Sophie Nyweide Tried to Save Other Addicts, But Couldn't Save Herself, Friend Says

Sophie Nyweide always strove to help other people dealing with drug addiction, even though she ultimately wasn't able to conquer her own disease ... so says her longtime friend and former partner.

Eden Herlihy sat down with us for an interview all about Sophie -- who she met at a clinic in Utah called Elevations, which helps kids with anxiety, depression, bullying and other issues ... and, she says she was immediately struck by how kind and welcoming Sophie was.

Nyweide wasn't judgmental like other girls in the program, Eden explains ... and, she carried that through the rest of her life -- always trying to help those around her who were struggling with drugs, bullying, and other challenges.

Herlihy -- who dated Sophie for a time -- says her late friend wasn't able to overcome her own disease, the word Eden uses multiple times to describe the addiction ... admitting the two used drugs together multiple times.

She says they watched many of their friends succumb to the disease ... but, she never thought Sophie would be one of them because she was so strong -- adding it never seemed like she reached a point where she thought she wouldn't be able to overcome her addiction.

Worth noting ... the medical examiner in Vermont has not yet released a cause of death, so it's unclear if Nyweide overdosed -- though investigators are looking into that.

As we told you ... Sophie was found on a riverbank in Vermont and pronounced dead earlier this month. She was with a man when she died, though cops have stated that at this time, he's not a suspect or person of interest.

Tragically, Nyweide was pregnant when she passed ... and, Herlihy gets real emotional when talking about what it would've meant to her to be a mother.

Sophie was 24.