10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

BREAKING FREE
By Nurse Practitioner Norma Stephens Hannigan

Its July 4th weekend as I sit down to write this article – a time when we revel in the freedoms gained by a courageous revolution over 200 years ago. Addiction is like an oppressive tyrant that keeps us chained to dependence on a chemical substance. Fighting an addiction, a personal revolution, breaks those chains. This article deals with methamphetamine addiction, a growing scourge in the trucking community.

WHAT IS METHAMPHETAMINE ADDICTION? Methamphetamine addiction is becoming more prominent in the trucking community nationwide, no longer isolated in rural communities in the mid-West as it once was. Methamphetamine, also known by the street names meth, crystal meth, ice, crank, speed or tina, keeps you awake and helps you meet deadlines – the perfect drug for the over the road driver. Or is it? For the first time user, there is a 50% chance of addiction; for the second time user, the risk jumps to 75%. In other words, crystal meth is so highly addictive that the majority of people will be hooked on it after they have used it only twice. Addiction is the persistent, compulsive use of a substance that the user knows is harmful. So, even though users know very well that the substance will produce physical and mental harm, they feel powerless to control the craving for the drug and continue using.

There is a physical and a behavioral part to addiction; it is an illness that not only affects the user, but all the people in his/her environment as well. Physically, the body needs the chemical to keep in balance; once the drug is withdrawn, the body reacts with the shakes, convulsions, nausea and vomiting, and even death sometimes. Mentally, the user simply cannot stop thinking about the next high and is compelled to keep using in spite of the knowledge that it can kill him or her. This compulsion makes the drug abuser behave in a manipulative, dishonest way; he or she will do anything it takes to get more of this dangerously addictive drug.

WHY IS METHAMPHETAMINE SUCH A PROBLEM? Meth can be manufactured easily at home by those in the know (although recently the sale of cold remedies which contain one of the main ingredients used in making crystal meth is being controlled in some states to cut down on the ease of concocting it). It is inexpensive to make, so it arrives on the street or at truck stops across the U.S. quickly. Unlike prescription medications, there is no government agency regulating the amount of ingredients that end up in the meth or their purity – a nightmare of a crap shoot. Depending on what’s in the batch, using on one occasion may produce very little reaction; the next time, because the ingredients and/or amount of ingredients vary, it may kill you.

The attraction to crystal meth for truckers is that you can stay awake and drive for hours (or days) while taking it and feel ecstatically happy. The downside, however, is that it makes your heart race, raises blood pressure increasing your risk for stroke (broken blood vessels in your brain), causes aggressive behavior and impairs your judgment. Driving in a safe manner is suddenly out of the question. As the effect wears off, the user becomes depressed and lethargic. The user wants to rediscover the euphoria and ability to keep driving, so he/she takes more and starts the cycle over again. Eventually, the user becomes paranoid, fearful that people are after him/her and may hallucinate, hearing or seeing things that aren’t there. One of the hallucinations can be that of bugs crawling under the skin (called “meth bugs”). They are not really there, but the user begins to scratch until he/she bleeds to get rid of the bugs. This often leads to sores that get infected. “Meth mouth” occurs in people who snort crystal meth. A chemical reaction causes the teeth to decay more rapidly than normal. Injecting meth and sharing needles puts the user at risk for HIV and Hepatitis B – both of which are potentially fatal. Meth can be snorted, injected or smoked. All this, in combination with an 80,000-pound rig, does not paint a pretty picture. In post-accident drug testing, crystal meth is often the culprit.

WHAT DO I DO TO GET HELP? People who finally hit bottom and realize that they must stop using the drug should seek professional assistance either through a detoxification program or their personal health care provider. Included here are some websites and phone numbers for getting in touch with someone who can help. If you are using crystal meth, there is help available to help you quit. If you know someone who is struggling with this addiction, you cannot make them stop. A person must first recognize that he/she has a problem and then decide to put an end to the addiction. You can have resources ready for them, though, if they express an interest in getting clean. If you suspect that a co-worker might be using crystal meth (or other drugs, for that matter) you may need to gather the courage to report it so that drug testing can occur. Although that might seem cruel, it may be the very thing that helps the user “hit bottom” and get help. It also may save the lives of innocent people sharing the road with the user.

SOME VERY GOOD INFORMATION RESOURCES: Have a friend that needs some help? Visit www.freevibe.com/stepup/index.asp. Another website with lots of information about all aspects of meth is www.methmadness.com. The National Alcohol and Substance Abuse Information Center can be reached at 1-800-784-6776 or www.addictioncareoptions.com. To learn about Crystal Meth Anonymous, a twelve step program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, visit www.crystalmeth.org.