I Wish I Didn't Know This

I checked in a patient recently and her mother had a certain look about her. It's a look that I have learned to associate with meth addicts. It usually accompanies nervous chattering and the inability to stay on subject. Obviously it's disconcerting for a number of reasons, the worst of which is that this woman is responsible for a child.

The thing that saddened me is that I didn't consciously think 'meth addict' while checking them in. But later I saw a notation in the chart by a provider that said the parents have a history of meth use and realized that it didn't suprise me. I have seen it too often now.