Its a nice way of saying she was an addict, severe drug problems. The first step to getting help is "detox". You spend about 10 or so days in a special place without drugs. After that, if you are lucky enough to have funding or help from government you can get into a treatment center, where you can live and sleep for 1 to 3 months and have counseling and food etc. to heal and get away from addiction. You can't just go to treatment because detoxing from hard drugs requires medical attention because it can be dangerous. So there is a process and phases.
It's a very difficult choice for people, that have fallen, because it means they have to face all of the destruction and guilt they have brought into their own and other's lives.
Doing the drug gives the brain a feeling of "bliss", yet somehow deep down an addict sometimes realizes that this bliss is only synthetic.
But unfortunately most people don't understand and are not sympathetic to how difficult it is to change in this regard. It's embarrassing, even though it shouldn't be.
Thanks for asking. I hope that helps you understand.
RE: I wrote this note below to a friend, who made a strong decision to pick her life up...