BILLINGS - The road to recovery from drug addiction is a constant struggle. This week, we met two women who say Billings' Drug Court put them on the right track. Although it was difficult, they believe it saved their lives.

It's been more than a year since either Mandi Smith or Amanda Brum used drugs or alcohol. They no longer walk the streets looking for a fix. They say they owe it to the drug court team. Both Mandi Smith and Amanda Brum started Drug Court in the jail based treatment program. They'd travel from lock-up to treatment on a daily basis.

It was no picnic, Mandi went through severe withdrawals in jail. Mandi says, “When I walked into that jail everyone thought this girl is going to die in here." That wasn't the last time she would go through withdrawals, but at some point 3 or 4 months into drug court, things started to change for both Mandi and Amanda.

Amanda says, "I've been incarcerated. I've been to treatment and nothing's worked and this is the first time it has." Mandi says, "I owe my life to that program." Gradually, month after month, the pieces of their lives started falling into place.

Amanda says, "I've got an awesome job that I love. I plan on starting school this fall. I've got people I can call friends now." Mandi says, "They help you adjust to living life. If you want a different life, they're gonna help you get it." People they had lost, came back. Mandi continues, "I have good relationships with all my family members. Its a miracle."

Amanda once again has custody of her 9-year old son Adrian. She says, "It's awesome. There's something. There's a whole inside and now with him back and even with just my family back in my life it's been awesome."

Mandi graduated from Drug Court in January. Now she shares her story with various groups in hopes that they will learn from it. She says, "I hope that some of those kids walk away from there inspired not to end up like that."

Amanda is set to graduate from Drug Court this spring. She says, "When we're in our addictions we give up on ourselves, we think everybody hates us. Just don't give up hope and believe in yourself. You can overcome it."

Both Mandi and Amanda plan to go to college at MSU-Billings this fall to become addiction counselors for adolescents.