I am a non active meth user. I stopped! Many of my meth brothers and sisters feel they can not stop but they can. I am an example of that. Look at me. See me. I’m a meth addict and I will not be ashamed and I will not be shunned. I am strong, I am powerful. Look at me. You want to shame us. You want to shun us. You want us to lie about it. You want to drive us into hiding so you don’t have to see us. We are dying. We are overdosing. Our lives are crumbling. I have never met another meth addict who doesn’t want to stop. Why are you looking away? Why won’t you help? We are part of your community. You are my family. You were my friend but now you shame shun and look away. You sweep us under the rug. Let’s teach harm reduction. Let’s find creative ways to end this scourge. I fought for AIDS victims in the 80s. I marched endlessly for gay marriage. Why can’t we find a way to reach out to our fringe meth community and welcome them and create services for them? Be the person who can make a difference and cares. Help someone you know traverse the tricky road to ending meth addiction. There are a few programs that help us and stopping meth feels impossible to do. The only way to stop is sheer determination and steel will. Let us have to answer to you. Don’t give us money. Don’t open your home. Give us a shoulder to lean on. Almost all relapses happen in the first week of stopping. Remind us to be determined. Remind us to be strong. Remind us you are waiting on the other side. You can’t shame me! You can’t shun me. You can’t shut me up! Look at me. See me! I am a meth addict. I will not be silent anymore.