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The following two-part video will give you an excellent overview of the issue of meth and children.  Please note, that while we don't agree with the idea of using the "Faces Of Meth" that's contained within this video, we have to show it as it was posted.  Excluding that and a few other minor details however, we think this is an excellent general overview.

Drug-Endangered Kids & Teens - Part One

Drug-Endangered Kids & Teens - Part Two

A Profile Of The Meth Child

Obviously, every situation is different, as is every child that comes from a meth lab environment, or from parents or caregivers who were actively using methamphetamine.  We do not mean to sensationalize this issue, because we are fully aware that there are parents who are using, or have used meth who did not neglect or abuse their children in any way.  So excuse us if we have to generalize somewhat, and for obvious reasons, focus our attention on the disturbing percentage of parents and caregivers who make their children "co-victims" of their addiction to meth.

The Psychological Environment

Imagine if you will, being nine or ten years old and living in an environment that at any given time, is chaotic, unpredictable, inconsistent and volatile.  Family "roles" are unclear, no natural hierarchy exists within your "home," limits and boundaries are constantly changing, people come and go that you don't recognize, and often for extended periods of time, you're alone - sometimes for days.

Almost everything that occurs in the home is arbitrary, people explode into arguments and possibly physical violence for seemingly no logical reason, and there's a much higher than normal chance you have been the victim of incest, sexual abuse, or you have witnessed your "caregivers" or other adults engaging in sex.  And there may be weapons in your home, and usually one or more rooms that you're not allowed in and you don't know why.  Your parents or caregivers might have also "booby-trapped" entrances to the house, for fear of authorities.

At this tender age, you have already experienced high levels of fear, rejection, isolation and parent-child role reversal.  Even at this young age, you might be taking care of your younger siblings during those times that your "caregivers" are physically, or emotionally unavailable.

The governing principles in your home (if any) are secrecy, mistrust, resentment of authority, extreme denial and selfishness.  And your parents, who are supposed to be your point of orientation and attachment, are completely disoriented most of the time, and emotionally detached almost all of the time.

Their mood is hinged on a pendulum that swings across the extremes of euphoria, depression, obsession, compulsion and paranoia.  Your parents regularly go from being incredibly frenetic and busy on seemingly meaningless tasks, to be passed out for days at a time.  In short, from one moment to the next, you never know what personality they're going to assume, but you have learned that whichever one it is, it will be extreme.

In This Case, Silence Is Not Golden

We know from experience with children raised in homes where more conventional addiction exists (ie: alcoholism) the children in these homes have to develop certain coping mechanisms to survive, and these coping mechanisms often carry through to adulthood.  For example, most of the emotions and feelings that they see expressed in their household will often be exaggerated or abusive in nature, and as a result, there's a perception on the part of the child that expression of tender, human emotion rarely results in anything constructive or positive.

So there's a good chance that on some level, the child will stop "feeling" and whatever they are feeling, they will be extremely reluctant to express it.    Their early experience has taught them that expressions of "feeling" hurts, that "feeling" leads to yelling and fighting, and "feeling" leads to pain.  So their rationale is if they stop "feeling," they will at least ensure that they don't hurt anymore than they already do, or feel anymore pain than they already feel.  In short, they are robbed of an essential part of being a child - expression.

The Power Of Touch

Several studies have been done with research animals to determine just how critical the importance of touch is between a mother and child.  And what's been learned is that the need to touch and be touched by their caregiver, the need to be held in a soft environment, and the need to look at a kind face are actually more important to the infant than eating, which has always been thought to be one of the most primal needs of an infant.

But when given a choice between a surrogate mother made out of wire mesh that has a bottle of mothers milk to suckle on, and a surrogate mother with no milk but a recognizable face and covered in soft material, the infant chooses the latter.  Furthermore, it's also known that children who don't have this critical need to touch and be touched met, actually experience a degree of stunting in their brain development.

So given what we know about the temperament and behavior of a meth addict, and adding the fact that many meth addicts hate to be touched, we can only imagine the damage inflicted on the child living in a meth lab or meth using environment.  Ostensibly, their brains are being negatively impacted on a neurological, physical, psychological and even, if you will, spiritual level.

Next, we look at the matter of trust, or in the case of the child in a meth environment, the inability to trust.

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