Signs and Symptoms of Crystal Meth Addiction
Methamphetamine, also called ‘meth’ is a synthetic substance with serious side effects and an extremely high addictive potential. Often used for the combined euphoria, rush of energy, and feelings of enhanced self-confidence, methamphetamine is a dangerous chemical which causes serious health risks to most human body systems. The addictive element comes not only from the pure chemical effect that meth has but also because it causes the brain to release dopamine, a pleasure-inducing neurotransmitter commonly referred to as the ‘happy chemical’.
If you have used methamphetamine, you are aware that the symptoms of this drug can last between two to even twelve hours for the crystal form of methamphetamine (crystal meth). After the peak passes and the euphoric effects wear off, you may have noticed a draining of energy and an emotional crash. This is usually referred to as a ‘comedown’ in the addiction treatment field.
Crystal meth addiction has many side effects that can cause severe health harm, but not only that. This is why, when considering if a loved one, or yourself, is having an addiction to meth, knowing the warning signs of meth abuse is also essential. Prevention is the best step when it comes to such hard drugs. As meth addiction is a disorder that is very hard to get rid of within the community where it occurs, residential treatment is preferred for all cases.
Brain Damage Symptoms of Meth Abuse
All drugs pose danger to a person’s nervous system, however meth is notorious for brain damage. While the dangers of methamphetamine use are widely known, and multiple campaigns have been made to raise awareness, including the Meth Can Take Control in Australia, the Meth. We’re on it. in South Dakota, Montana Meth Project’s Meth: Not Even Once and more, people still try to experiment and use methamphetamine. The consequences of meth abuse can be severe and even fatal in the long run.
This is why we are still obliged to give you the brain-related dangers of meth abuse, which you are facing when you try the drug, sometimes taking effect immediately after the first use.
Dopamine System Disruption
Methamphetamine profoundly affects the brain's dopamine system, which is critical for pleasure and reward. Vanderbilt School of Nursing recently published a study showing how crystal meth causes an excessive release of dopamine, leading to a temporary feeling of euphoria. Over time, this depletes dopamine stores, making it difficult for users to experience pleasure without the drug thus leading to the addiction spiralling out of control with higher and more frequent doses needed to experience any pleasure. This also leads to long-term dopamine receptor damage.
Neurotoxicity and Brain Damage
Chronic methamphetamine use leads to significant neurotoxicity, especially in the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems. Studies using PET scans published by Frontiers, have shown decreased levels of dopamine and serotonin transporters in the brains of former meth users, damage that can persist for years after cessation.
Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption
Methamphetamine damages the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which protects the brain from toxins. This disruption can lead to increased vulnerability to infections and other harmful substances entering the brain, exacerbating neurodegeneration. Thus even a normal level of air pollution or environmental toxins that wouldn't have affected a fairly healthy member of the general public would pose a heightened risk for a meth user.
Glutamate Dysregulation
Just like crack cocaine, crystal meth affects glutamatergic neurons, leading to disruptions in this critical neurotransmitter system that plays a role in learning and memory. This dysregulation contributes to the cognitive deficits observed in chronic meth users.
Apoptosis in Brain Cells
Methamphetamine triggers apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in various types of brain cells, including those in the striatum and hippocampus. This cell death contributes to the widespread brain damage seen in methamphetamine addiction. As you probably know already, brain cells do not regenerate in normal circumstances. Once they've dead, they're gone forever. The affected areas of the brain are responsible for vital functions such as motor tasks, complex cognitive tasks, reward processing, decision-making, and transfer of short-term memory to long-term storage.
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Different Signs and Symptoms of Crystal Meth Addiction
Some might think that meth can be just experimented with, but many real-life stories go against this perception. Even if the first “flirt” with meth doesn’t result in physical dependance, there are often immediate signs of meth use disorder that can be observed in the user.
Meth addiction is a severe condition that requires a medically assisted detoxification, rehabilitation and prolonged aftercare. If you are looking at a loved one worried about their current state of drug abuse, you may want to check these symptoms of meth addiction, which can shine a light on any problem behaviours.
Physical symptoms of meth addiction:
Psychological symptoms of crystal meth addiction:
Anxiety
Depression
Intense mood swings
Paranoia
Hallucinations
Feelings of hopelessness
Agitation
Aggression
Insomnia
Confusion
Inability to focus
Impaired judgement
Inability to make effective decisions
Exacerbation of any existing mental health conditions
Behavioural signs of meth addiction:
Continuing to use meth even after experiencing the negative effects of meth
Methamphetamine is your main daily concern and takes priority over anything else
Spending a great deal of time obtaining, using, and attempting to recover from the effects of meth
Engaging in risky behaviours under the influence of meth
Loss of interest in activities or hobbies that were once valuable to you
Failing to meet personal responsibilities
Incapable of controlling the frequency of your meth abuse
Neglecting grooming, personal hygiene and physical appearance
Picking obsessively at skin or hair
Lying to loved ones about the extent of your methamphetamine use
Withdrawing from family and friends
Associating with others who suffer from methamphetamine abuse
Possession of syringes, needles, and other paraphernalia related to methamphetamine use
What Is ‘Meth Mouth’
‘Meth mouth’ is one of the most popular symptoms of crystal meth addiction – a definition which came to life during the peak of meth use awareness campaigns during the past century.
It is a colloquial term used to describe the side effects of meth use and abusing meth in the area around and inside the mouth. These include tooth decay, acid erosion, tooth loss, gum rot, rotting teeth and tissue wounding within the mouth as effects of chronic meth bingeing and use.
‘Meth mouth’ is not a myth. According to British research, on average, methamphetamine users had significantly more missing teeth than the matched NHANES III control participants and were more likely to report oral health issues. An unusual discovery was that intravenous use of meth proved more likely to cause missing teeth than smoking this drug. Faces of Meth is a prevention and awareness campaign by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was widely shared and observed by billions across the globe, also reaching UK audiences when it aired.
What Are the Effects of Meth Withdrawal?
When you have developed a tolerance because of it being a highly addictive drug, or you are physically dependent on methamphetamine, your body will need to first cleanse itself from the chemicals within your bloodstream and organs before you can go on to rehab.
Crystal meth use increases the risk of stroke by causing severe damage to blood vessels in the brain. This vascular damage is a significant contributor to the long-term health issues seen in users. Medical professionals working to detox and withdraw patients from meth use have to be careful as to manage potential cardiovascular risks in their patients. A sudden withdrawal from meth can cause a stroke or other unwelcome effects.
Some withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous or severely uncomfortable, so we advise you to consider inpatient detoxification for meth use instead of at-home options. Drug abuse often leads to physical dependence, so cleansing your body is the first step. Withdrawal symptoms will usually cause discomfort during the process. When you withdraw from meth, you may experience side effects. Signs of meth withdrawal include:
Intense cravings for meth
Depression
Paranoia
Anxiety
Hallucinations
Insomnia
Headaches
Appetite changes
Extreme fatigue
Our medical facilities can provide secure and supervised detoxes for you if you are seeking treatment for meth addiction. At our clinic, you will have access to in-house medical support and treatment in case of need.
What Are the Symptoms of Meth Overdose?
Every time you use meth, you risk overdosing on this highly addictive substance. Overdosing can cause various extreme effects and, unfortunately, even death. Meth deeply affects every aspect of our bodies, from the brain and central nervous system to the blood vessels, heart, liver, skin, hair and nails. The following are some of the signs of a methamphetamine overdose, as logged by many charities and residential rehab facilities around the UK:
The main symptoms of a crystal meth overdose can be severe and potentially life-threatening. These symptoms include:
Hyperactivity and Agitation
Users may become excessively energetic and display severe agitation.
High Blood Pressure and Rapid Heartbeat
Overdose can cause dangerously high blood pressure or extreme amplitudes of blood pressure. Also, a very fast heart rate, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Hyperthermia
Body temperature can spike to dangerous levels, sometimes reaching 40°C or higher.
Dilated Pupils
An overdose often results in noticeably dilated pupils.
Severe Aggression and Irrational Violence
Individuals may exhibit extreme aggression and violent behaviour that seems irrational.
Psychosis
Overdose can lead to symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia
Seizures and coma
The Dangers Of Producing Meth
Meth is not just a danger to those using it; it is also a potential danger for those producing it. Often, they are victims of societal bullying, the inevitability of local unemployment, poverty, and human trafficking.
Meth is usually ‘cooked’ in homes or makeshift meth lab locations in abandoned buildings, within huts on the outskirts or in old motorhomes. The process consists of synthesising the drug by combining highly-reactive products and isolating different elements from them. One starting point of meth production is by importing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine in bulk powder. Another method is to obtain the same elements through extraction from pharmaceutical products or ephedra plants.
The most dangerous method of producing methamphetamine is the shake and bake, which involves manually shaking extremely reactive elements in an unsafe bottle until they mix and create the familiar crystalline powder. Effects of meth’s shake and bake production method include:
Headache, migraines
Eye infections
Breathing problems (asthma, coughs, runny nose)
Chemical burns
Disorientation, hallucinations, delusions
Irritability and anger management issues
Insomnia
Tremors and tics
Potential lethal outcome
The shake and bake (or one-pot method) can create unforeseen situations such as an explosion within the bottle while being held, can emit chemical smoke, which will cause different side effects.
The fumes produced during methamphetamine production are highly toxic and flammable. Chemical explosions are not a rare occurrence. This is why it’s dangerous for the environment and local area if there are meth labs nearby. The toxic fumes will stay within the air for days, creating a potential fire hazard and raising the toxicity levels of the air in the region.
Get Help before the Symptoms of Meth Addiction Take Over
When you complete your treatment with us, after completing your programme, you will leave the residential treatment centre with better coping mechanisms, working trigger management techniques, and craving countermeasures in place. Call us today to discuss the admission process with one of our team.
