Danae Betzer is fighting a battle. But unlike a soldier deployed to a distant country, she confronts the enemy every day in her own backyard. And it's a foe as enticing as it is deadly: the drug crystal methamphetamine.

After ten years as a user, Danae was at the end of her rope. She'd tried acupuncture, meditation, three rehabs, and finally moved alone to the Mojave Desert to break her habit. Nothing worked until her world collapsed. Miraculously, she now has been clean for nine years.

Called "the devil's drug," "crystal meth," or "ice," this drug shatters lives. Often, it moves on to wipe out families, and even communities, through divorce, child abuse, job loss, STDS, schizophrenia, homelessness, and hopelessness. Last year, respected evangelical pastor Ted Haggard resigned from his ministry posts after it was revealed that he lived a secret life that included crystal meth.

The drug's lure is intense. In one study, laboratory animals chose to press a lever to release crystal methamphetamine rather than eat. In August of 1998, 29-year-old Danae Betzer had plunged into that same desperation. At 2:00 A.M., she and her boyfriend went dumpster diving like mongrel dogs.

"I was knee-deep in trash, looking for something to hock," Danae says. "I figured ten bucks would solve my problem. I needed a fix."

Almost everything she owned had been pawned or repossessed. Danae had reached the bitter dregs of addiction.

The day after the dumpster episode, Danae's boyfriend got busted for dealing. No food, no electricity, no phone, and no man. For almost two weeks, Danae binged on meth. She injected it during the day, and at night collapsed on her bare mattress unable to sleep. She begged God to help her out of her madness, tracing Psalm 88:10 in shaky blue ink. "Wilt Thou perform wonders for the dead?" Danae felt dead already.

Danae knew she had three options: jail, death, or get help. A girlfriend recommended Set Free, a Christian rehab center in Riverside, California, with a decent success rate. On Sept. 14, 1998, trembling, filthy, and wearing hand-me-down clothes, she dialed the rehab's number.

"Set Free, this is Elder Kenny."

"I'm Danae. I'm addicted to ice. What can you offer me?"

"A whole lot of love. You're gonna make it. Do your best to get here three days sober. "

"Don't know if I can."

"Yes, you can. God loves you."

"I don't have any money."

"It's free. We don't turn anybody away."

Danae borrowed money for the three-hour Greyhound bus ride and then spent the next 70 hours sobering up. "I'll never forget that bus ride," she recalls. "I itched all over. Even my teeth."

Every moment of the trip, Danae considered chucking her idea of trying to quit. Taunting thoughts never left her.

Loser.

You'll never make it.

"I hated ice. But I hated myself even more."

Danae isn't alone. An article in the January 17, 2006, USA Today reported that crystal meth now tops all other drugs for ER visits. Blenda Sing, an addictions counselor for 20 years, says, "Ice addiction crosses all gender, race, and ages and is growing like wildfire. Crystal meth addiction is the fastest-growing, most powerful addiction I've seen. Alcohol can take years to trigger addiction. Ice destroys life. Fast. Very few can try crystal meth once or twice and put it down."

Sing pinpoints two keys necessary to break the cycle of addiction and recover. First, daily surrender to God by acknowledging this truth: "I am powerless over ____." And second, a strong support system. Addictions can't be beaten alone. Those breaking free must surround themselves with others living substance-free lives. (This includes alcohol, marijuana, nicotine, and prescription painkillers.)