According to a 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 22.6 million people in America alone are former or current drug users. This covers anything from alcohol, to weed, to pharmaceuticals to heroin. Currently, one of the most powerful and addicting drugs that is becoming widely more prevalent is crystal meth, and, depending on who you ask, it’s one of the most detrimental. Many users describe meth as being instantly addicting, giving them a rush of confidence and energy with a high that can last anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. Other effects can include insomnia, confusion, hallucinations, anxiety and paranoia. While many who try meth, or any drug for that matter, become addicted for years, or even life, there are always those who can break free and move forward.

Almost 18 years old and currently living in Idaho, Kayden, having experienced so much at a young age, is altogether a success story. After almost four years of experimenting with drugs, he has finally overcome his struggles with depression and addiction thanks to his mother, his current girlfriend, and even Tech N9ne. But, as these stories usually go, it wasn’t an easy journey.

Kayden first started using drugs in the 8th grade – smoking weed and experimenting with friends like many teenagers do. Feeling carefree and having fun, he soon he moved on to ecstasy, and then basically anything he could get his hands on. The summer following his freshman year, he smoked meth for the first time. Kayden says he wasn’t immediately hooked, but it wasn’t long before he found himself dropping out of high school halfway through his sophomore year and spending anywhere from $50 – $150 on the drug daily. On his 16th birthday, he shot up meth for the first time and knew he had stumbled upon something that would become an uncontrollable vice.

[Shooting up] changed my life forever. I was hooked with no intentions of ever going back. I went on a 6 month binge, did some of the most horrible things imaginable, and I couldn’t care less who I lost or who I hurt. I stole from everyone in my family, including my mother, who put up with all that shit all that time.

Not only has his addiction affected and even ruined parts of his life, Kayden has also lost many friends throughout the past few years due to drugs. He states that, even though it seemed too much to bear at times, Tech’s music was a huge part in helping him not fall back into old patterns.

Literally all of my friends are either dead or in jail. I lost my best friend in the world on Thanksgiving last year to an overdose. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through. The only thing I listened to for months was Seepage and K.O.D. Listening to something that had so much pain go into it kept me from slipping back into my old habits.

Certainly the people that have surrounded him and supported him through his struggles are a huge attribution to his recovery. And, undoubtedly, there’s a lot to be said for self-discipline. Addiction is probably one of the most difficult things to overcome. Kayden has been clean for about a year, has held a steady job, and says he’s finally okay thanks to his mom, his girlfriend, and the messages that Tech N9ne’s music has provided him.

I will always be a Technician, because when I had no one, Tech was the one that talked me through the hardships in my life. I’ve been homeless and strung out, and I’ve been happy and clean. No matter where I was at, Tech was always blasting in my headphones. I’ve got everything from Calm Before the Storm to KLUSTERFUK, and everything in between. Even though Tech was the soundtrack of every drug binge I’ve went on, it’s songs like “Shadows On The Road”, “My Favorite”, and “Keep On Keepin’ On” that remind me where I’ve been and why I’m still here.

There Tech goes again. Touching and mending lives all over the world. Congrats, Kayden. Keep it up.

– Callie Brown, Strange Music Blog Contributor