Jannette was a meth addict.

Like all meth addicts, her life was spiraling downward with no hope in sight.  Then, she managed to find the strength to take one step toward recovery.  In her words, here is her remarkable story.

“13 years ago today I walked myself into Keystone Treatment Center in Canton, South Dakota. I had nearly kissed my life goodbye at the hands of IV meth use. In my short time with meth, I went hard and fast. I went from snorting to needles in record time. No matter what I did or how much I did, it was never enough. I didn’t care if I lived or died as long as I was high. I didn’t care if I hurt my friends or my family as long as I was high. I didn’t care if the Feds were steps from knocking down my door, as long as I was high when it went down. I had one goal every day, my next injection. Nothing else mattered. Not even life itself. I remember my last hit, it was too much. It sent me over the edge of a bathtub and I thought my heart might explode. I thought, “this is it, I’m going out in a bathtub at some stranger’s house”. It was at that time, I told my mom I was an IV drug user and that I needed to save my life. The time I was there, I went through withdrawals that needed Ativan and Valium to get me through them. I went through times when I had my shit packed ready to walk away because I felt like I would never amount to anything but a junkie. I wasn’t ordered to be there so I could’ve left any time. My friends I made there, they stopped me, they kept me going until my head was clear enough for me to realize what I had been through. Pat, if you see this, thank you for your part in saving my life and making me stay!

A lot of making amends happened, I’d hurt a lot of people. But mostly myself. I could have died at age 23 with a needle in my arm, but I chose life. I chose this – a beautiful little girl who loves me more than anyone ever could. I’m so glad I didn’t die, or I would’ve never met her and she wouldn’t be alive today! An amazing boyfriend who makes every day of my life wonderful, who I love so much, my heart might explode in a good way. A mother who never gave up on me and still doesn’t. I could’ve missed all this and that’s the real tragedy. Don’t miss life! Don’t piss it away. You can beat that voice of addiction if you just shut it up for one second to tell someone you need help. It’s hard, and that voice is loud. But you can do it. Make that step into a treatment center. Keystone saved my life. And I’ve been clean since April 3, 2003. It is possible. It is beatable. Meth and addiction are liars, admit defeat and fight back, beat the hell out of it. Save your life. Someone needs you or will need you some day. And it will be more than worth it. Why do I share this? Because it may save someone else. There is life after addiction. And people need to know that.”