Amelia, Northern NSW

Amelia comes from a family where substance abuse was "pretty rife" growing up. "We had opium poppies growing in our back yard," she recalls. "The first time I had heroin, I smoked it with a couple of hippies who grew it themselves."

A recreational user until her mid-twenties, things changed for Amelia when a long-term relationship crumbled around her and she started using more frequently. But when she tried to stop, she couldn't.

"It was ridiculous, I was such a mess," she says. "One day I woke up and thought I don’t want to be slave to heroin any more. I want to survive."

"I already knew a fair bit (about treatment programs). I did some research, had a good read on the internet. I had a beautiful doctor too." But while Amelia says her experience was "fantastic" she's seen enough to know everyone's treatment journey can be very different.

"No one's ever the same. You have to work out what's best for you - your body and your situation."