The epidemic posed by methamphetamine abuse is receiving much-deserved attention within Konocti Unified School District. Warning signs of meth abuse were circulated via e-mail earlier this year among some members of Konocti staff.
The information was part of a longer correspondence that highlighted information in a book by Jerry Langton, “Iced, Crystal Meth: The Biography of North America”s Deadliest New Plague” I”m hoping to work with the e-mail correspondent to determine how we can best get some of this information into print.
To begin with, however, I”d like to interject another perspective on interpreting signs of meth abuse. In the course of researching Asperger”s Syndrome, a condition I learned that I have, I discovered references to behavior called “stimming,” repetitive body movements such as rocking, spinning and flapping one”s hands.
Asperger”s Syndrome is officially classified as an autism-spectrum condition. It relates to social development and the ability to manage information that is taken in through the senses. A person with AS can be slow to mature socially and can have difficulty interpreting non-verbal cues. Certain impressions of the senses ? sight, scents, sounds and tastes ? can also be overwhelming.
Another characteristic associated with AS and with autism is this behavior that”s referred to as “stimming.”
When I read the signs of meth abuse I was struck by one description, “Fiddling, twitching and other involuntary motions.” It sounded just like stimming to me.
My own experience with stimming has been subject to change with maturity. When I was younger, I damaged some books that one of my teachers lent me because I was captivated by the illustrations and spent a long time looking at them. I absolutely failed to notice that I was gouging holes in the pages with my thumb.
I felt so bad about damaging the books that I made an effort to police myself and am successful most of the time. Today my repetitive motions merely crease the edges of a page.
But one of the first things I learned about AS is that the operative word is “spectrum” and from corresponding online with other AS individuals, I”ve concluded that some forms of repetitive behavior may be a far more unsettling display.
But it doesn”t mean we use meth.
In short, just as you wouldn”t assume by itself that a “Red, sore and runny nose” means that a person uses meth, please also reserve your judgement if a person shows repetitive movements. What you interpret as meth abuse may be part of their neurological makeup.
Please look for more than one characteristic before concluding that a person uses meth. The remaining signs of meth abuse that were listed in the e-mail are:
* Anxiety;
* Infections and sores at injection sites;
* Depression;
* Insomnia;
* Elevated body temperature;
* Paranoia;
* Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea;
* Irritability;
* Seizures;
* Lack of appetite and weight loss; and
* Skin ulceration and infection.
Contact Cynthia Parkhill at cparkhill@clearlakeobserver.com.
