A man from Saint Paul, Minnesota, disclosed something very personal on Reddit with a before and after photo, causing an outpouring of support from scores on the website.
Ryan Harder's post, entitled "I quit meth almost a year ago. It's crazy how much can change," ended up on the front page of the site with over 2,000 comments within hours.
Harder, 23, who posted under the username Minnesotapolis, told NBC Chicago he has been sober since April 4th, a feat he was able to achieve after nearly 7 months of inpatient treatment.
The photo that captured attention on Reddit is a side-by-side of two images: a recent selfie showing him sober, and a mugshot from an arrest in late January. He was charged for possession of meth and other offenses related to his meth use.
The post caused an outpouring of support. However, it also created a forum for people to talk about addiction. One Reddit user wrote that they had lost their brother to heroin two weeks ago. Another responded to the post, saying they had recovered from heroin use and offered their condolences.
Others talked about their battles with cocaine, alcohol, benzodiazepine, and many other substances. What Harder admitted created what looked like a support group for anonymous Redditors.
"I think that the support that has been shown to me has been absolutely amazing," Harder said. "I'm coming to realize that people are more understanding than I once thought."
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But it isn't Harder's first post about his struggles with meth. He posted a much less viewed entry about a failed attempt to get help a year ago.
"I went home to my moms (sic) house this weekend to go to an AA convention to try to get clean," Harder wrote. "I ended up getting high as soon as I got back to my apartment today and I'm devastated."
Harder said he wrote the recent post to help others who may be struggling with addiction.
"Well the reason that I decided to post it was because I want to send a message of hope that anyone can get clean and stay clean," Harder said. "If this post helps just one person, or their family, I feel accomplished. it's not really about me, it's about the still suffering addict."
If you are looking for help with a substance abuse problem, you can contact The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the following link.
