Methamphetamine is an addictive drug that has energizing (stimulant) effects. As a powder, it can be snorted or dissolved in water and injected. Rebuilding relationships and reintegrating into society are important aspects of life after meth. This process requires patience, honesty, and a willingness to make amends. Many recovering addicts find purpose in helping others struggling with addiction, using their experiences to offer hope and guidance. These personal accounts of the decision to pursue recovery are powerful reminders that change is possible, even in the darkest circumstances.
Annual Reports
These negative feelings may equal the intensity of your high but in the opposite way. Crystal meth is often made with a common cold medicine ingredient called pseudoephedrine, which helps ease congestion. Because it’s used to make meth, the federal government closely regulates products with pseudoephedrine. In 2020, about 1.5 million people in the United States over the age of 12 had meth use disorder.
Addiction and Mental Health Resources
The drug acts on parts of the brain involved in reward, which makes taking another dose tempting. Scars can form in your veins when you put https://ecosoberhouse.com/ drugs into them with needles. You may also get bruises around the injection sites or have trouble with blood flow through injured veins.
Signs Of A Methamphetamine Overdose
When the drug is completely out of your system, your doctor will help you prepare for treatment. If you — or your loved one — are ready to get treatment, you may find it meth addiction helpful to bring a supportive friend or family member into the fold. The first step is to recognize any misconceptions you might have about substance use and addiction.
With treatment, understanding, and a good support network, it is possible for a person to recover from meth addiction. Treatment focuses on relieving withdrawal symptoms and behavioral therapies that help a person identify and manage situations and behaviors that may have led to them using meth. Research has shown that methamphetamine withdrawal follows a predictable pattern. 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.
Know the Risks of Meth
- Other health risks include a higher chance of contracting a bloodborne disease, such as hepatitis or HIV, among those who inject the drug.
- Your loved one might deny having a problem at all or refuse to seek help.
- Crystal methamphetamine, which people commonly shorten to “crystal meth” or simply “meth” is a form of methamphetamine that resembles fragments of bluish-white crystal or glass.
- Psychotic symptoms, memory problems, and cognitive and emotional issues can persist for several years after stopping meth use, NIDA further warns.
This high is addictive and causes people to crave the drug repeatedly in order to achieve it. By law, private insurers have to cover some of the costs of substance use treatment, and most drug rehab centers accept private and public health insurance. Your costs will depend on the type of health insurance you have and what facilities or services your provider covers.
- Numerous resources exist, from national hotlines to local treatment centers and support groups.
- Before you begin detox, you’ll undergo an initial assessment and screening tests for other medical conditions.
- 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.
- If you notice these symptoms in yourself or a loved one, it may be time to seek treatment.
- If someone is showing signs of overdosing on meth, it is crucial to call 911 immediately.
S. Making meth is a dangerous process because of the chemicals involved. If you’d like to stop using meth, you have options for confidential support and treatment. Meth use can also increase your risk of Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological condition that can make it hard to control your movements. If you inject meth with a needle, you also have a higher risk of contracting bloodborne viruses like hepatitis C. Methamphetamine, or meth, is a powerful stimulant that can make you feel more awake and active.
Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as meth, speed, or crack, is a powerful stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. While some drugs slow down the body, meth speeds it up by triggering a burst of energy and an intense rush of euphoria. It also boosts alertness, reduces appetite, increases activity and talkativeness, and offers a general sense of happiness and well-being.
- If you use meth while you’re pregnant, you may give birth early or have a baby with a low birth weight.
- Crystal methamphetamine is a synthetic psychostimulant drug that speeds up the inner working of the brain and affects the central nervous system, with long-lasting effects on the body.
- Keep in mind that patient confidentiality laws will prevent them from reporting this information to law enforcement.
- This process requires patience, honesty, and a willingness to make amends.
- If you take more than one stimulant at a time, you have a higher risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack, and your body may overheat.