Ten years. That's how long I've been clean from methamphetamine, and it still haunts me. Ten years later I still refuse to take cold medicines containing pseudo-ephedrine. Ten years later I still think about the high. My story is no different from thousands of others': at the conclusion of my addiction, I had dropped from 190 to 140 pounds and was beginning to look like a walking skeleton. While the sex was great when I was just starting meth, later in my addiction I was unable to perform. While I avoided most of the side effects of the drug--the pockmarked face, missing teeth and a diminishing hairline--what meth did to me mentally, emotionally and physically is undeniable. Many users of meth have had bad childhood issues, or are involved in a situation they wish they were rid of: a bad relationship, poverty or underemployment. Meth makes all the bad go away due to its effect on the body's dopamine receptors. I didn't care about my problems, my family issues or my relationships. In the end, I didn't care about myself. I remember feeling at the time that if I shot too much meth and ended up in a fatal overdose, that would be just fine by me. How did I stop? I just decided that I didn't like where my life was heading, and I went on one last binge. After chasing that last ultimate high for three days, I realized that I was never going to attain it and put the needle down for good. But it haunts me to this day. All I need is just one more hit.

Joel Stevens--via internet

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