A mum who was "high 24/7" on meth and Xanax after her solider husband was killed has revealed how she turned her life around.
Natalee King, 33, suffered with depression and spent time in prison for drug-driving after husband John King died in a tragic training accident in 2013.
However, the air force vehicle operator says meeting Justin White, 31, helped her onto the straight and narrow - and they now have a beautiful family.
Five years sober, Natalee, from Florida, US, said: "Not only did he help me get clean, but he allows me to grieve my late husband's death in any way I want.
"He lets me talk about him all the time. Now I spend my days raising my youngest son, and I do a lot of meditating, breathing treatments and therapy."
The couple met on an airbase in Japan in 2011 and, later that year, Natalee became pregnant.
John James King was then born in 2012 and the family moved to Maryland but, just eight months later her husband was crushed by a truck.
She said: "I was told he was OK at first, but two hours went by and then they all showed up in blue uniform, and told me he was dead.
"It was gut-wrenching. I remember I was sitting on the couch and when I stood up, my knees gave out. I fell to the floor and started vomiting like I had the flu.
"I remember looking at my son and it was unbearable - I didn't know how I would be able to raise him alone."
John's death sent Natalee into a spiral - and it was then that she became addicted to prescription Xanax.
She said: "It made me forget what I was feeling. Every day was so painful - every morning I'd wake up and hate my life. I wished I wouldn't have to keep waking up."
But, just months later, doctors took the drugs away - so Natalee turned to buying it from street dealers on street corners.
It was then that she started taking crystal meth, and she says she herself "high almost 24/7".
And after having her licence revoked for driving under the influence, she was jailed for getting behind the wheel illegally.
Natalee says she was then in and out of prison - and had to sign over custody of her young son over to her mum.
She said: "My mum talked me into handing over custody because she didn't think I would make it out alive.
"She'd already lost my sister to drugs, and I believed I wouldn't make it out alive either."
But then, in 2016, Natalee met Justin - who told her he wanted to help her get clean.
The couple worked together and now, in February 2023, it will be five years since she touched drugs, cigarettes or alcohol.
Natalee even managed to stay sober after her dad died in 2021 - which she feared would send her back to a dark place.
The mum-of-two also got custody of John back from her mum and she and Justin had a son of their own, Jensen Richard White, now four, in 2018.
She said: "When I hit rock bottom, I was taking methamphetamine in the day to wake me up, and Xanax at night to help me sleep.
"I had no car, no job, and I was living at my parents house.
"But a man came into my life, Justin, and helped me get sober. It took two years to taper myself off the Xanax because of how much I was taking.
"Justin stayed by my side until I was clean - even when my father died in 2021, which I had worried would send me spiralling back, I stayed sober.
"Now I'll celebrate five years clean next month and it feels amazing - I'm not on a constant rollercoaster any more.
"It feels so good to be clean. Drugs really tear your body apart, so badly.
"I felt - and still feel - temptations all the time. I even have dreams of using Xanax and crystal meth almost every night, even five years later.
"But I'm not around those people any more - I have my kids and I have Justin.
After choosing to share her addiction and recovery journey online, she said she wants to "help and inspire others" struggling with addiction.
She said: "I feel shame towards certain parts, but as far as addiction goes, and what I did, I'm learning to forgive myself.
"Recovery is an everyday working progress, but I'm not on the rollercoaster any more, and my body isn't fighting for its life.
"I lost almost half my life to drugs but I will not go back - because it feels amazing to be here."
