My Son’s Methamphetamine Addiction

Laila’s son Angus has recently completed residential addiction treatment funded by DVA.

Laila shares the story:

Angus was the middle child of three boys and the older brother to his baby sister. From a young age, he was full of energy – sporty, outgoing, and always up for an adventure.

He was the risk-taker of the family, never shying away from a challenge.

But life wasn’t always easy. His father and I divorced when he was young, and like many children navigating a split home, he had his struggles.

On the day he turned 18, Angus enlisted in the Australian Army. It was a path that seemed to suit him perfectly – structured, disciplined, and filled with camaraderie.

Over the next 15 years, he served as an infantry soldier, completing multiple operational deployments overseas.

For three years, he was also part of Australia’s Federation Guard in Canberra, a prestigious role that filled our family with immense pride.

But beneath the surface, Angus faced battles that no one could see. Early in his military career, he started gambling.

We tried everything to help but the cycle was relentless. He would come into money, only for it to disappear as quickly as it came.

Despite his financial struggles, Angus maintained his outgoing persona in the Army.

To his fellow soldiers, he was always happy and one of the boys. But I knew my son, and I sensed the loneliness he carried, the quiet moments he spent lost in his thoughts.

A couple of years ago, he took three months off from the Army and stayed with me so he could spend time with family.

It seemed like a turning point.

He spoke about arranging Defence Housing and about building a more stable life.

But within weeks of returning to work, everything unravelled. Angus started partying, spending all his money, and cutting contact with us completely.

I didn’t know how to reach him, how to help.

Then, one day, I got the call. “Mum, I really fucked up this time.”

He had failed a routine drug test and as a consequence, the Army discharged him.

Over the years, Angus had spoken to me about taking drugs once or twice at parties and that is what I thought had happened; a small one-off mistake.

For 15 years, the military had been his entire world. Now, that world was gone.

The weeks that followed were devastating.

He lost the money that he had received as a payout from the army in a short span and turned to methamphetamine.

When he couldn’t get drugs, he drank – to numb the pain, the guilt, the overwhelming sense of failure.

Every payday, the pattern repeated: he’d gamble everything away, then spend the next two weeks trying to survive.

He was spiralling.

His personal life suffered too. He and his girlfriend had broken up, and she was pregnant at the time.

I had no idea about the extent of his substance addiction.

When he called, he was mostly angry and aggressive, I didn’t understand then that at that point, he was in the middle of a three-day meth bender.

Then, one day, he called me with a glimmer of something different in his voice.

He had just walked out of a psychiatrist appointment for his DVA claim. He had been diagnosed with substance use disorder.

He finally admitted that he couldn’t stop on his own.

One of Angus’s friends from the Army had previously completed the 12-week rehabilitation program at Hader Clinic Queensland.

He came over the following day and told Angus about the experience. I think this is when Angus really decided to give it a shot.

Over the years, I know he has felt like he has let his family down. But there have been so many moments when we were incredibly proud of him.

I’ll never forget the time his little sister and I danced around the living room because we saw Angus on TV at a war memorial on Anzac Day—his face filling the screen.

I thought that was my proudest moment as his mother.

But I was wrong.

The proudest moment was the day he walked through the doors of Hader Clinic Queensland and asked for help.

From the start, Angus was in a safe space where he could rebuild himself.

When I first heard he was going, I went straight to the Hader Clinic Queensland website and read testimonials from other families.

One story, written by a mother in a situation so similar to mine, gave me hope. I knew then that this was the right path for Angus.

Angus was always so open with me whilst in program and kept me updated throughout the process.

I eventually met some of the people in the program with him – good people who, like Angus, had made poor choices but wanted to change.

The staff and facilitators at Hader Clinic Queensland provided me with so much invaluable information about addiction. I finally understood that it wasn’t just a weakness or a bad habit – it was a disease.

Angus completed the 12-week program, funded by DVA, and moved into the Transitional House program.

As a family, we attended his graduation. We were, and still are, so proud of him.

We always wanted what was best for Angus, and now, for the first time in years, he wanted it for himself too.

Recovery isn’t a straight path. There will be roadblocks. But now, Angus has the tools to face them.

He hasn’t missed a single meeting and is fully committed to the program. He has a strong social network, is dedicated to his fitness, and has saved money in the bank.

For the first time, in a long time; he is happy.

Angus is looking toward the future.

He’s considering TAFE, exploring a career as an AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) counsellor.

He wants to help others see that there is life after addiction, it is possible to change and reinvent yourself.

As a parent, and knowing what I know now, it’s okay to forgive yourself for the past.

You can’t change yesterday, but you can change tomorrow.

As a mother, I’ve learned that in the face of addiction, you have to hold onto hope.

And today, thanks to Hader Clinic Queensland, thanks to Angus’s own strength and determination – we have hope.

Names and photographs of this client may have been changed to protect their privacy.

Dr Mel Symon

Director, Hader Group QLD

Dr Mel Symon is the Director of Hader Group QLD, leading both Hader Clinic Queensland and Hader Clinic Queensland Private. With more than 30 years of experience in human services and over 20 years as a founder and business leader, Mel has played a central role in establishing and growing Queensland’s leading addiction treatment services.

Mel holds a PhD in Addiction Treatment from the University of Queensland, along with a Master of Mental Health, Master of Professional Management, and a Bachelor of Social Science. Since 2016, she has overseen the development of the 40-bed Hader Clinic Queensland residential rehabilitation program and, in 2021, the creation and opening of the 25-bed Hader Clinic Queensland Private Hospital.

Passionate about lifelong recovery, Mel is dedicated to evidence-based care, meaningful change, and supporting individuals to rebuild their lives through sustainable recovery pathways.

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