Lynn Smith
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Lynn Smith |
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| AM I DEAD? My Agony with Ecstasy A lecture/video program At the age of 19, Lynn's dream came true when she enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Lynn was exposed to new people, new ideas and a completely new way of life, a way of life that exposed her to drugs. She tried pot, acid and cocaine - but it was ecstasy that changed her life forever. Lynn had come to New York dreaming of a career in theatre. Ecstasy did not rob her of that dream but it did make her willing to forget about it. She stopped auditioning and focused on what was becoming more important to her, her addiction to ecstasy. Her weekends were spent popping pills and dancing at one of the many clubs in New York City. She worked only to support her habit and the rest of her time was spent getting high. In five months, she went from living somewhat responsibly while pursuing acting to a person who did not care about a thing. She rarely ate or slept and when she did sleep, she had nightmares and panic attacks. She had pasty skin, a throbbing head and the beginnings of paranoia, but she ignored it, thinking it was normal. Until the night she began to hallucinate uncontrollably. Somehow she managed to pick up the phone and call her mother in the middle of the night. Her mother arrived early the next morning. They returned to her hometown where Lynn spent the next fourteen days in a psychiatric ward in a state of extreme confusion. This is what ecstasy gave her, but it did not stop there. While in the hospital, her doctor performed a neuro-spec scan of her brain. The scan showed the damage that she had inflicted upon herself through repeated drug abuse. Since that day, Lynn has dedicated herself to educating others about the perils of ecstasy abuse. She went public with her story in hopes of preventing others from making the same mistakes. Lynn has been given a second chance, and that's not something that everyone gets. Lynn has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, MTV's True Life and the Ananda Lewis Show, among others. She has testified before Congress and lectures frequently. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Partnership for a Drug Free America and featured on their website. |