Karen Gaskill Baker knows a meth addict when she sees one.

The sunken eyes, rotting teeth, thin physique and most of all, the pain behind their eyes.

When she sees an addict walking on the street or in the grocery store, she gives them a hug because she knows that pain. She knows, because she was once an addict herself.

At 28 years old in 2002 and a single mother of four children, Karen had hit rock bottom. But then, she found what she thought could be a solution.

“I was very depressed, and I got turned on to this drug called methamphetamine,”she said. “It took away all my problems. It helped me pay my light bill. Helped me put food on the table for my children. I was 250 pounds and I dropped down to 150.”

The first time she used, it was by force from an acquaintance. But it didn’t take ...