The edited version. Part the first. The drugs.One of Shroom's colleagues has been concerning him. X is increasingly prone to mood swings, and sometimes seems irrational. I have an idea that X is using opiates - maybe just codeine or tramadol - for their occasional euphoric effects, rather than their analgaesic efficacy. Morphine is very easy to come by in the ED. It would be a relatively small jump... or an huge one, depending on your perspective. Maybe I'm over-excited. I know my duty lies in confrontation if my fears are that strong, but I don't want to charge in. Maybe something else is going on. I shall talk to them. Simply voicing my fears here isn't good enough.
I'll let you know.
7 comments:
"I think a colleague is on drugs at work. I'm not sure it's affecting their work, but nonetheless."
Tough situation. Why do you think that ?
several times thruout my career I have worked with someone who was diverting narcotics, it seems to happen more often than one would imagine. It is sad that people who have worked so hard to get to where they are in their profession will throw it all away for being high.
I find ernersey's comment interesting. I may be misinterpreting it so forgive me if I am.
I don't know if people are necessarily knowingly throwing it all away simply to be high.
I also don't think substance use or abuse is partial or discriminates in any way. Many "successful" people will indulge and some will overindulge to the point of it becoming an impairment or problem. Many people who are not deemed "successful" by society will use drugs as well.
Look at legal drugs such as alcohol that are more socially acceptable. Others carry more of a stigma but all can affect you to a negative degree that can seriously affect your ability to function.
I don't judge. It's not my place to tell someone how to live or what to do in their spare time. If I care for them or I think that they are in trouble, I can only express that concern and share my own personal experiences.
However, if a medical professional that is taking care of me is drunk, high, whatever...that is an issue. My job does not place others' lives on the line but health care practitioners' jobs do. A certain amount of responsibility has to go along with that.
Thank you all for your comments. In fairness, I have taken a little artistic licence with the timeline of some of these events, both for simplicities' sake, and for confidentiality reasons. I'll have more to say in posts to come, but it's good (for me at least) to be able to air my thoughts etc in a (semi) anonymous forum
Absolutely drshroom! Air away! That's what this space is for, correct?
Thanks. But I can't imagine why you have highlighted my name? ;) (Surely you know they keep us junior docs in the dark, and feed us shit...)
Very funny. It's just my own little element of *spark* in the blogosphere. I like to make the people I address feel special so I place their names in bold font.
However, sometimes if I'm a little tired or off my game I might not. I try to be consistent, though.
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