Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant that increases energy, decreases appetite and decreases the need for sleep.
Methamphetamine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that produces a rush and feelings of energy and pleasure. The relative ease of creating the drug is why it is one of the most well-known illicit substances in the United States. Despite a small drop in meth use in the early 2000s, its availability has increased as the drug is imported illegally.
Addiction to meth can be debilitating, but there is hope for recovery. After quitting the drug, there is evidence that the brain can return to a normal state after a significant period of sobriety.
Article at a Glance:
- Meth is addictive because it releases a large amount of dopamine in brain cells.
- At least 1.6 million people in the U.S. report using meth.
- Meth comes in the forms of a crystalline powder and clear/blue coarse crystals.
- Symptoms of meth addiction include anxiety, bad breath, low appetite, and hallucinations.
- Meth is commonly and dangerously mixed with other substances.
Why is Meth Addictive?
Methamphetamine releases a large amount of dopamine in brain cells. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, meaning it sends messages of pleasure and reinforcement, so when someone takes meth, they feel good and try to seek those pleasurable feelings again.
Any consistent use ofmeth changes the decision-making centers of the brain. The first few times a person gets high, the decision is a conscious choice made in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. After that, the decision moves to the hindbrain — the area responsible for non-voluntary action, such as blinking and breathing.
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Methamphetamine use can eventually become so reinforced that it is involuntary. It is possible for the brain to return to a normal state when methamphetamine use feels voluntary, but this often takes several years of sobriety.
Binges are common during methamphetamine use. During a binge, a person continues taking more and more of the drug, ignoring other bodily needs. They may repeatedly dose with methamphetamine in hopes of maintaining the initial, euphoric high. Repeated use will decrease each subsequent “high,” making it impossible to achieve the euphoria from the first time.
Meth Addiction Statistics
Meth is a highly dangerous and addictive substance. According to the2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 1.6 million people in the United States reported using methamphetamine.
On average, people start methamphetamine for the first time around the age of 23.
Meth is one of the top illicit drugs involved in emergency room visits. Overdose deaths from methamphetamine increased by 7.5 times between 2007 and 2017. Fifteen percent of all overdose deaths involved methamphetamine.
Recently,The Recovery Village conducted its own study, which surveyed 2,135 American adults who formerly or currently use methamphetamine. Of those surveyed:
- 4 out of 5 participants (83%) had used meth for more than 30 days in their lifetime. Only 17% stopped before that point.
- 43% of participants had used meth for more than a year, and 13% had used meth for more than five years.
What Is Meth?
Methamphetamine, or meth for short, is astimulant medication. Originally taken as a decongestant, antidepressant and weight loss aid, methamphetamine was once widely and legally available in tablet and injectable forms.
After wide popularity in the 1960s, meth was classified as a schedule II substance under the Controlled Substance Act in 1971. Schedule II substances have a recognized medical use, but a high potential for addiction and abuse. Prescription meth (brand name Desoxyn) is indicated to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or obesity.
Resurging in the 1980s, meth became popular as a street drug. Methamphetamine has remained popular in these same circumstances up to this day. Today, the vast majority of methamphetamine distribution comes from illegal laboratories and imports.
A key ingredient in meth production is the over-the-counter (OTC) drug pseudoephedrine. The product is “cooked” in a “laboratory” — commonly trailers or remotely located residential homes — and made into a consumable form. Meth labs are notoriously dangerous because the byproducts of the drug’s creation process are toxic and explosive.
The two most common names for methamphetamine —meth and crystal meth— correspond respectively with its two popular forms: powder and rock.
Other common street names include:
- Chalk
- Crank
- Crissy
- Cristy
- Crystal
- Glass
- Go
- Ice
- Meth
- Shards
- Speed
- Tina
- Tweak
- Whizz
Related Topic:Street Names for Drugs
Meth is a crystalline powder.It is most commonly white, though it can also be yellow, pink or brown. It is odorless, bitter and can be dissolved in liquid. It’s most commonly consumed via smoking, snorting or injection. In some cases, it is compressed into a pill.
Crystal meth is clear or blue and takes the shape of coarse crystals.These crystals are commonly said to resemble ice. The rock form of methamphetamine is usually smoked.
Many drug dealers “cut” methamphetamine with other substances to sell less of the actual drug for the same price and fetch a greater profit margin. These cutting substances may be common household powders such as salt, sugar and talcum powder.
In some cases, methamphetamine is cut with prescription medications, ranging from antidepressants to laxatives. These additives can enhance or alter the effect of the drug on a person’s system.
Signs & Symptoms of Meth Addiction
An addiction to meth can cause various side effects that depend on each person’s chemical makeup and the severity of the addiction.Meth addiction symptomsmay include:
Signs & symptoms of a meth addiction:
Common Drug Combinations and Polysubstance Abuse
Methamphetamines are often cut with other powerful substances, and some people deliberately mix in additional drugs in order to elicit a particular physiological reaction. Methamphetamine interactions can be incredibly dangerous and even fatal.
Drug overdose can be fatal. If you suspect someone is experiencing an overdose, call911immediately. Do NOT be afraid to seek help.If you do not have access to a phone contactWeb Poison Control Servicesfor online assistance.
It’s common for meth to be mixed with:
Meth & Alcohol:
Meth & Opioids:
Meth & Xanax:
Meth & Suboxone:
Meth & Klonopin:
Meth & Ecstasy:
Meth & Viagra:
The Dangers of a Meth Addiction
Over time and heavy use of methamphetamine, the body reduces the number of dopamine receptors on the surface of cells. Once the body reduces receptors, even if dopamine returns to normal, brain cells cannot sense it. Therefore, they will be unable to feel normal levels of pleasure.Physiological addictiondevelops at this stage when a person keeps taking meth to function and feel normal.
Short-term side effects:
Long-term side effects:
Perhaps the most well-known side effect of the drug is “meth mouth.” Meth mouth involves severe tooth decay, tooth loss, tooth fracture, acid erosion and a number of other problems of the teeth and gums.
