25 People Who Did A Total 180 On Their Lives To Turn Things Around

If you ever feel like your life has spiralled out of control and you're not living the life you desire, remember that those who achieved success may have had the same thoughts running through their heads at some point or another. However, those people didn't let their rock bottom defeat them but instead resolved to fundamentally overhaul their lives. Recently, community members of the r/AskReddit discussed the biggest changes they have seen people make in their lives. From health-related decisions to lifestyle choices to career paths, these people have pulled off an inspiring 180 to turn their lives around.

#1 I knew a guy in college who was a straight A student on track to become a doctor, but he was miserable and burned out. One day, he dropped out, moved to a small town, and started a woodworking business. He's now incredibly happy making custom furniture and says it's the best decision he ever made.

Image source: OshiriPlz, Tima Miroshnichenko

#2 My high school gym teacher went from being a health nut and bodybuilder to a professional pastry chef. One day he just decided he was tired of bench presses and protein shakes, went to culinary school, and now he runs one of the best bakeries in town. The dude gained like 50 pounds but swears he's never been happier.

Image source: Immediate_Theory_779, Timothy

#3 For six years, I had constant severe heel pain that made me disabled. I walked with crutches. I had to carefully plan every walking route I took, often I couldn't make it through a Walmart trip without needing to stop and rest on the floor. I never took my textbooks to class with me because a couple textbooks worth of weight would make it hard to get through the day. At home I would often walk on my knees or crawl on the floor. Most of the time when I could go no further kind people would help me walk. But sometimes I was just left there on the ground. Saw many different doctors, they mostly thought it was plantar fasciitis, but no treatment seemed to work.

Suddenly, one of the doctors got it right--it was a rare nerve disorder called tarsal tunnel syndrome not unlike carpal tunnel. He diagnosed it by having a guy inject painkiller directly into the suspected nerve tube. First time in six years I felt no pain. Soon I got surgery and once my foot healed I was amazed that I had basically no more mobility limitations. I went from struggling to make it through my daily activities to dancing for hours at a wedding. This surgery coincided with my university graduation and I was able to get many seasonal jobs one after the other and do biological fieldwork like I had always dreamed of. I tromped through marshes, hiked through deserts, camped in forests, all things that would be totally impossible before. It really was a complete 180. It felt like a miracle honestly. Now I always appreciate my health and whenever I see someone mobility impaired from age or anything I greatly empathize with them. Image source: Rejoicing_Tunicates

#4 Probably mine. Went from alcoholic dead end job in jail to college graduate and middle school teacher with master’s degree.

Image source: GuntherPonz, Max Fischer

#5 One of my high school classmates came from a conservative Evangelical household and it showed. She was very involved with the Christian club on campus and wanted to attend a big Bible college in the South. She was also really homophobic.

Image source: Final_Defenestration, RDNE Stock project Somewhere between graduation and now, she got married young. Her husband turned out to be an abusive POS. She left the marriage with their kid and moved back to the PNW and got a job. Then she met her now-wife and now works for a pro-LGBTQ+ Christian fellowship while raising their kids. Oh, and she posts a lot of pictures of their chickens on Instagram.

#6 3 years ago I was totally paralysed due to a neurological condition. Totally bed ridden dependent on carers. As of this month, I am almost a qualified teacher and ran my first 5K. A doctor told me years ago to accept my life for what it was. I never stopped fighting and now you’d never know anything was ever wrong with me.

Image source: Normal-Ad-4740, MART PRODUCTION

#7 My brother spent his late teens and mid-twenties being a lying, thieving, directionless bum who flunked out of college despite being extremely bright.

Image source: Square-Raspberry560, olia danilevich Then one day he just decided enough was enough, a switch flipped in his brain or something, and he went back to school for electrical engineering, graduated one of the top of his class, and has a stable, well-paying career. And his relationship with the family has never been better. I couldn’t be more proud of him.

#8 Dear friend used to be a self-centered banker crypto bro with vile views on women. He was wealthy at a young age and even had an actual, honest to God marriage of convenience/trophy wife.

Image source: JAbremovic, Regiane Tosatti He was driving alone on a rural road in the holidays and had a car accident where it flipped. He got some head trauma from that, but also the heat in the car went on and out of control. So, it turned into heat stroke that became an actual stroke. Took him three months to get out of a coma. He wasn't good at math anymore and had a soft and friendly personality . Like, unusually so, for him. He also immediately demanded to be given drawing supplies. He didn't have a lot of memories of before and still doesn't. He's not rich anymore, is a professional artist now, and him and his trophy wife fell in love for real. He's extremely happy. He threw out all of his business suits, wears exclusively Hawaiian shirts, has a bunch of dogs, is bisexual and makes erotic ceramics.

#9 From my own experiences :

Going back about 12-13 years ago got married (Indian culture), wasn’t happy but went along with it Started great then the verbal assaults began. Soon turned physical (her to me), but I never raised my hand. Went into a slow downward spiral of heavy drinking every day after work - spending up to 6-7 hours in the pub just to get away from being home. Lasted about 2-3 years. Finally bit the bullet and moved out, staying with friends and doing overnight shifts Family didn’t wanna know me as I’d “disrespected the family name” by going through a divorce. The drinking got worse, I’d subsequently lost my job as a result and legit felt there was no way out. Then … Low and behind a friend of the family reached out. She was living on rent and offered to take me in (speaking with her landlord who accepted) Moved to the other side of London, got myself a job starting from scratch - done my best to stay off alcohol. Fast forward 10 years - now teetotal, married (again) for 7 years, got a 4 year old son and two dogs - and a homeowner. Image source: ID-552555777733999

#10 I gave up drinking, began daily meditation, 45-minute workouts, therapy, AA, regular sleep schedules, good nutrition, and to-do lists every day.

Image source: embattledproximity6, Andrea Piacquadio Changed from being a gloomy alcoholic recluse to a productive, albeit slightly melancholy, member of society. People have asked for help and made comments on how different I seem. It requires a great deal of effort and, more crucially, constancy. Furthermore, change is a gradual process. People seek out fast fixes. Achieving goals and making progress is incredibly satisfying. I started running six months ago, and I finished a 5K with almost 3000 runners in the top 8%. Having done all of this, it is evident that I am not a complete moron. If there is no change, nothing happens!

#11 My own. went from drinking a 12pk a night and smoking weed every day. met the love of my life, had a kid and now I've been sober for 6 years.

Image source: Blooper8r, Vlada Karpovich

#12 I know a guy whose daughter disowned him and wouldn't return phone calls or letters for 10 years. After he sobered up for a few years, his ex-wife let him come back into their lives. He ended up walking his daughter down the aisle, and is literally a pillar in his community today. (I've seen the other kind of 180, too...but I'd rather think about the good ones.).

Image source: dirty_stack, Pavel Danilyuk

#13 I knew a friend who was a quiet librarian who spent her days surrounded by books and her evenings alone at home. She decided to join a local improv group just to try something new and within a few months discovered a natural talent for comedy that ignited a passion she never knew she had. Fast forward two years, and she had quit her job, moved to LA, and landed a spot as a writer on a popular comedy show.

Image source: mariannamom, cottonbro studio

#14 He was a law abiding, productive member of society, with a great career, home and family. Then one day he decided to go to the casino for fun.

Image source: paradisebella, Alexander Schimmeck 2 years later he was a convicted felon with no home, less family and no career. 180’s are not always good things.

#15 My own when my wife and I got divorced. Changed my style, changed back to an old career path, and changed my life for the better. Nothing against my ex-wife, we just wanted different things. She’s doing well and so am I.

Image source: DubeyDeepFried

#16 Guy was single into his late 30's, had a great corporate career, got married, sold his house, and started a family all in 18 months. A few weeks after his daughter starts crawling, he goes to pick her up and ruptures 2 discs in his lower back. Has surgery, comes out in worse pain than before the surgery and develops clots in legs. Ends up having a pulmonary embolism which he barely survives only to be put on large quantities of opiates for pain. Out of work for 2.5 years, can't keep a job, tries to k*ll himself on way to work one morning and his engine stalls which must have flipped a switch. After 7 years of opiates, he detoxes at home by himself, gets clean, finds a job and has been sober since. Fwd 10 years, he ruptures another disc and now needs fusion surgery and will do so without taking any opiates. Please say a prayer, I need all the help I can get.

Image source: IkeTurner14

#17 My niece went from being a m*th-addicted felon who couldn't take care of her kids and bouncing in and out of jail to a respectable, reliable member of society.

Image source: DickySchmidt33, RDNE Stock project There was no fanfare. She just quietly went about changing her life. Most of us had just sort of written her off as a lost cause. My sister (her mother) had actually assumed legal custody of her kids. And she just...changed. She did what she needed to do to get her life back on track. It took a while, but it's one of the most amazing and remarkable turnarounds I have ever seen.

#18 I was raised in foster care after parents died. Emancipated at 17. 6 months later I was waiting in county jail to go serve 3 years in Texas prison. Got out and turned everything around. Made 200k last year and love my life.

Image source: Ancient_Amount3239, Julian Jagtenberg

#19 My sister. She had a string of bad boyfriends in high school and one of them got her into d***s. She married a guy after knowing him for 8 days. He was an abusive a*****e who abandoned her so she turned to her dealer who she married after her divorce from guy #1. They had a kid and got busted selling d***s and storing them under the baby crib. Kid got taken by the state. Sister and husband went to jail. Sister realized she f****d up. Sister vows to make a change. She goes to rehab and goes through every step she needed to get her kid back. Junkie husband won't change. Sister gets pregnant with kid #2 but leaves him before kid #2 is born. They get divorced. She stays clean, remarried to an amazing guy, lands a good job and has another kid. 19 years sober. I'm so f*****g proud of her.

Image source: acheron53

#20 My aunt passed away after a short bout of cancer that was related to her weight(very heavy lady). Her son(cousin) was very large as well and decided to lose the weight. Lost 165 lbs over covid and now runs marathons. Complete different person.

Image source: ReasonableLibrary741, Annushka Ahuja

#21 I can only speak for myself. I was 13 years old, overweight, sick all the time, prone to violent outbursts (mimicking my biological father), and actively researching the most painless and foolproof methods for ending my life.

Image source: el_cid_viscoso, Oleksandr P I started running. At first, I could only make it a couple of hundred feet. My ankles felt like they'd burst into flames. But I leaned into the pain, because it felt like something other than despair. I kept running. Within a year, I was fit, swore off violence, and found several compelling reasons to live. And I got hopped up on bananas and Diet Coke and ran 13 miles one afternoon like it was nothing. I've fallen back into the pit several times in my life, but I always claw my way out toward the light. Running has always been the fulcrum. I'd be dead without it.

#22 Friend of a friend was big into m*th at the time, already a couple years deep. He would regularly play scratchers and would frequently explain how if he spent enough overtime that he was guaranteed to win sometime. No amount of actual math helped him understand, so after buying his d***s, he would happily spend the rest on scratchers.

Image source: Aro_Luisetti, Professor Batty Well you wouldn't f*****g believe it, but that bastard won 30 grand on a $5 scratcher. He sobered up, bought a car so he could get a better job, and (I haven't heard from him in a few years cuz i moved but i see his posts every once in a while) is living happily as a nighttime janitor for a school. Sometimes, I wish I could explain to the billionaires of the world how .000001% of their wealth could completely change a life, but I'm so poor I'd get crucified for even thinking about having a conversation with one of em.

#23 My mom used to be a holocaust denier. I couldn't accept this. I took her to the holocaust museum, had her talk with Rabbis, and introduced her to lots of Jewish people. She has spent a lot of time with the Jewish community. She did a complete 180, now she can't believe it only happened once.

Image source: Uppyr_Mumzarce, Pixabay

#24 It was my 23rd birthday. I was 300 pounds and tired of life. I asked for a gastric sleeve, got the family support, went through the process on my own and now im 24, at around 226 pounds, and going for my Krav Maga green belt on Saturday. Still not at goal but way better. I'm still depressed though.

Image source: talarthearmenian, Towfiqu barbhuiya

#25 Old friend of mine was rootless and disconnected. She started feeding the homeless and found her calling.

Image source: SalesTaxBlackCat, MART PRODUCTION I’m proud to have answered her first request for items for the homeless. I sent bundles of gym socks. Now, she’s internet famous; her non profit is completely driven by donations via social media. She’s won several awards. She’s provided the connective tissue for many people to move forward. Biggest 180 I’ve ever seen.