REGINA -- Youth addiction can be difficult for a family, but with a strong support system it's possible for young people to recover.
No one knows what the recovery process is like better than Michelle, a recovering crystal meth addict. She is now using her experience to help others deal with addictions.
"Families need to support each other and love each other and get help for the whole family," said Michelle, whose last name was withheld to protect her identity.
Michelle told her story to a group of parents who participated in a four-part addiction awareness series hosted by the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region's Addiction Services.
"The way I see it is my mom gave me the gift of life and the way I live my life is my gift to her. I never really looked at it like that before because I was too selfish," said Michelle.
She didn't always have that perspective. Michelle began experimenting with drugs at an early age and dropped out of high school in Grade 10. She began drinking alcohol by the age 13 and in the matter of a couple of years she was using a variety of drugs. Michelle said as a teenager she was searching for the love and attention that she felt was missing in her life.
Her life took a dramatic turn at the age of 23 when she tried crystal meth.
"The first time I tried it I was addicted," said Michelle. "It was different from all other drugs I had ever done, because before drugs and alcohol was a lifestyle for me. Crystal meth was the first time I couldn't live without it."
For the next three years her life revolved around her addiction as it spiralled out of control and she slowly lost friends and family. When she reached her lowest point it was her mom who stepped in and helped her on the road to recovery. She said it wasn't easy, but her mother never gave up on her. Together they found a way out and now Michelle is using her story to give some hope to parents.
"It took me six months to get into rehab and I was a crystal meth addict, which was very disappointing. It is something I hope changes in the future for other people because crystal meth is a very hard drug to get off," Michelle said, adding she wouldn't have been able to stay on her path to recovery without her mother's unwavering support.
"I just wish we had more resources to help families with this. We need to as a community pull our pants up and help people. I'm definitely one of the lucky ones because I had a mom who loved me. When I didn't love myself my mom loved me."
It has taken some time and Michelle still attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Now she is speaking out about addiction and is hoping her story will help others.
"I thought if I put as much effort into changing my life as I did screwing it up then I can't do half bad," said Michelle.
Not only was she able to overcome her addiction she has decided to dedicate her life to helping others and is now a second-year social work student at the University of Regina. Her proudest moment to date was on Thursday when she received 98 per cent on an essay assignment for one of her classes.
"I just learned that if you want to help yourself you have to do things for other people," said Michelle. "I spend a lot of time trying to help other people."
Although she feels more services are needed to treat addiction she's happy with what Addiction Services is doing by hosting information sessions.
"We present a way of looking at addictions in such a way that parents are empowered to take a look at what they are doing so that they can parent smarter and not parent harder," explained addictions counsellor Don Fitzsimmons.
