Former opioid addict who inspired film 'Four Good Days': 'I lost everything' but 'recovery is possible'

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Former opioid addict on road to recovery: 'I lost everything'

Amanda Wendler, the inspiration behind the film 'Four Good Days,' joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss her battle against opioid addiction and how she made recovery possible.

Former opioid addict Amanda Wendler, who is the inspiration behind the 2020 film "Four Good Days," joined "America's Newsroom" on Wednesday to discuss her road to recovery, advocating that addicts can recover and live normal lives. 

WHAT IS NARCAN? THE LIFESAVING TREATMENT THAT CAN REVERSE OPIOID OVERDOSE SYMPTOMS

"I got into a snowmobile accident around 16, and the doctor gave me Vicodin for the pain, and it just took off from there," Wendler told co-host Dana Perino. "I kept going back to the doctor more and more…before you know it, I was up to 180 a month, seeing two or three different doctors a month."

"That went on until… I couldn't find the pain pills anywhere – I turned to heroin," Wendler recalled. "I lost everything."

The film based on Wendler's journey features a mother (played by numerous awards-winning actress Glenn Close) who helps her daughter (Golden Globe-nominated Mila Kunis) along the road to recovery after she unsuccessfully underwent several rehabilitation stints and even stole from her family to fuel her addiction. 

NARCAN is used to help revive opioid overdose victims. A pair of Cincinnati police officers recently used the medication to help a woman who was experiencing a drug overdose. (Photo By MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Despite battling her addiction for years, Wendler maintained addicts can recover - acknowledging, though, that her journey has not been an easy one.

"We do recover… I'm a living testament to that," Wendler explained. "I went to more than like 20 different rehabs, but… with therapy and meetings, recovery is possible."

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Wendler's remarks come as the opioid crisis continues to devastate communities across the nation, with drug-overdose deaths hitting an all-time high within a 12-month period. 

Perino noted that, last year alone, there were 100,000 related deaths.

"My life is beautiful today," Wendler said, addressing the stigma of addicts and hoping to dispel any doubt that they can recover. "So there is another side to this."