How Meth Destroys The Body The Meth Epidemic FRONTLINE

Tooth decay, tooth loss, and gum disease are common among meth users — especially those who inject the drug. Physically, https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/meth-addiction-and-abuse-symptoms-and-treatment/ can lead to irreversible damage to the brain and other areas of the body. Those who abuse meth are at an increased risk of having a heart attack or a stroke as a direct result of their drug abuse. The drug also makes dramatic changes to your brain structure in a very short time, which can lead you to keep using it despite any negative consequences on your life, health, and relationships.

Acne appears, sores take longer to heal, and the skin loses its luster and elasticity. Some users are covered in small sores, the result of obsessive skin-picking brought on by the hallucination of having bugs crawling beneath the skin, a disorder known as formication. Meth users report that after taking the drug they experience a sudden “rush” of pleasure or a prolonged sense of euphoria, as well as increased energy, focus, confidence, sexual prowess and feelings of desirability. However, after that first try, users require more and more of the drug to get that feeling again, and maintain it. With repeated use, methamphetamine exacts a toll on the mind and body, robbing users of their physical health and cognitive abilities, their libido and good looks, and their ability to experience pleasure. Here’s how the body reacts to meth and the consequences of long-term abuse.

What does meth feel like?

Recovery for a Meth addiction requires a comprehensive Meth treatment plan that consists of detoxification, counseling, and therapy. Detox will purge the physical presence of Meth from the body and help users acclimate to functioning in daily life without the drug. Counseling will address the psychological damage done by substance abuse, as well as educate recovering users on how to resist temptation and maintain long-term sobriety.

Tweaker behavior becomes more frantic the longer they use this drug. People suffering from meth addiction may try to hide the side effects of meth use from their friends and family. Here are twenty-two things most meth addicts will not tell you about their addiction. SAMHSA’s mission is to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes. The medically correct term for drug addiction is substance use disorder (SUD). However, it is important to note that although meth use does physically alter the brain, there is a difference between physical dependence and addiction.

Detox

Learn more about the risks and side effects of substance use disorders, including the signs of intoxication or overdose. Because the “high” from the drug both starts and fades quickly, people often take repeated doses in a “binge and crash” pattern. In some cases, people take methamphetamine in a form of binging known as a “run,” giving up food and sleep while continuing to take the drug every few hours for up to several days. Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.

People who inject methamphetamine are at increased risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C. These diseases are transmitted through contact with blood or other bodily fluids that can remain on drug equipment. Methamphetamine use can also alter judgment and decision-making leading to risky behaviors, such as unprotected sex, which also increases risk for infection. Methamphetamine increases the amount of the natural chemical dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is involved in body movement, motivation, and reinforcement of rewarding behaviors. The drug’s ability to rapidly release high levels of dopamine in reward areas of the brain strongly reinforces drug-taking behavior, making the user want to repeat the experience.

How to recognize addiction in others

Their day- or week-long meth “runs” are usually accompanied by tooth-grinding, poor diet, and bad hygiene, which lead to mouths full of broken, stained and rotting teeth. Chronic meth users may chew lots of gum or drink lots of water to offset the side effects of meth use (dry mouth and meth mouth). Also known as ice, crank, or crystal, meth can be cheaply made by simply mixing together a number of chemicals, many of which are interchangeable. For this reason, this highly addictive substance is often called a bathtub drug. Crystal meth is easy to obtain, and due to the incredibly harsh chemicals used in its manufacture—including battery acid and ammonia—the physical and cognitive effects of the addiction are severe.

• Meth users tend to be highly self-absorbed due to psychosis induced by meth use.
• Blood pressure spikes, thoughts race, users often have to keep moving even though they’re accomplishing nothing.
• It didn’t take long for crystal meth to become “discovered” in the 1980s.
• The interception occurred when CBP officers inspected a shipment within a cargo flight.
• Methamphetamine use can also alter judgment and decision-making leading to risky behaviors, such as unprotected sex, which also increases risk for infection.