As a teenager I was heavily into drugs and alcohol. I had a teen pregnancy that resulted in adoption, was in and out of detention centers, state clinics, and group homes. When I was 18 I moved with my bf out of state. Without connections I managed to recover from my addiction to crystal meth, get a job and move on with my life. The thing that helped me most was having my son a year or so after being clean. Because of losing my child as a teenager my son was the most important thing to me and I knew, and know, that I will never return to the type of life I led before. I am now 27, have a loving husband, a wonderful family, and a seemingly normal middle class life. But I feel like a fake because I have allowed my past substance abuse to become the big dark secret in my life. My husband knows but his family, neighbors, even our doctor doesn't know. I am so ashamed of my past and I'm beginning to wonder now if maybe it's time to be honest. To tell people, like my doctor, that I was an addict and if in doing so I will feel better. Or is it better that no one knows? I'm tired of feeling nervous and ashamed when asked questions about my past. Will being honest empower me and help me get closure?