DENVER — Methamphetamine is considered one of the most highly addictive drugs out there. Experts say just one use is all it takes to get hooked and start down a dangerous path of addiction. 

Justin Sessions said the highs were high, but the lows were the lowest in his life for the 15 years he was hooked on meth. He committed crimes and hurt his family all to get more drugs. And he said the idea of former Arapahoe County Sheriff Pat Sullivan feeding someone’s habit is “demonic”. 

Sessions was just a 14-year-old homeless teen hanging out on the 16th Street Mall, when he had his first taste of meth. 

“I kind of felt like Superman,” he said. “It drowned out all the feelings I didn’t want to feel, and it intensified all the feelings that I did want to feel.” 

The downward spiral started nearly instantly. 

“Within a month I was shooting up, and shortly after that I was committing crimes to support my habit,” Sessions said. 

On a 6’3” frame, Sessions was down to just 135 lbs. 

“I looked like I didn’t even have a soul. Like the walking dead,” he said. 

The meth problem in Colorado is huge. The state ranks seventh in the nation for users 12 and older. 76-percent of users say they started before age 25; 43-percent at 17 or younger. 

“Meth is very potent, very highly addictive,” said Arthur Schut of the Arapahoe House substance abuse recovery center. “People develop addiction over a very short period of time relative to other drugs.” 

That makes the habit even harder to kick. After a dozen tries, Sessions has finally done it. 

“My life is awesome today,” he said. “I got my first license in recovery; I just hit 4 years last month in recovery. I’m a productive member of society, I work.” 

Looking back, he knows the lengths people will go to get their fix, and in the case of former Sheriff Pat Sullivan – allegedly getting people to trade sex for meth. Sessions said it doesn’t surprise him, but he’s disgusted someone could feed a dangerous habit for their own gain.

 

Read more…