When there is a belief that something can get better – it makes it easier for the affected person to reach out for assistance. ” one should know that hope is the most crucial thing that needs to be instilled. Encourage the use of such stories that involve successful outcomes with the help of recovery.

Side Effects Of Meth Addiction

Provides an overview of the latest scientific findings on methamphetamine, including short- and long-term health… Many drugs can alter a person’s thinking and judgment, and can lead to health risks, including addiction, drugged… Long-term use of meth can cause significant damage to the brain and the cells that make dopamine as well as to the nerve cells containing serotonin. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) warns that chronic and prolonged meth exposure can damage as many as half of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain and potentially even more of the serotonin-containing nerve cells. Meth causes physical symptoms typical of stimulants such as increasing blood pressure and heart rate and also changes how a person’s brain works. The substance is similar in chemical composition to amphetamine, which is a drug doctors prescribe to treat conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy.

Know the Risks of Meth

This video for middle school students describes meth abuse the effects of addiction and how getting high can take over your life. Professionals use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to determine if someone has a stimulant or methamphetamine use disorder. Someone who uses methamphetamines will likely experience a high with a rush of energy.

Side effects

People who regularly inject the drug may suffer from collapsed veins and a higher risk for contracting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis. Snorting meth can damage sinus cavities and nasal passages, and lead to chronic nosebleeds and/or a perpetual runny nose. Smoking meth may lead to respiratory damage and lung complications.

A high level of dependence means that withdrawal will be difficult. Withdrawal symptoms are optimally managed through a medical detox regime like that provided in a comprehensive treatment program. There are no specific medications designed to treat meth addiction; however, some medications can be helpful in managing specific symptoms of withdrawal like those that address depression, anxiety, and tremors. Inpatient or residential options involve you staying at a 24-hour facility with intensive professional care, including medical supervision. There, you will likely participate in education sessions, individual and group counseling, and behavior therapies.

How do you Help a Meth Addict Reclaim Their Life?

Using meth triggers the release of large amounts of the chemical dopamine in the brain, resulting in feelings of extreme happiness and pleasure. This high is addictive and causes people to crave the drug repeatedly in order to achieve it. At American Addiction Centers, we provide personalized care and support every step of the way. Our nationwide network of drug and alcohol rehab centers offers a variety of treatment options to meet your individual needs. Our admissions navigators can help you find the right program, verify your insurance, and begin your journey to lasting sobriety.

• This paper introduces the reader to the characteristics of methamphetamine.
• Crystal methamphetamine is a form of the drug that looks like glass fragments or shiny, bluish-white rocks.
• You may also get bruises around the injection sites or have trouble with blood flow through injured veins.
• Your doctor will use this information to help minimize your risk for drug interactions or other complications during detox.

Some can affect your physical appearance while others can be fatal. If you use meth while you’re pregnant, you may give birth early or have a baby with a low birth weight. You may use meth to make sex more pleasurable or to lower your inhibitions.

Treatment

Educate teens about drugs, drug use, and life skills with activities and lessons from Scholastic. Producers often mix it with other substances, including fentanyl. Social consequences of long-term use include financial pressures, problems with work, and challenges with family relationships. A 2015 CDC report recorded injuries from 1,325 meth-related chemical incidents in five U.S. states from 2001–2012. The report revealed that 162 people were injured, including at least 26 children. The drug acts on parts of the brain involved in reward, which makes taking another dose tempting.

Your chances of getting Parkinson’s disease (a movement disorder) may go up. Some people swallow it in a pill form or smoke it by heating up crystals in a glass bowl or pipe and breathing in the vapors. Almost 2.5 million people in the U.S. aged 12 or older say they use meth every year. In general, people use it a little less often than other stimulants such as cocaine. Although treatment outcomes are comparable to that of other chronic conditions, recovery is an ongoing process that can take time.

• There are no specific medications designed to treat meth addiction; however, some medications can be helpful in managing specific symptoms of withdrawal like those that address depression, anxiety, and tremors.
• In time, it became clear that methamphetamine was dangerously addictive.
• Professionals use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to determine if someone has a stimulant or methamphetamine use disorder.
• Take our free, 5-minute substance use self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance use.
• This video for middle school students describes what Opioids are, why doctors prescribe them, and how they can be…

Meth Addiction: Signs, Effects, and Treatment

Research in primate models has found that methamphetamine alters brain structures involved in decision-making and impairs the ability to suppress habitual behaviors that have become useless or counterproductive. Long-term methamphetamine abuse has many negative consequences, including addiction. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use and accompanied by functional and molecular changes in the brain. There are currently no available medications that counteract the effects of methamphetamine or help to prolong abstinence.