Methamphetamine Addiction: The Facts

 

Methamphetamine is known by many names: crystal meth, meth, ice, crystal; but in the end it has the same symptoms, signs and effects irrespective of what you choose to call it.  Unfortunately, television shows have made it look like a 'cool' thing to do; but it just plain isn't.  It is a highly addictive, class-A drug made of toxic and explosive chemicals that are capable of killing people in or near the 'meth houses'.  So, if it can kill people while being cooked imagine what it's doing to you when you take it.

Meth is more often than not smoked, but it can also be injected directly into a vein or snorted.  Once received it has euphoric effects along with an increased arousal and rush of adrenaline.  Addicts have been known to stay awake for days because of the high until crashing from sleep deprivation.

With the good stuff, comes the bad.  While you feel great, you can also experience violent mood swings with strong feelings of paranoia.  Aggression, anxiety, extreme insomnia, hallucinations and dehydration are all common when using meth. 

Some meth addicts also show feelings of irritability, fear, major depression and homicidal and/or suicidal thoughts.  In fact, many addicts will act on these suicidal thoughts which is why they are placed on suicide watch when undergoing rehabilitation treatment. 

The psychological effects are not the only symptoms of meth addiction, there are also physical effects indicating that meth is a severe health risk.  These are elevated blood pressure, and irregular heart rate, tremors, convulsions and body sores from picking at the bugs that are supposedly crawling underneath your skin (hallucination). 

Those are the short-term physical effects; the longer-term effects are brain damage, stroke, coma and irreversible heart conditions. 

In conclusion, while there is treatment available to help overcome methamphetamine addiction it is recommended you consider whether the effects are worth a painful withdrawal process; as well as the possibility of detrimental long-term psychological and physical effects.