Drug addicted nurses

Published

I am a nursing student and in one of my classes we have recently talked about nurses and substance abuse. I think that it is hard for me to wrap my brain around the issue. My questions are:

1. what do you do as a fellow nurse and friend of someone who is involved in substance abuse...especially in the workplace?

2. is this really prevelent and have any of you been put in this position?

Thanks!!

Specializes in ER, Peds, Charge RN.
I did read A milllion Little Pieces and Frey's sequel-My Friend Leonard. I enjoyed both books. I may be wrong, but I sort of felt that you over simplified addiction whether you believe it is a disease process or not. I am so happy for you that you found your own program to stop your addiction and be happy. BUT it is by no means just a matter of choosing to stop being an addict. IMO, this is a complicated disease, and not everyone can just choose to stop. It is very difficult once one becomes adduicted. IMO, many addicts can't stop even when they want to, and that is the sadness of the disease. BUT there is help available like Wendy described. We may not be able to CHOOSE to STOP in the throws of an addiction, but we can CHOOSE to get help. There is a lot of help out there. Helping the using addict to believe that there is a better way and go for help is the key. I wish just CHOOSING to stop was the simple answer, but sadly it isn't. There are genetic and psychological reasons that make it impossible for many people to stop without help just like Wendy described. Krisssy

I didn't mean to come across as over-simplifying the matter. I think that at the DEEP DOWN CORE, one has to choose to stop, not to use, and get help.

I understand that after one makes that choice, a lot more goes into recovery and sobriety than just saying no and quitting. I didn't mean to minimize the importance of therapy, rehab, and support, because I do realize how important these things are. I think we all do.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I didn't mean to come across as over-simplifying the matter. I think that at the DEEP DOWN CORE, one has to choose to stop, not to use, and get help.

I understand that after one makes that choice, a lot more goes into recovery and sobriety than just saying no and quitting. I didn't mean to minimize the importance of therapy, rehab, and support, because I do realize how important these things are. I think we all do.

One of the greatest mis-services ever done, to drug addicts, was the former first lady's campaign of just saying no. Yes, it is easy to say that all sorts of help is available, for any type of addict. And all one has to do is make the choice to get clean. If life were so simple. If groups, therapy, rehab and support were so easily available, wouldn't that make the world a perfect place.

Grannynurse:balloons:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I can appreciate cross referencing however this nurse has to want to get help on her own. I do however agree patient safety is number one. I myself am working on this, staying clean daily and doing 12 step meetings. I feel empathy for this girl. She is running from some feeling in her life. It doesnt work. I tried for a long time. In the end you face criminal charges, state board issues and a low self esteem. I hope by doing what is asked of me now things will fall into place. I get counseling every week and go to numerous meetings. I also randomly submit to ua screens. I pray daily. It will be a lifetime battle but I embrace my fellow nurses with this same affliction.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
One of the greatest mis-services ever done, to drug addicts, was the former first lady's campaign of just saying no. Yes, it is easy to say that all sorts of help is available, for any type of addict. And all one has to do is make the choice to get clean. If life were so simple. If groups, therapy, rehab and support were so easily available, wouldn't that make the world a perfect place.

Grannynurse:balloons:

I'm not sure she was talking about addicts, I believe she was referring to kids in school that are not yet addicted.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm not sure she was talking about addicts, I believe she was referring to kids in school that are not yet addicted.

One of the corner stones of the "Just Say No' is that children were encouraged to report anyone, including parents, who used drugs. This was one of the main reason's I did not nor do I now support it. And it is an oversimplistic program that has had a minimal effect on drug usage. And I have three grandchildren, one of whom just completed this program

Grannynurse:balloons:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I can appreciate cross referencing however this nurse has to want to get help on her own. I do however agree patient safety is number one. I myself am working on this, staying clean daily and doing 12 step meetings. I feel empathy for this girl. She is running from some feeling in her life. It doesnt work. I tried for a long time. In the end you face criminal charges, state board issues and a low self esteem. I hope by doing what is asked of me now things will fall into place. I get counseling every week and go to numerous meetings. I also randomly submit to ua screens. I pray daily. It will be a lifetime battle but I embrace my fellow nurses with this same affliction.

I totally agree with you on that. I'm scared that if this nurse hasn't hit bottom after all that happened, that her bottom might be death. I battled severe depression when I was younger, and it took someone literally forcing me to see a doctor before I got on the road to living again. I can imagine that the hopelessness and desperation are similar in addiction. I take my antidepressents daily and my life is back. But I will never forget the feeling that nothing mattered, and that I was powerless.

I am so glad that you got help. I pray that the nurse I have been talking about does the same.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
One of the corner stones of the "Just Say No' is that children were encouraged to report anyone, including parents, who used drugs. This was one of the main reason's I did not nor do I now support it. And it is an oversimplistic program that has had a minimal effect on drug usage. And I have three grandchildren, one of whom just completed this program

Grannynurse:balloons:

Granny....

We disagree. I have seen numerous commercials of "just say no" and in none of them did I see the suggestion to report others and especially parents. The theme of the message was, "don't do this to yourself." Don't start the addiction process, don't go with the flow, be a unique person and it is okay not to do drugs.

There have been NO presidents or 1st ladies I have respected in many years. This is NOT about respect for anyone. This is about respecting self. Nothing more and nothing less.

AND.... if a kid out there has an addicted parent it is HIGH time they broke the rule of silence and told an elder. I wish I would have done that when I was a kid. Maybe things would have been different. Protecting the addict is a thing of the past, not something to be embraced today and especially by a child living under the abuse of addiction.

Perhaps when it comes to addicted parents we need to look to the rights of children OVER the rights of an addict. Kids have rights too, they merely need to be acknowledged.

Look, both my parents were alcoholics. My mom was an alcoholic/addict and died of such. Perhaps if I would have made an issue out of it as as child she would have lived a full life. I don't know. But what I do know if that she died quite young. A sad, needless death.

I actually resent the fact that you would have a child hide his parents addiction from those that could help the CHILD.

While I agree with you that the program is ineffective, I completely and totally, 1,000,000% (yeah, I know.. not possible to disagree 1,000,000% ... but I do anyway) disagree that children should not speak up when their parents are addicts.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Granny....

We disagree. I have seen numerous commercials of "just say no" and in none of them did I see the suggestion to report others and especially parents. The theme of the message was, "don't do this to yourself." Don't start the addiction process, don't go with the flow, be a unique person and it is okay not to do drugs.

There have been NO presidents or 1st ladies I have respected in many years. This is NOT about respect for anyone. This is about respecting self. Nothing more and nothing less.

AND.... if a kid out there has an addicted parent it is HIGH time they broke the rule of silence and told an elder. I wish I would have done that when I was a kid. Maybe things would have been different. Protecting the addict is a thing of the past, not something to be embraced today and especially by a child living under the abuse of addiction.

Perhaps when it comes to addicted parents we need to look to the rights of children OVER the rights of an addict. Kids have rights too, they merely need to be acknowledged.

Look, both my parents were alcoholics. My mom was an alcoholic/addict and died of such. Perhaps if I would have made an issue out of it as as child she would have lived a full life. I don't know. But what I do know if that she died quite young. A sad, needless death.

I actually resent the fact that you would have a child hide his parents addiction from those that could help the CHILD.

While I agree with you that the program is ineffective, I completely and totally, 1,000,000% (yeah, I know.. not possible to disagree 1,000,000% ... but I do anyway) disagree that children should not speak up when their parents are addicts.

I couldn't find anything about reporting your parents in it either...

http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/nancy/just_say_no.asp

although Bipley, I do agree with you about children reporting parents. I think it would help a lot of families who otherwise wouldn't deal with their problems.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

To: Boysmom32

I read your post and just wanted to let you know that there is a way you can get treatment paid for by the state. I am a licensed chemical dependency counselor at Managed Care Center for Addictive/Other Disorders in Lubbock, Texas. If you contact a Department of State Health Services funded treatment center , and you're not working ,you sould qualify for treatment services paid for by the state. Treatment centers that are funded by the Department of State Health Services operate on a sliding fee scale and if you tell them you're unemployed and have kids, you should qualify for state funded treatment services or only have to pay a percentage. Dont let your pride or ego exaggerate your financial resources when doing the financial assessment. Most treatment centers/counselors would be willing to work with TNPAP to help you meet their requirements. I've worked with several nurses that were going through TNPAP to preserve their license. You can email me with any questions, I will be glad to help you get placed in a program.

L. P. LCDC

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Granny....

We disagree. I have seen numerous commercials of "just say no" and in none of them did I see the suggestion to report others and especially parents. The theme of the message was, "don't do this to yourself." Don't start the addiction process, don't go with the flow, be a unique person and it is okay not to do drugs.

There have been NO presidents or 1st ladies I have respected in many years. This is NOT about respect for anyone. This is about respecting self. Nothing more and nothing less.

AND.... if a kid out there has an addicted parent it is HIGH time they broke the rule of silence and told an elder. I wish I would have done that when I was a kid. Maybe things would have been different. Protecting the addict is a thing of the past, not something to be embraced today and especially by a child living under the abuse of addiction.

Perhaps when it comes to addicted parents we need to look to the rights of children OVER the rights of an addict. Kids have rights too, they merely need to be acknowledged.

Look, both my parents were alcoholics. My mom was an alcoholic/addict and died of such. Perhaps if I would have made an issue out of it as as child she would have lived a full life. I don't know. But what I do know if that she died quite young. A sad, needless death.

I actually resent the fact that you would have a child hide his parents addiction from those that could help the CHILD.

While I agree with you that the program is ineffective, I completely and totally, 1,000,000% (yeah, I know.. not possible to disagree 1,000,000% ... but I do anyway) disagree that children should not speak up when their parents are addicts.

First, you have see the TV commercials which are thirty second spots. Try going into the school programs. Second, you may resent all you wish. I grew up post WWII. A large number of children were indoctrinated to turn their parents into the authorities, during WWII and post that period. Using children to provide evidence, by turning their parent in, violates our rights under our Constitution. And I am not advocating a child hide his suspected parent's so called addiction, I object to the violation of our rights.

And by the way, my mother was an alcoholic. She never admitted to it, never sought treatment. And I never forced her to. I just accepted her, with all her faults, she was my mother.

Grannynurse:balloons:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Urgent Care.
One of the corner stones of the "Just Say No' is that children were encouraged to report anyone, including parents, who used drugs. This was one of the main reason's I did not nor do I now support it. And it is an oversimplistic program that has had a minimal effect on drug usage. And I have three grandchildren, one of whom just completed this program

Grannynurse:balloons:

Actually, the report the parents was a conerstone of the LAPD's Drug Abuse Resistance/education (DARE) Program. This program is mostly discredited (by the fact that schools using it did not have lower rates of drug abuse than schools with no/different drug abuse awareness programs) and it has been discontinued by many areas it was once well entrenched, including LA county, where DARE originated.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Actually, the report the parents was a conerstone of the LAPD's Drug Abuse Resistance/education (DARE) Program. This program is mostly discredited (by the fact that schools using it did not have lower rates of drug abuse than schools with no/different drug abuse awareness programs) and it has been discontinued by many areas it was once well entrenched, including LA county, where DARE originated.

Well, I guess it proves the point, I've always maintained: Florida is a socially backward state. Hate to tell you this, DARE is alive and well, here in Florida. I just attended a school program put on by my grandson's fifth grade class and officers of the Charlotte County Sheriffs Department, using DARE.

Grannynurse:balloons:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion