No family is immune.  Drug addiction effects families of all backgrounds and social economic strata.  No one is immune.  Methamphetamine can strike the police chief's son, the preacher's daughter, the prom queen, and the football quarterback.  Even healthy, happy kids get hooked on this drug.

We can't assume that because our kids are smart, popular, and go to church they can't fall into addiction.  Every parent needs to be aware of what their kids are doing.  Privacy is such an important thing in our culture that we regard our children's privacy sacred.  It's not!!  Be alert to a drop in grades, a change in attitude, new friends that seem to occupy all their time.  Angry, suspicious, disrespectful, aggressive behavior, or a sudden loss of appetite, are clues that your child has a problem.

Most addicts in this country are not getting any help at all.  Most of them are not in jail or rehab. Most of them do not think they have a problem.  This drug causes a feeling of power, competence, intelligence, energy, confidence and control.  That's what the 'high' feels like.

Of course, it is a hallucination of power and confidence. In reality, they are slaves of their drug and have no real control over anything.  They can't control their drug intake, temper, fears, or motivation level.  They can't honor their commitments, maintain their relationships or hold down a job.  They can't tell the truth because they don't know what the truth is.  They believe a lie.  That's what delusion is.  It falls to the family members of the addict to keep sanity, remind them of what is true, and point out to them how destructive this drug is to their lives.

You are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ as He seeks to recover what was lost and heal those that are broken.  May God bless all of you.

My advice to family members is to pray for their addicted loved ones.  I know you say you have done that before and it didn't work.  We need to get some things straight about this drug.  There is nothing you can do to get your kids to quit 'using'.  We also need to get some things straight about prayer.  It is not a platitude to keep you busy while your child slowly disintegrates.  Prayer is by far the MOST powerful force in this universe.  The God that spoke this universe into existence is listening to your prayers.  He answers each and every one of them.  Every time you pray for your kid, the Holy Spirit moves in his life.  He moves in your kid's circumstances and makes him face the truth about his drug use.  Your kid gets thrown in jail or experiences a frightening and serious side effects from his drug use.

He also speaks into your kid's heart and offers him or her grace and mercy.  You can't see that kind of soul work.  It's invisible to you, but it is real and it is powerful. 

Keep praying in faith, believing.