By Sara Strong
"I finally have my son back."
That's what one Luverne mother is saying after 1 1/2 years of dealing with her now 20-year-old son's meth addiction.
He started using pot when he was about 14, and by the time he was in his third round of drug treatment, he was using needles to inject himself with methamphetamines.
This mother wished to remain anonymous to protect her family. She will be referred to as Jan.
Typical symptoms of weight loss and mood swings seemed to Jan like a teen-age phase. But that phase turned into an all-out change in her son.
"Once they're on it so long, it really changes them. He was there, but not really. His whole face changed."
Jan's son has been clean for five months and has put on 40 pounds.
During the peak of his use, her son lost some teeth and has since had root canals to correct some deep damage.
"Now his face is clearer and he talks decent again," Jan said.
Her son twitched and developed mannerisms when he spoke to her.
The weight loss was partially due to not eating and partially due to increased calorie burning from being awake for days at a time.
"For a while when we were in the middle of the hard use, I worried about checking on him. There were times when he didn't have any food in the fridge," Jan said.
Before the 1 1/2 years of meth use, Jan's son used pot. Because of a family history of addictions, mostly alcohol, Jan felt a sense of dread. "I said, 'Here we go.'
"I've learned throughout the years that you need tough love. I wouldn't let him take my car or give him money, so there were limits. There were a couple of times when I shouldn't have bought him groceries."
Jan was always worrying and waiting to see how he would make it. She knew she couldn't force an adult into treatment, but he wouldn't go on his own. She worked with law enforcement and Family Services, but an adult in a free society still has rights.
Jan said, "I knew that if he got in trouble with the law, he'd be sentenced to treatment. It crossed my mind many times to go over and get him to hit me so I could turn him in."
The last round of treatment was part of a sentence for tampering with a pop machine, which was caught on tape. That brought her son to a facility and then to a stay at a half-way house. He's now working full time and living with a supportive girlfriend.
Jan's teen-age son is battling a dependency on marijuana and has sought treatment for that.
She's able to get treatment herself by attending the local support group for friends and family of young alcoholics and addicts Monday nights. "It's nice because it's in town, and I'm also glad because it teaches you to take care of yourself, too."
Jan said, "It's a struggle to get my family - not back to normal - but mentally and physically healthy. I knew that by praying and by being there that he'd come to his senses. I finally got my son back."
***
In working on this story, the Star Herald became aware of numerous local stories similar to Jan's.
One mother learned that her son had a scale, meth and various paraphernalia under his bed.
He'd been using meth, often at home, for about a year before he was confronted and was willing to seek treatment.
Signs of his use weren't as clear as those of some others. He lost weight but had been stocky before, so losing weight might have been a good thing at first. He later dressed in layers to disguise his body.
He was home on time and treated people with a typically even temper - not usual behavior for someone on a chemically-altering drug such as methamphetamine.
His family didn't know about his habit that sometimes cost him $300 a day and didn't know that he started dealing to support his use.
He bought books on how to manufacture meth but hadn't used them yet, to the family's knowledge.
He told his mom he lived to be high on meth. "I was addicted in three days." he said. "If you wouldn't have found out, I would have either been in jail or dead."
This young man has slipped since treatment but had been totally clean for a month. He still misses some of his old friends who are users, and heÕs trying to catch up with school. He's also fearful of repercussions from going clean and talking about his experiences.
His mom said, "It's a mean drug. I think it's the Devil."