Methamphetamines, more commonly referred to as “meth,” “crank,” “chalk,” “glass,” “speed,” “tina,” “crystal meth” and “crystal,” represent a highly addictive, long-lasting stimulant. Structurally similar to amphetamines like “speed,” meth causes far greater damage to the central nervous system, destroying a person’s life as they quickly deplete the body’s resources. Due to the intense psychoactive properties of meth, the sense of happiness and well-being, and feelings of elation, a person who tries meth once can become hooked immediately.
Methamphetamines are a variation on a drug called amphetamines that belong to the stimulant drug class. This means that they cause the user to act like they have limitless energy, talk more than usual, experience happiness, and sense that all is right in the world. Even at similar doses to amphetamines, methamphetamines are far more dangerous as greater levels of meth can reach the brain, thereby increasing the potency of the drug. Methamphetamines provide the user a longer, more sustained high which is why it’s such an addictive drug, but this prolonged high comes at a steep price – it causes great damage to the central nervous system of the body.
The high or rush experienced by a meth abuser is caused by a surge of the neurotransmitter dopamine, in the brain. Over time, someone who abuses methamphetamines can destroy the dopamine receptors in the brain, creating a condition called anhedonia. Individuals who experience anhedonia are unable to feel pleasure without using methamphetamines. Current research suggests that the damage to the dopamine receptors may heal with time, while the damage meth can cause to the rest of the body may never heal.
Methamphetamines, a Schedule II stimulant with a high potential for addiction can be abused in a number of manners that include smoking, eating, injecting, or snorting. Medically, methamphetamines can be prescribed by a physician to treat conditions like ADHD and narcolepsy. Prescription methamphetamines are given at a far lower dosage than the illegal street version of the drug.
The abuse of methamphetamine is a rapidly expanding problem in the United States and worldwide. The epidemic of methamphetamine users and addicts is fueled by the relatively low-cost of materials and ease of manufacture of the drug. While drug cartels still supply most of the world’s meth, methamphetamines are easily manufactured in makeshift home laboratories or in abandoned warehouses. The meth “cook” is the individual who uses dangerous materials such as over-the-counter cold remedies, drain cleaner, battery acid, antifreeze, and ammonia to create methamphetamines and may “cook meth” in smaller batches for other, local meth addicts.
Similar to cocaine, methamphetamine is manufactured in two forms: a white crystalline powder and rock crystals – crystal meth. Crystal methamphetamine, also called “glass” or “ice” is the most commonly abused form of the drug, especially at a club drug in popular nightclubs in major cities. Similarly to cocaine, methamphetamine is often abused in a binge/crash manner in which the meth addict stays up for days using meth before crashing; having not eaten or slept in many days.
Meth is quickly becoming the world’s most abused drug.
Co-Occurring Disorders
Many people who are addicted to meth have underlying mental health conditions. Some of the most common co-occurring mental health conditions include:
- Mood disorders
- Depressive disorders
- ADHD
- Bipolar disorder
- Other substance abuse disorders, especially abuse of drugs that cause sedation
- Antisocial personality disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Conduct disorder
- Behavioral addictions, such as addiction to the internet
Statistics
In 2012, over 12 million people, or 4.7% of the population of the United States reported having used methamphetamine at least once. Worldwide, meth addiction is becoming a major problem for many countries. Current estimates are that 26 million methamphetamine addicts worldwide, with 1.4 million of these individuals living in the United States. While methamphetamine addiction was once considered a problem in rural areas in which the substances needed for meth production are more readily available, “hillbilly heroin,” is now being abused by high-schoolers, college students, as well as both blue and white collar individuals.
Causes of Meth Addiction
Individuals experiment with drugs like meth for many reasons. Many use them primarily to escape their lives, while others abuse drugs to fit in, escape uncomfortable emotions, relieve boredom, experiment, and rebel against authority. While methamphetamine may be initially used to “solve” a problem, the subsequent use and addiction to meth creates far greater consequences. Other factors that play a role in methamphetamine addiction include:
Genetic: Research has indicated that individuals who have a first-degree relative, such as a sibling or parent, who struggles with addiction are at increased risk for developing addiction.
Biological: It has been postulated that individuals who opt to abuse meth are born with lower levels of dopamine, the body’s pleasure neurotransmitter in the brain. As such, they may abuse methamphetamines to correct that imbalance.
Environmental: Individuals who grow up in a chaotic home environment in which a parent or caregiver abuses substances are more prone to develop an addiction later in life. Watching a trusted caregiver abuse substances can “normalize” the substance, making it less frightening and more of an option for coping with stress later in life.
Psychological: Many mental illnesses lead to incredible feelings of sadness and often in an attempt to escape these feelings, a person chooses to abuse drugs or alcohol in an attempt to “self-medicate” their symptoms.
Symptoms of Methamphetamine Addiction
As a powerful and potent stimulant, methamphetamine addiction can cause both short and long-term symptoms. Short term symptoms of meth use include:
- Pleasurable rush or high
- Tachycardia – increased heart rate
- Hypertension
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Very high fever
- Wakefulness
- Appetite suppression
While not every person who abuses meth will display each of the following symptoms, the most common long-term effects of methamphetamine abuse include:
Mood symptoms:
- Panic attacks
- Restlessness
- Anxiety
- Inability to remain still
- Racing thoughts
- Extreme depression
- Intense mood swings
Behavioral symptoms:
- Reckless sexual activity
- Increasing amounts of sexual activity
- Reckless behaviors
- Behaving unsafely
- Violence
- Being unable to curb meth use despite attempts
- Avoiding once-pleasurable hobbies
- Mounting legal problems
- Financial difficulties
- Preoccupation with using and obtaining meth
- Social isolation
- Isolation from family and friends
Physical symptoms:
- Tachycardia
- Functional and molecular changes in the brain
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Increase in sex drive
- Malnutrition
- Extreme weight loss
- Insomnia
- Vasoconstriction
- Acne and scarring of the skin
- Decreased skin elasticity
- Meth mouth
- Dysfunction of the immune system
- Brain damage
- Seizures
- Myocardial infarction – heart attack
- Stroke
- Cerebral hemorrhage
Psychological symptoms:
- Confusion and disorientation
- Increasing loss of memory
- Completely unorganized lifestyle
- Temporary or permanent paranoia
- Psychosis
- Hallucinations
- Total break from reality
- Escalating violence and aggression
Effects of Methamphetamine Addiction
- Loss of ability to properly parent children
- Depression
- Damage to the liver
- Poor and lost interpersonal relationships
- Cirrhosis
- Unemployment
- Mounting legal and financial problems
- Domestic abuse and violence
- Kidney disease
- Psychosis
- Consequences of reckless behaviors
- HIV/AIDS
- HPC
- Myocardial infarction
- Stroke
- Seizures
- Death
Effects of Withdrawal
Substance addiction is marked by a period of unpleasant and hard-to-manage withdrawal symptoms when a person stops using the drug. Effects of withdrawal from meth include:
- Paranoia
- Psychosis
- Thoughts of suicide
- Extreme cravings for meth, especially after a long period of sobriety
- Increased need for sleep
- Increased needs for food
- Restlessness
- Anxiety
- Anhedonia – the inability to feel pleasure