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Updated: 7:15 PM Jun 4, 2009
Former meth addict shares her story, goes on mission to help other addicts
She is one of the few who have been able to kick the highly addictive meth drug. Deborah Moss has been off meth since 2001, after serving three years in prison.
Posted: 5:28 PM Jun 4, 2009Reporter: Sarah Platt Email Address: sarah,platt@wndu.com |
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As we have been reporting, a meth addiction is hard to kick. The drug takes a devastating toll on users and their families, and especially on children. The numbers show that few people are able to recover.
But there are some who are strong and able to quit the addiction. A Rochester woman named Deborah Moss is one of those lucky people.
Moss has been off meth since 2001. That is the year when she was sent to prison for selling meth. She says her only goal for years had been to achieve her next high.
Moss says she feels grateful that she did end up in prison and had the opportunity to turn her life around.
She has made it her mission now to help other addicts who want to fight the force of addiction.
"I was doing it every day. I got to where I was so consumed by the drug that my every thought was getting high, wanting another hit," explains Moss.
She says she first started experimenting with drugs as a pre-teen and became a drug addict for 17 years.
"When my dog turned green, I realized, wow, I was hallucinating from it, so I continued to do it, from that day on I continued to do it," explains Moss.
At her worst, at age 27, Moss was caught selling meth to support her habit. She was sent to prison for three years.
"Actually, that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I thank God for the guy that turned me in. I wouldn't be where I'm sitting today," says Moss. "My children were taken away from me and I fought hard to get them back when I got out of prison."
While Moss says she can't change the things she's done, her biggest regret is how it's affected her children. She says meth, not her kids, was priority.
"I think the number one thing that bothers me the most, the thing I will always live with is the things I did to my kids. I wasn't a good mom," says Moss, wiping tears from her face. "I wasn't there for them, through my addiction. I have to face that fact."
Now 35, Moss is re-married and has four children and three stepchildren. She spends much of her time in schools, teaching kids about the destruction that a meth addiction will cause.
"I think photos speak volumes. I think visuals catches peoples eyes and they're more drawn to it," says Moss. "There are support groups out there, you just need to find what's in your area. Recovery is free -- all it takes is initiative to want to stay clean."
If you ask Deborah how she's doing today, she will say that she is "blessed." And she is hoping to help others find the right path out of addiction -- a path that's led her to the peace she feels today.
If you would like to hear more about Deborah Moss' work in meth education or her meth support group, her number is 574-298-0495. If she can't assist someone personally, Moss says she will help find other resources for them.

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