Four months into her five-year prison sentence, Teen Mom‘s Amber Portwood is opening up about her decision to opt out of a court-ordered rehab stint and details how her life has changed since she’s been behind bars.
Speaking to Dr. Drew Pinsky in an emotional half-hour special, Amber Behind Bars, Portwood, 21, tells the addiction specialist she longs for the little things in life she once enjoyed.
“I just miss being able to sleep in. I miss going to Starbucks, driving in my car and listening to music. I know those are material things, but they made me happy,” Portwood tells Pinsky in this exclusive preview clip. “I miss freedom is what it is — I miss my family.”
Portwood has had the chance to speak to Leah, 3, her daughter with ex Gary Shirley, while she’s been locked up at the Rockville Correctional Facility in Indiana, and Pinsky tells Us Weekly he’s trying to arrange an in-person visit for them soon.
“[At the prison] they actually have visitation playgrounds for the kids. It’s really set up — she has to walk by this playground every day where other people are visiting their children. It’s very tough for her,” says Pinsky, who chatted with Portwood nearly three weeks ago.
As former substance abuser Portwood works to better herself physically and emotionally, she’s grateful that her ex Shirley can parent their daughter full-time. “She knows she’s in no shape to be parenting right now. She knows it,” Pinsky explains. “Gary certainly has stepped up. He has help with in-laws and grandparents but he’s not passing off his responsibilities at all.”
For much more of Pinsky’s conversation with Portwood, watch the video above now before Amber Behind Bars: An MTV Special airs Tuesday at 10 p.m. (EST).