Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine also is known as meth is a stimulant drug used as a pill, white or bitter-tasting powder. Methamphetamine is chemically similar to amphetamine, amphetamine is a drug that is used to treat ADHD which is a hyperactivity disorder. Meth has multiple names like chalk, crank, crystal, ice, meth, and speed.

How do People use Meth?

The most common way people use meth is by injecting the powder that has dissolved in water or alcohol. Also, some people inhale it/ smoking it, others sometimes swallow a pill, and others snort it similarly to cocaine.

People overdose because the drugs “high” comes and goes quickly which makes people want more so they take multiple doses repeatedly. When the users take repeated doses they call it a “binge and crash”. Users also go on a “run” where they give up food and sleep to stay up and take the drug every few hours to continue this “run”. This “run” is very dangerous because of the possibility of infection and overdose is at a high.

Brain on Meth

Methamphetamine causes your brain to produce more dopamine which is a natural chemical of the human brain. Dopamine affects behavior related to pleasurable goals, such as food, sex, and social interaction. Since meth creates all this natural dopamine so quickly it causes the user to want it more, which is the drive of an addiction.

Short-Term Effects

Meth is such a powerful drug it can have the same effects as other stimulants like amphetamine and cocaine. Some short- term of the effects of meth are…

• Increased wakefulness and physical activity
• Decreased appetite
• Faster breathing
• Rapid and/or irregular heartbeat
• Increased blood pressure and body temperature

Long- Term Effects

When using meth for using on a long- term it causes you to be a much higher risk of contracting diseases and severe infections. Studies even show that when persons with HIV or AIDS use meth have faster progression of the disease and it causes a shorter life span. Also, long-term use affects the brains dopamine system, it causes reduced coordination and impaired verbal learning. Even more severe affects are changes in emotion and memory. If a user does become sober for a long period of time some effects of meth will reverse but some won't, even if sober for a long period of time it puts you at a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease and disorders of the nerves. Some long-term effects of meth are…

• Extreme weight loss
• Severe dental problems (“meth mouth”)
• Intense itching, leading to skin sores from scratching
• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Sleeping problems
• Violent behavior
• Paranoia — extreme and unreasonable distrust of others
• Hallucinations — sensations and images that seem real though they aren’t

Start and End of an Addiction

People First Trying Meth

This story of a person with previous addictions trying meth for the first time, by the choice of words this person uses it makes it sound like they have been in a bad place for a long time and that they feel hopeless, even if you or someone you know is in a bad place don’t turn to drugs as a option there’s always a better option.

“When I tried meth for the first time, I knew the nature of my disease. I knew that the minute I put the drugs in my body my brain would respond with an uncontrollable obsession. I knew that the meth would hijack my frontal lobe and instead of having access to survival skills such as the need for food or the fight/flight response, getting more drugs would become my one and only concern. I knew all about addiction; I had already been to treatment for alcoholism and “soft” drugs. I knew that picking up hard drugs would catapult me into a new dimension of hell but I didn’t care. I needed something to change the way I felt.”

This story is from a person that seems to have a lot of pressure on them from work or even life in general, they could possibly be trying to find a way to finish work faster and have less pressure, but in the end meth or any drugs will cause more problems then they fix. The feeling of a high may cause you to feel great at the moment but it will continue to feed off you like a parasite until you pass, so people should think about their future before no matter how cloudy it looks it will clear up.

“I took about 2–3 hits and Oh my lord, the feeling is f****ng great. I feel like doing things, talking to everyone, saying ‘hi’ to everyone in my contacts ( luckily i didn't). They said do you have anything to do? I suddenly remembered i had a f****ng proposal that i have been delaying for a while. I then went to open my laptop and started doing it. Oh lord, the words and phrases just came out from my mind like a piece of cake and by the time i was so into that, i realised that the work is done. i was like “Wow, it this f****ng real?” The 2-months-work was done in a night.”

People Realizing the Effects

Sometimes the person that can help you the most is yourself, this quote shows a person weighing out the pros and cons and see’s that they need a change.

“Meth has given me the best feeling i have ever had in my life. That huge confidence, alertness, socializing, etc. Its hard to say goodbye when im thinking that im not gonna feel these feelings again but at the same time it given me the lost of weight, sucken face, unstable emotions, lost of my girlfriend, insomnia and many more. It got me thinking, does it really worth it? All those bad effects for just a few hours of the europhia. No, it doesnt.”

This story is a person that realized they were better than to be a meth abuser. This person realizes how they are just doing a reality check and it causes a life-changing decision for them. (This quote gets a graphic)

“In the end, what lead me to quit was a moment of clarity. When I took a look at my situation. I used to be a straight As kid, with a future. Now I was a high school drop out, working at a dead end job where I never spoke to anyone, and at that moment I was sitting in a trailer with five other filthy guys. One was missing an eye, telling me about how he [performed oral sex] in jail. The other was a gay man who had his relationship destroyed by meth, and he was busy picking at a sore on his forehead that had grown to the size of a half dollar. No one had bathed in days. Everyone had been up for days on end. There was a bunny that someone had caught decaying in the back room, under the bed. Where the f**k was I? What the f**k was I doing there?”

Who can help with an addiction?

Support Groups — Many people use Support Groups to help because when being in a similar situation with others and all wanting a change can help create motivation and will to make a change.

Rehab Centers — Rehab centers give you a more isolated environment but it’s a very direct approach that causes the abuser/ user to feel the need to make a change because of the directivity of it and the extra push from professionals.

Therapy — Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps patients realize/recognize their problem, how to avoid it, and finally how to cope with situations that they are likely to use drugs.

Family — Family is a very powerful thing, a family can help you face your problem and this could help the user quit and recognize why they are doing so.

Yourself — Your own self can sometimes be more effective than all these options, finding and taking down the addiction can give you confidence in life and make you feel more independent. This mentality of being able to tackle such a big problem shows a lot. As shown in the quotes from the above people recognized their addiction and situation on their own. So this option is the hardest but arguably the most effective to ending an addiction or use of a substance.

Citations:

“Crystal Clear: The Reality of Meth Addiction.” Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment, Rehab and Detox, www.therecoveryvillage.com/meth-addiction/crystal-meth-addiction-stories/#gref.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Methamphetamine.” NIDA, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/methamphetamine.