CHARLOTTE, N.C — Chasty King was an addict, married to her drug dealer and hearing voices when one night a friend told her “Jesus loves you and so do I.” Those words inspired her to get sober and get back into the church.

What You Need To Know

Chasty King was inspired to get sober and return to church when a friend told her “Jesus loves you and so do I”

She created the company Gratitude Press, creating items with words of inspiration that helped her get sober

King will publish a memoir about her experience with drugs and getting back to the church through her Gratitude Press company

“Morphine and heroine may give me a temporary relief, a temporary peace,” King said, “whereas the joy that I get from Jesus, it's real, it's authentic and it never leaves me.”

King has been sober for about five years and works with recovering addicts at Olive Branch Ministry in Gaston County. She also created the company Gratitude Press, creating shirts, mugs and items with inspiring messages.

“I think that by just putting simple phrases onto cups or onto T-shirts where you interact with people every day, you never know how that may speak to somebody,” King said.

She also wrote a memoir about her experience with addiction and recovery, which she plans to publish through Gratitude Press.