Please go to the Bangor Daily News to read the full article. 

By: Willis Ryder Arnold, Maine Public

~~Excerpt

Alyssa, 25, is also in recovery from meth use, which she said helped create a false sense of connection with other people. But now she’s found real connections with others through recovery.

“Having a community to help guide me to my best life and, like, hold my hand and love me when I can’t love myself has been a huge, huge part of, like, finding hope in this world,” she said.

“The methamphetamine support group is probably our fastest growing — our newest and fastest growing — group,” said Leslie Clark, who oversees the Portland Recovery Community Center.

Clark said meth has found a market in former users of other addictive drugs.

“What we’ve seen is people who may be on a medication-assisted treatment, who are also now using different drugs instead of heroin, are using meth,” Clark said.