Raised initially as an only child, her parents divorced when she was seven. Her mother, a severe alcoholic, created a tumultuous home environment. "I lived with her in a very dysfunctional environment for two years," Jessica recalls.
"I eventually moved in with my father and stepmother, who I consider my real mother and grew up with four siblings. I was always very co-dependent. Co-dependency and addiction tend to go hand in hand more times than not.
" READ MORE: Whoopi Goldberg admits she was a 'high-functioning addict' as cocaine 'kicked my ---' Jessica's journey of addiction began at 25, following a minor surgery that led to a severe infection and a prescription for pain medication. "I was massively overprescribed painkillers. I don't think it was done maliciously, but I became dependent and then addicted," she notes.
"My situation deteriorated when my doctor abruptly cut me off after I failed a drug test, having tried heroin for the first time just a week before the random test. My addiction spiralled, leading.