Methamphetamine, Drug Abuse and Addiction
Methamphetamine, Drug Abuse and Addiction
Methamphetamine or Meth as it is commonly referred to, is an addictive stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. Illegal laboratories make Methamphetamine which has a high potential for drug abuse and drug addiction. Street methamphetamine is referred to by many names, such as “speed,” “meth,” and “chalk.”Methamphetamine hydrochloride, clear chunky crystals resembling ice, which can be inhaled by smoking, is referred to as “ice,” “crystal,” “glass,” and “tina”.
Meth Abuse Patterns
Low intensity, binge, and high intensity are the three abuse patterns of Methamphetamine.
Low-intensity abuse describes a user who is not psychologically addicted to the drug but uses methamphetamine on a casual basis by swallowing or snorting it.
Binge abusers prefer to smoke or inject methamphetamine to achieve a faster and stronger high and are psychologically addicted. Binge abusers use methamphetamine more than low-intensity abusers but less than high-intensity abusers.
High-intensity abusers also called as “speed freaks” are the addicts. Users of this pattern seek the elusive, perfect rush which they had when they first started smoking or injecting methamphetamine and focus on preventing the crash.
Though the pattern varies the process remains the same. It begins with the initial response the abuser feels when smoking or injecting methamphetamine called the Rush. This is followed by the High- the abuser often feels aggressively smarter and becomes argumentative – The high can last 4-16 hours. Following this come the Binge-which is the continuation of the high? The abuser maintains the high by smoking or injecting more methamphetamine. Mental and physical hyper activeness is caused during the binge. This prolongs for 3-15 days.
Next stage is Tweaking in which the abuser cannot take away the feeling of emptiness even by taking more methamphetamine.Tweaking is very uncomfortable, and the abuser often takes a depressant to ease the bad feelings. Tweaking is also the most dangerous stage. Then Crash follows which causes incredible amount of sleep. As the body’s epinephrine gets depleted, the body uses the crash to replenish its supply. The crash can last 1-3 days. Last before stage is Normal which is slightly deteriorated from the normal state before methamphetamine was used. This state persist ordinarily between 2 and 14 days. The final stage-Withdrawal where the abusers may slowly enter, does not cause any acute, immediate, symptoms of physical distress. An abuser realizes this stage only after 30-90 days of last drug use.Then the craving for more methamphetamine hits, and the abuser often becomes suicidal.
The Meth Addiction
Meth in any form stimulates the central nervous system, with symptoms lasting between 4 to 24 hours. Taking the methamphetamine for a long time causes fundamental and long-lasting ways in brain apart from modifying the behavior in an acute state. Meth users die due to heart failure (myocardial infarction), brain damage, and stroke and may lead to suicide or murder due to extreme, acute psychiatric and psychological meth symptoms.
Once we become dependent and start losing our health, it is not safe to take the drug. Avoid pain meds if you can!
Read more at Meth Addiction.
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