Conversation

Yesterday I had a long talk with my former student, the drug-addicted lesbian who just got out of rehab (that is her full name).

While she is physically much healthier, I wonder at the mental toll her drug use has had. She told me that she can tell that her brain function is not what it used to be. At the moment she is taking a prescription medication for (what I think is a misdiagnosed) mental disorder, and I wonder if maybe that is affecting her ability to think clearly.

She is much more tentative than she used to to, speaking softly and slowly, thinking through her words before she says them. She doesn't laugh as much, although maybe her previous laughter was drug-induced and didn't come from humor.

I was very worried about her, and I'm glad she's back. Her family seems to be very supportive, and I know that the faculty and staff have been very protective; it's good to know that I work with people who can make tough decisions, and that they do it from compassion and not from misguided motives.

I cannot believe our county doesn't have NA. It's not like we don't have drugs around here, or former drug addicts in need of support.