3 1/2 Years in the Making: Mishealah McBride Coming Clean [Group Project Sidestory]

Mishealah at age 21

Illicit drug use is a huge problem in Maryland and has been for years. This is one woman’s story of why she started using, the process of getting clean, and how she stays sober after 3 ½ years.

“I started experimenting with drugs when I was 18” Mishealah says. “At first it was only marijuana and random club drugs. At that point in my life drug use was still pretty manageable.” A year later, Mishealah’s use first became a problem when she started abusing opiate pain medication. “I progressively used stronger versions of the drugs until I turned to heroin at 22.” Shea knew that she had a problem

as she had gone through her first withdraw on the cusp of age 21 but continued to use. The main thing that made her quit was the birth and threat of loosing her son due to her habits. “For me, that’s what I would consider my ‘Rock Bottom’. The point at which I was ready to accept that I needed to do something about my drug use. This point is different for all addicts.”

Mishealah with her son Liam at the halfway house (8 months clean) 

Mishealah then went to a rehabilitation facility on July 23, 2016 and the process was “difficult to say the least”. “When I made the decision to get help I didn’t really grasp how hard and painful the process was going to be. I had been using drugs to cover up the pain and emotions from a traumatic experience from when I was 16, so when I got clean I had to learn how to cope with those emotions without using.” Her son, Liam helped her through the process. After rehab, Mishealah moved to a halfway house two hours away from her home in an effort to stay clean.

“I was told when I got clean that I had to get clean for myself and not for someone else. But, in my

Mishealah with her 2 children
and her finance Chance in a local park (2 years 1 month clean)

experience, I got clean for my son and my kids as well as my family. They are what continue to drive me not to use.” Shea also states that “Getting clean was the hardest thing I ever had to do but it is by far the most rewarding experience of my life.” Of course there are days when Mishealah is tempted to use again but “the loss of my loved ones and possibly my life is much more important than the temporary high I’d get”.

Mishealah with her daughter Quinn at
Baltimore National Zoo (2 years 10 months clean)

When asked which drugs she thinks are the most damaging she replied “Almost all drugs have a negative impact on people but in my experience, heroin and other opiates have cause the shortest term and long term damage to the drug user’s body. These are also the drugs I have seen cause the most death, which not only effects the user but also causes unimaginable pain to their loved ones as well.”

Mishealah is by far not the only person affected by drug use. From experiences, she has lost friends and colleagues because of addiction. “Drug abuse became very prevalent in the area I lived before I got clean” Mishealah says. “It’s still a growing issue in that area and continues to cost many young people their lives”.

Now, Mishealah focuses on being a good mother to her two kids and will be clean for four years in July of 2017.