In her first post-prison interview, former Teen Mom star Amber Portwood spoke bluntly about her prescription pill addiction and how prison was a much-needed reality check.
“Before prison, I never thought about Leah. I was addicted to drugs and didn’t care about anything else,” Amber, 23, told In Touch of her Vicodin and Ambien abuse. “Prison saved my life — and gave me a second chance at being a mother.”
In 2012, Amber shocked many, including her lawyer, when she voluntarily went to prison in lieu of continuing drug treatment. During an October 2012 MTV, Amber told Dr. Drew that she made the radical decision because she feared she would die otherwise.
Even though Amber decided to serve her prison sentence, she told In Touch that she wasn’t really prepared for the harsh realities of life behind bars.
“It felt like a nightmare… Feeling humiliated and vulnerable (from the strip search), you literally have nothing and walk around like a zombie,” she said. “There were times I reached a breaking point.”
Still, she persevered and was released early for good behavior.
“I knew the only person who could get me out of there was me.”
Now free — both from incarceration and from her addiction — Amber is focused on rebuilding her relationship with Leah. She even teamed up with Never Too Late, an organization that helps addicts get help. We also expect to see Amber, Leah and Gary Shirley back on MTV early next year of a Being Amber special.
