At only 29 years old, Beth's life was more than heading in the wrong direction - it was out of control. Since the first day she used methamphetamine, Beth began to lose herself. In a short time, her desire to use forced her to sacrifice all the things she had held dear. Her marriage suffered -- and then failed. Her relationships with her parents and her children were strained, as they tried to understand why Beth had changed so much, and so quickly.

At one time Beth had been daughter, a wife, a mother, an employee. Now she felt she was little more than an addict.

Rock bottom came when Beth overdosed on the drugs she was given by her boyfriend. She was rushed to the emergency room, and then to a shelter to detox. Beth’s parents took in three of her children, but were unable to care for her young twin sons, who were placed into foster care.

The loss of her children was a shocking wake-up call for Beth. She wanted to change, and with the help and support of her parents, began to participate in substance abuse counseling at Heartland Family Service. She grew to trust the professional staff and accepted responsibility for–and began to deal with–the problems her drug use had created for herself and her family. Slowly, and with great effort, Beth began to regain her identity.

Today Beth’s life is on the right track–she is celebrating two years of sobriety. She has regained custody of her children. She works full-time, and is now sharing her life lessons with other women by volunteering as a facilitator in a Moms Off Meth Support Group (MOMS) that meets at the Heartland Family Service Council Bluffs location.

The MOMS meetings start with Beth detailing her history of methamphetamine use, and her successful recovery. Group members then take time to share their own personal experiences. The members share their successes and failures, their fears, their hopes and…they grow. The meetings include specialized training on topics like parenting or employment matters. The group will occasionally set aside the agenda to assist a member in crisis.

Women in the MOMS group learn to see the impact their drug abuse has had on their lives, and on their children’s lives. Discussions focus on the women’s whole life, addressing their experiences with domestic violence, sexual abuse, and how those issues are connected to parenting, substance abuse and self-image. Ultimately, the women are taught to accept responsibility for their addiction and their recovery.

Beth says she considers herself fortunate to have had the support of her family and of the staff of Heartland Family Service during her recovery. She plans to continue to participate in individual counseling at Heartland Family Service, and to continue to lead mothers in need, by sharing her story of success and her hard-earned life lessons.