REAL STORIES

Age: 25
Gender: Female
Location: Caldwell

My name is Jennifer, I started using meth when I was 16. I first tried it out of curiosity and liked it. The first couple of years I smoked it socially, with a friend. I started meeting new people, and going to strange houses to smoke it at. After my friend went to prison for using meth, I continued. It was like, no one liked me, unless I was high. During my 5 year use I have been in trashy hotels, met a lot of scary men who all carried guns, have almost been raped countless times, and had tried to quit countless more times. When i was 18 I found a guy that didn't use and I had a kid with him. I used during my pregnancy and knew several other pregnant woman who used with me. Some people convinced me my baby would be fine, others refused to smoke with me, cuz I was pregnant. I knew it was bad for my baby. I kept telling myself, "today is the last time." I stopped using in my 8th month and started again 3 weeks after my baby was born. My boyfriend wanted me to quit. I tried so hard to, but didn't succeed. I used behind his back while he went to work, and neglected my baby. I remember taking my baby to a friendıs house, I put my baby on the couch while I went to smoke. He was only a couple months old, and rolled off the couch. I put him back on the couch and went back to smoking. Another time, I had been up all night at a friend's house. Went home in the morning, put my baby on the bed and I passed out from not sleeping. I don't know how long I was out. When my baby got older, I knew I was addicted. I would search for hours, sometimes calling in sick to my job. When I got my meth, my hands would shake I couldn't prepare it quick enough. I once left my sleeping toddler in his crib to go get more meth. I put my toddler in his high chair in front of the tv while I went in the bathroom. Toward the end of my use, I was using by myself. I didn't need friends to use with me anymore. I was 21, heavily addicted and had been in rehab and in patient care so many times. I couldn't quit. finally I told myself I needed to be a mom and a wife! I cut all my friends out of my life, erased phone numbers, conceded to my husband, became a stay at home mom, and didn't see anyone but family for 2 years. It worked! I am now 25 years old, I have been clean since Nov 2004. It was hard to get clean and there were times I thought I'd never make it, but I've come this far. Thank you for letting me share. My dream is to get the word out about meth and share my story. Unfortunately, I have asperger's syndrome and do not speak very well. I write better than I speak, so I'd appreciate if you could pass my story on for me. Thank you.

The following is some info I think parents and teens need to know. Meth prevents you from sleeping and makes you feel 100 feet tall and bullet proof. The more you "do" the longer you stay awake. I have personally seen people awake for weeks. When you do not sleep you start to see things/people/objects that are not there, hear things that you really aren't hearing, feel things crawling on your skin, or feel the urge to pick at your skin until it bleeds, and get real paranoid. I have seen people get so paranoid they thought the cops were after them, peeking out windows, and running around the house trying to throw their stash away. I have also seen someone thing someone else stole his stash, went crazy asking who took it and waving their gun around. It's a horrible horrible drug that makes you do horrible things to your loved ones, neglect your kids, hate your parents/family, and stop associating with real friends that care about you. The commercials are corny, but true... don't even try it once. It's not worth it.

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