'This is what my little girls walked in on': Heroin addict shares shocking photos of herself
A US woman has shared a number of photos demonstrating the effects of taking heroin and the toll it took on her body in the hope of warning others not use the drug.
Melissa Lee Matos has now been clean for a year and five months but wanted to share the photos of herself of what she says is her lowest point to demonstrate why people shouldn't take drugs.
"I have NEVER shared these before. I'm not sure I ever intended to. This is extremely hard for me in so many ways," she wrote in a viral Facebook post.
"However, too many people are dying. I have friends who need to see this. It goes beyond what my words can accomplish. This is by far, the most raw thing I have shared with the world.
"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."
Matos shared six extremely confronting photos on the post in the hopes people suffering from drug addiction would reach out for help.
"If you are currently in active addiction, this is my plea to you. 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," she said.
"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.
She added: "If you are reading this and are going through the same pain I did, I am begging you to reach out. I died more than once. I have now found life. I promise you, there is HOPE. There is recovery. There is freedom and serenity and you are worthy of it."
"Please, please reach out. You do not have to suffer any longer. You are not alone. Just reach out your hand, I'm right here."
Matos even posted her phone number down the bottom and her email for people to contact her if they feel they need to.
She has since had over 47,000 shares on the post and 14,000 comments, many in support of her bravely sharing the photos.