'I didn't want him to grow up the way I did': Ex-drug abuser turns her life around for son

Although she has stayed clear of drugs for 15 years now, the journey to recovery wasn't easy for 39-year-old Hannah Chun. 

Growing up in a broken home, Chun began consuming drugs at 13 to cover up the abandonment, rejection and hurt that she was going through. 

Her parents divorced when she was about eight years old, and her mum left the house, reported Christian publication Salt and Light. 

Her two sisters then left the home, leaving her alone with her 'temperamental' father and grandfather.

She also dropped out of school at 13 and started drinking, smoking and taking drugs. At 15, she began sourcing for drugs overseas and selling them to her friends who were also drug abusers. 

"I felt rejected, abandoned and alone,” she told the Christian publication. 

Son used pencil to hurt others

For Chun, her turning point came when she saw her eldest son, who was about four then, acting up in school. The boy would use a pencil to poke his friends' hands, injuring them. He was also very fearful. 

Chun added that he also exhibited other worrying behaviours at home. 

"Because of my addiction, I would go in and out of the toilet [to take drugs], and he would mimic that. It was also how he coped with fear. Whenever he felt fearful, he would hide in the toilet." 

Knowing that his behaviour was because of her, Chun resolved to quit her drug habit. 

"I didn't want my son to grow up the way that I did, with a lot of emotional issues." 

Another impetus for her to quit was her ailing health. 

"My body was in a lot of pain. I could feel that if I didn't seek help, I would either die as a drug addict, or I'd be caught again." 

Chun was speaking to reporters at a reception in Parliament held in conjunction with a ministerial statement by Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam on Wednesday (May 8). 

About 120 former drug abusers and their family attended the event, where they were invited to the public gallery to join the proceedings. 

Gave birth to son in jail

Chun was first caught and incarcerated for one-and-a-half-years for drug possession and consumption at 17, and then again at 18. 

During her second sentence, Chun was pregnant and gave birth to her eldest son in prison. However, this wasn't enough to stop her from falling into her old habits when she was released. 

With more responsibilities as a single parent, Chun returned to working in nightclubs, which led to her next relapse. 

"I would always find friends who used to party and take drugs with me. And I always thought that by just joining them and not touching any drugs, I would be fine. But that was just wrong," she confessed.

However, it was at one of these nightclubs she worked at where she met her husband, whom she credits for helping her in her recovery. 

After struggling with addiction for 10 years, she finally sought professional help and began going to church. 

"When you have somebody beside you who is always encouraging you when you fail, it really helps," she said. 

She now has three sons, aged 21, 12, nine, as well as a five-year-old daughter. 

Helping others with addiction

Her recovery journey was not just about overcoming her drug addiction, but also learning how to be a good parent. 

Now that she's in a much better state, Chun told AsiaOne that she makes it a point to be transparent with her children about her past. 

"I have conversations with all my children, I share with them the effects of addiction and what I went through, just to make sure that they don't live in shame." 

"I want to bring them up with confidence, and with compassion towards people with addiction." 

She has also been managing a shelter for women struggling with drug addiction for the past 10 years. 

"[Addicts or abusers] need someone to journey with them... like family members or former addicts so they have someone to talk to." 

Singapore's approach to drugs headed in 'right direction': Faishal 

At the reception on Wednesday, Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim stressed the importance of family in the journey to overcoming drug addiction. 

"[Family] can help us find meaning and direction when we are lost. I'm very thankful to your family members for not giving up and for helping you to get back on track." 

Speaking to the media later that day, Faishal noted that the former drug abusers who attended the session shared with him that Singapore in headed in the right direction in terms of our drug policy. 

"Because they recognise the harmful effects of drugs and they want to continue to protect our people. However, to do this, we must be united. We must be on board the journey, all hands on deck, regardless of who you are." 

"If Singapore lets go of all its efforts, drug traffickers will take advantage of it and reap the benefits," he said. 

"And they will not bother about how we lose out, how it affects our abusers, their family members and their loved ones." 

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