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Methamphetamine DrugFacts National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA
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If that happens, consider seeking out additional resources or find a support group for family members or friends of people living with addiction. The first step is to recognize any misconceptions you might have about substance use and addiction. It’s important to remember that ongoing drug use changes the brain’s structure and chemistry. This makes it more and more difficult to simply stop taking the drug.
This can make it difficult to simply stop using the drug once you’ve started. Dependence refers to a physical state in which your body is dependent on the drug. With drug dependence, you need more and more of the substance to achieve the same effect (tolerance). You experience mental and physical effects (withdrawal) if you stop taking the drug. Again, the signs below can have other causes, including mental health issues like stress, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or psychosis.
Recognizing A Meth Addiction
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies methamphetamine as a Schedule II substance. This means that people could abuse the drug and develop severe psychological and physical dependence. Some forms of meth (e.g., crystal meth) are so addictive that first-time users may even get hooked to the drug.
Common signs of meth addiction are organ failure — particularly of the liver, kidney, lungs, brain, and heart. Depression affects almost 48% of those who struggle with meth addiction. Meth use can alter the natural balance of brain chemicals responsible for controlling one’s mood, and can lead to depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health disorders.
Related Meth Pages
Each of the methods of meth use will have a different effect on the user and the amount of time that the drug is active will differ slightly from one method of use to the next. Overdose deaths involving methamphetamine have risen in the past decade. Methamphetamine use may worsen the progression of HIV/AIDS and its consequences. Drug rehabilitation inpatient programs may offer assistance through the withdrawal process, helping a person to recover from SUD. If you’d like to stop using meth, you have options for confidential support and treatment. Meth produces more reward chemicals than your brain can fully handle.
- However, recreational use of meth is illegal because it is a highly addictive drug that impairs brain function and changes the person’s thoughts and actions.
- Here’s what to look for if you think you or a loved one might be suffering from meth addiction.
- Tweaking occurs at the end of a drug binge when meth users are not getting the euphoric effects they seek.
- The most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction include behavioral therapies and medication.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with meth abuse and want to break free from dependence, then find a meth addiction rehab near you. While meth does not have powerful withdrawal symptoms like opioids do, stopping taking the drug suddenly after extended use cause mental health issues. To support https://ecosoberhouse.com/ a loved one struggling with addiction, family members should consult with a healthcare professional. A professional can help train you to approach the addicted person and persuade them to seek treatment. Long-term meth use produces a significantly reduced density of critical dopamine transporter molecules.
Meth Addiction: Signs, Effects, and Treatment
The effects of Meth addiction are some of the most dangerous of all addictions. In the most severe cases, a person can die or become strongly handicapped because of the damage caused by meth. There are many negative consequences of methamphetamine use, and the list continues. It is important to remember that methamphetamine meth addiction affects the body heavily, especially during an overdose. In 2017, approximately 964,000 people (12 years old and older) in the United States were living with a methamphetamine use disorder. Before you begin detox, you’ll undergo an initial assessment and screening tests for other medical conditions.