Meth addiction is one of the uglier chemical dependencies you'll run into on the street in terms of the physical toll it takes on the body. We've all seen the billboards, methamphetamine is highly addictive and it can happen very quickly. Users report feeling an incredibly intense high and rush of euphoria when ingesting the drug. Additional reported side effects are increased energy, focus, confidence, sexual prowess and feelings of desirability. Just like many other illicit substances, more and more of the drug is required to achieve that same high that was experienced in the beginning, and before you know it, you've succumbed to the nasty disease of meth addiction.
Meth is a very versatile drug as it can be dissolved and swallowed, smoked, snorted or injected. The psychological and physical effects of prolonged meth use are equally versatile, quickly damaging the brain, skin, tissue, teeth and mouth as well as countless other organs in the body.
Meth Addiction and the Brain
Drug abuse almost always becomes habitual simply because the user likes the way the drug makes them feel. Pleasurable, euphoric feelings are produced in our brains by the chemical dopamine. Every single drug that's abused including alcohol and cigarettes causes excess dopamine to be released from our brain. No other drug on the market causes your brain to produce more dopamine that methamphetamine. It produces such a windfall of the chemical that over time, excessive meth use actually destroys the part of your brain that creates dopamine, making it impossible for those afflicted with meth addiction to feel pleasure. In addition to the complete destruction of the dopamine receptors in the brain, chronic meth abuse can also lead to psychotic behavior including paranoia, insomnia, anxiety, intense aggression, delusions and hallucinations and even death.
Meth Addiction and Physical Appearance
The reason that the billboards scattered across the country with images of meth addicts depicted on them remain so vividly in our minds is because of the astounding impact that methamphetamine has on its user's outward appearances. Many physical implications of meth addiction include the following:
Acne and sores that take an excessive amount of time to heal as a result of the destruction of tissues and blood vessels in the body, rendering it incapable of properly healing itself
Pale complexion
Dry or itchy skin
Strong body odor due to a lack of personal hygiene
Skin losing its elasticity and therefore starting to appear to hang off the bone, making the addict appear significantly older than they are
Extreme weight loss
Hair loss
Discolored, rotten or missing teeth also known as "meth mouth"
Methamphetamine is a terrible drug that in addition to the psychological and physical effects listed above, increased risk factors as a result of meth addiction also include liver damage, stroke, a jump in body temperature which can cause brain damage and death.
Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP is the President and CEO of Destination Hope, a licensed dual diagnosis substance abuse treatment center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ben has more than 20 years of experience in the addiction and mental health fields, which led him to develop a combination of innovative treatment protocols at Destination Hope. He has been published on various topics including dual diagnosis and chemical dependency, and gives back to the community by educating other addiction counselors at his Academy for Addiction Professionals. If you or a loved one has found yourself with a meth addiction, please call the counselors at Destination Hope today so they can safely help you recover from this self-defeating illness.
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