Lynn Marie Smith

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At the age of 19, I moved from small-town Pennsylvania to New York City to pursue a career in acting. I was exposed to new people, new challenges and a completely new way of life; a way of life that included drugs. I tried pot, acid, cocaine, and ecstasy.

Drugs made me willing to forget my dream. I started using more and more. Within 4ve months, my life completely changed.

I worked only to support my habit. My weekends were spent popping pills and dancing at clubs. I rarely ate or slept, and when I did sleep, I had nightmares and panic attacks.

I ignored my deteriorating condition, until one night I began to hallucinate uncontrollably. I spent the next 14 days in a psychiatric ward receiving treatment. While in the hospital, my doctor performed a neuro-spec scan of my brain.

The scan showed the damage that I had in5icted upon myself through repeated drug abuse; the image of my brain was compared to that of a 70-year old woman who had suffered multiple strokes. I was then told I must swallow more pills in ... more. less.

order to get better. I was placed on anti-psychotics, antidepressants, sleeping medications, and mood stabilizers; basically trading one set of drugs for another. I never wanted to become an addict, but it happened anyway. When I was offered drugs in a posh New York City apartment, it didn't seem like a dangerous choice to make. Once I'd experienced the "high" of drugs, it was easy to go back to them; to ease my nerves, to get over a bad day, for an extra burst of energy. The outcome was frightening and life-altering. I was lucky enough to survive and, through determination, recover. Today, I dedicate myself to educating others about the perils of substance abuse because I've been there and know. I went public with my story in hopes of preventing others from making the same mistakes. I have been given a second chance, and that is not something everyone gets. cLynn has become a valuable spokesperson for the Partnership and the anti-drug cause. Her voice is powerful and Lynn 9s commitment to using her experience to help others is considerable . d -Stephen J Pasierb President Partnership for a Drug Free America cThis very personal account of one young woman 9s journey is gripping and in-your-face . d - Nancy Cartwright Voice of Bart Simpson on The Simpsons cI wish that all aspiring party girls would read Rolling Away , Lynn Marie Smith 9s cautionary tale, to understand how damaging and empty drug abuse really is. d -Lizzie Simon author of Detour Lynn Marie Smith LYNNSMITH77@AOL.COM WWW.ROLLINGAWAY.COM BOOKING INFO: 646.320.6819 A SURVIVOR SPEAKS OUT SHARING THE REALITY AND CONSEQUENCES OF DRUG ABUSE My brain normal brain I have appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show , MTV's True Life and others. I am an Advisory Board member of the Partnership for a Drug Free America and have testi4ed before Congress for reforms in Drug Policy and Drug Education. My book Rolling Away is published by Simon & Schuster.

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