[Kitnurse]

Another voice for compassion, here. We have no idea whats behind the situations we see in our clinics and hospital ERs, and on the streets. I'm no angel and prior to my nursing career I had my share of years that are now a blur due to meth, pot, alcohol and other things.(I am now certified by an addictionologist to be psychologically sound)
I saw people crash, burn and die from it all, and others, many of them nurses, who sailed through, functioning with society as addicts for whom the bad effects never showed up. Each of us is individual, and there is no way of knowing how anything,from drugs to simple stress, will effect us untill it happens.
We nurses have a bad habit of making judgements about people in our care because we only see the disasterous end results, not the step by step process of less than ideal decisions that lead to it.
I find my background in addiction and the grey area beyond/beneath "normal society" where functional addicts live, gives me a sense of perspective and compassion for my patients. While I do not condone addictive behavior, I do understand it, and the reasoning, such as it is, behind the actions.
To a certain degree my past also gives me a much better tuned "bullshit-o-meter" when presented with a line of delusion/rationalization by an addict. It helps keep my compassion from getting gooey and unprofessional.

[australianrn]

I get so sad and depressed when I read about the problem of drugs. Its so aweful, so many wasted lives. So many hurt and damaged people, children not cared for. Horrible.

[AddictionsRN]

I agree with you that Meth is in epidemic proportions all over the country. It is sad that it is stealing the souls from our neighborhoods. In the small communities that someone mentioned earlier, it is more evident now due to the ratio of the amount of those addicted to the number of folks living in that small town.

One thing I'd like to mention, especially for those of you who see them in your nursing practice. Don't judge them, help them heal. You can find out what your resources are in your communities for help, and offer them those resources as a part of your nursing care. If we as nurses, sit back and offer judgments, and how the country is going to h*ll, we are part of the problem, UNLESS we offer solutions, of what is out there for help: Narcotics Anonymous phone numbers, Recovery home phone numbers, treatment programs, etc. It is not too hard to find out this kind of information. You should be able to find resources online, or in your local phone book. Alcoholics Anonymous should be listed in the white pages of your phone book. Start by giving them a call and tell them why you are calling and if they have some phone numbers that you can share with those very ill patients that you care for so you can be part of the solution!

It is very sad, however, remember that ADDICTION is a DISEASE, not a moral weakness. There is documented scientific evidence to support this fact. As with any disease, we may not like or approve of what went on to get them in the shape they are in, but as someone else has mentioned, it wasn't there choice to become addicted when they started. They may have chosen to use drugs/or whatever, to try it out, but when they have lost the choice to use or not, they have crossed the line into addiction.

Keep up the good work, there are lots of folks out there that need your help!

[chadash]

I hate to be so ignorant, but could someone explain what meth is and how it effects people?
Had some people who were to do work on my house once, who never completed the job, though they did take my money (said they were sick, had no insurance, I did feel bad for them) and found out later they were on methadone from a clinic dealing with some addictions. Is this used to get people off other drugs?

[mercyteapot]

They are two different things. Meth refers to methamphetamine. Methadone is, as you thought, given to people attempting to break addictions to other drugs, most notably heroin.

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/methamphetamine.html

[ivanaBEEaRN]

Originally Posted by chadash

I hate to be so ignorant, but could someone explain what meth is and how it effects people?
Had some people who were to do work on my house once, who never completed the job, though they did take my money (said they were sick, had no insurance, I did feel bad for them) and found out later they were on methadone from a clinic dealing with some addictions. Is this used to get people off other drugs?

Meth is methanphtamine, its street name can be meth, crystal, ice and dope. When you take meth you really dont get a feeling of being high but rather, like you can do anything. You are able to stay awake and have bounds of energy, your not hungary and unable to eat food taste bland. I used meth for a very short time about a month 8 years ago, and my exhusband is n addict. For the time I used it I lost 30lbs. However it does take more and more to get the "feeling" for myself I relized that I did not want to become an addict that I wasnt going to let meth control my life, and I was able to stop. Sadley my ex wasnt able to. Those that become addicted loose weight, are unable to sleep, or eat they are driven to get their fix. They resort to lying, stealing to get money to pay for the drug. My ex returned two cases of diapers to get the money to buy more meth, when I asked where were they cases of diapers for the kids he tried to tell me that somone broke in and stole the diapers. So an addict will do anything just to get the fix.

[Drifternurse]

Originally Posted by mellomom

The strain on their loved ones and families is tremendous and heartbreaking...

You are so very right about the tremendous strain on families! I posted a thread here a few mos. ago about the overwhelming shock at learning that one of our daughters(26 yrs old, mother of 5) was using meth. Her life continues to decline ...as do the lives of her children. She is separated from her husband(our son-in-law who takes care of the kids but does his own share of neglect and has a meth user girlfriend living with him and the kids) and has little contact with the kids because our son-in-law won't allow her to see the kids. Another adult male also lives in the house and there are recent concerns that the youngest granddaughter(3 yrs) is being sexually molested by that adult male. Our calls to the police and CSD have been futile. Despite our emphasis that we are "mandatory reporters of suspected abuse", neither the police nor CSD have pulled the two granddaughters to thoroughly examine them to see if this could be true!!! This drug meth has created: (1) a monster of our daughter, (i.e. a true "user" in every sense of the word to the point where we don't even know her anymore) and (2) victims of the neediest---our grandchildren.

[RN_N_DA_MAKN]

[quote=Roy Fokker

As a healthcare worker, I advise clients against drug useage.
As a free human being, I believe people should be free to do what they want to their own bodies.

That's all I have to say about that.

[/QUOTE]

I agree with your statement to an extent-not my place to judge anyone. However, my problem lies with the fact that these are the very same people that are mugging, robbing, and murdering innocent people to support their "freedom to do what they want to they want to their own bodies."
I Do have a problem with that!

[RainDreamer]

Originally Posted by RN_N_DA_MAKN

I agree with your statement to an extent-not my place to judge anyone. However, my problem lies with the fact that these are the very same people that are mugging, robbing, and murdering innocent people to support their "freedom to do what they want to they want to their own bodies."
I Do have a problem with that!

I totally agree, but people do stupid and dangerous things when they use alcohol too. But alcohol won't be illegalized any time in my life time, not while the tobacco and alcohol companies make our laws. I'm not saying that illegal drugs should be legalized or alcohol should be illegalized ..... just that it's not always black and white.

Just this past week I took care of a 27 week meth baby. Sweetest little thing. I just hope for her sake CPS makes sure she doesn't go home with that mom, and if she doesn't then she should be just fine. When they send these kids home with these parents (if you can even call them that), that's when it gets bad and I feel terribly sorry for those kids. There needs to be more in the way of protecting the kids.

[mstigerlily]

Originally Posted by mercyteapot

I've noticed a couple people have mentioned that the meth epidemic began where they live, which is interesting only because we here in Southern CA are also told that it began here! So, clearly there was a groundswell of meth activitiy at the same time in multiple points around the country. Those early participants never even knew what they were getting into, since it always takes society time to catch on to these things.

I'm in the San Diego area and meth was just HUGE here 20 years ago when I graduated high school. Meth labs everywhere and tweakers everywhere, they restricted pseudoephinephine ages ago...maybe 10 years ago or more. I can't believe it's just now hitting the midwest area.