Former heroin addict Ryan Johnson, who used to be homeless and living in a dumpster, has been sober for three and half years and tells Cronkite News he now has “a life that I never imagined.”

“When I was homeless, living in that dumpster and shooting heroin on a daily basis as well as whatever other drugs I was doing that day, that was normal to me,” he said.

Johnson, 28, was one of several recovering addicts who appeared earlier this year in “Hooked, Tracking Heroin’s Hold on Arizona.” Today, he has a job, a baby boy and a renewed relationship with his father.

“Telling me that I could have a house, a car and a kid and actually be a dad, that sounds crazy,” he said. “My life has consistently gotten better over the last three and half years, and that’s what keeps me motivated.”

“That’s what causes me to continue on the path that I’ve gone down because that’s all I’ve ever wanted … just to be happy.”