“Donell has completely changed,” Becky says of her husband. “This 6-foot-2, 220-pound, strong, courageous, ex-semi-pro football player used to give 110 percent no matter what he was doing, until this poisonous powder completely took over his entire life. My husband is addicted to methamphetamine and if he doesn’t get help soon, he will die.”

“Everything fell into place: kids, family, job. I had the American Dream,” Donell says. He’s been married to Becky for seven years, and they have two daughters: Taylor, 2, and Lydia, 1. “I don’t feel really proud of who I am. When I look in the mirror, I put my head down instead of keeping my chin up because I’m ashamed. I guess I’d rather be ashamed than not have my fix.”

“Donell uses meth in several different ways,” Becky explains. “He smokes it, snorts it. He’s even told me that he’s eaten it before. He injects it, and he cooks it now.”

“It releases a bit of adrenaline rush in your brain that makes you feel like you’re running a touchdown. It takes your breath,” he says.

 

“There were some very obvious signs: decreased appetite, and then of course he lost weight, insomnia,” she says.

“I’ve stayed up as high as 15 days with not one wink of sleep and didn’t want any,” Donell says.