Life in recovery from opioid addiction can be ‘beyond your wildest dreams’

• Keira McGuire
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  Keira McGuire is a health reporter and multimedia producer for WITF. She hosts and produces Transforming Health television programs as well as other shows and documentaries for WITF’s Original Productions. McGuire produced the Emmy Award winning series HealthSmart for the last ten years. Keira previously worked at WBFF in Baltimore and WMDT in Salisbury as a reporter and anchor. She’s a graduate of Towson University.

At one point in time, opioids ruled Leah Hutchinson’s life.

“That obsession was just above all, you know.  And that was my mission…. I wouldn’t stop until I could get the heroin,” says Hutchinson.

When Hutchinson finally began treatment for her addiction about three years ago, she was surprised to find out how common opioid misuse had become.

“I was just floored by the amount of patients that were there for opioids strictly.  A lot of them were there for multiple times to try and kick the opioid addiction.  I just did not realize how huge and widespread it is until then,” says Hutchinson.

Today, Hutchinson feels it’s important to share her story to give others hope for recovery.  She says her life today is beyond her wildest dreams.

“That’s something that I got told would happen like in the beginning.  And I remember just doubting that statement and being like, what’s that even mean?  Does that mean like nice cars, lots of money, you know, big family?  But it’s really none of those things for me.  You know, I’ve gotten to just this place of at peace inside and this serenity and this just I’m OK.  And that is enough for me.  Like that is more than I ever could have bargained for,” says Hutchinson.