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Meth is consumed in a variety of ways, such as smoking, injecting, snorting, and oral ingestion. The drug very quickly gets into your bloodstream if you smoke or inject it.
People who use these two methods of consumption are more likely to form an addiction. Oral ingestion or snorting does not produce a sudden psychological “rush” as produced by smoking or injecting.
All methods produce a high characterized by hyperactivity in the brain. The high produced by meth lasts four to sixteen hours, while the “rush” only lasts a few minutes.
The “rush” is characterized by an increase in the user’s heartbeat, blood pressure, pulse, and metabolism.
Meth produces a false sense of energy and the user tends to move their body faster and further. This can cause the user to experience a physical or mental breakdown after the effects subside.
The drug changes the user’s brain chemistry when they experience a high.
However, the changes are not reversed when the high ends. These changes can cause serious effects like insomnia, hallucinations, confusion, anxiety, paranoia, convulsions, and even death.
Long-term use of meth can cause severe tooth decay and gum disease, which can lead to tooth breakage or falling. An examination of 571 users2 of methamphetamine showed that 31% had six or more missing teeth, 58% had tooth decay, and 96% had cavities.
Methamphetamine also causes tooth blackening, staining, rotting, breakage, and falling. The drug produces a combination of physiological and psychological changes that result in a dry mouth and poor oral hygiene, leading to extensive tooth decay. Studies show that tooth decay is more extensive in individuals who abuse meth more frequently.
Meth can place profound stress on an individual’s cardiovascular system 3, causing tachycardia, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, and cardiac ischemia. Consuming meth in the form of crystals can lead to complete cardiovascular collapse and even death. Crystal meth can also cause ventricular fibrillation which often leads to sudden cardiac death.
Methamphetamine use can also cause the inflammation of blood vessels and heart valves (endocarditis). Moreover, the risk of hemorrhagic stroke is five times higher in meth users, compared to the average population. This is because methamphetamine can cause blood vessel spasms and harmful changes in blood pressure.
The neurotoxicity produced by methamphetamine can trigger psychosis which can increase the chances of meth abuse.
The psychotic symptoms experienced by meth users include agitation, quickness, paranoia, hallucinations, and repetitive motor activity.
The individual will talk very quickly, have conversations that are difficult for others to understand, and hold unusual or odd beliefs.
Meth abuse can adversely impact all areas of an individual’s life. It leaves its mark everywhere, from physical and mental health to career to relationships. The effects of methamphetamine addiction outreach the person experiencing it.
Methamphetamine can make people do unimaginable things. The sudden rush of energy and mental hyperactivity produced by the drug leads to episodes of aggressive or violent behavior.
Meth abuse can uncover or aggravate pre-existing anger issues. Studies show that the chemical properties of the drug can cause increased aggression and impair an individual’s decision-making ability.
Methamphetamine abuse or addiction can damage all areas of a person’s life, including personal, professional, and financial. Recovering from meth addiction requires a comprehensive plan of care.
Cornerstone Healing Center has an effective methamphetamine treatment program that can help you defeat methamphetamine addiction. Our approach is based on science and spirituality, involving a range of therapies for the physical, mental, emotional, and social recovery of our clients.
Sources
[1] What is the scope of methamphetamine use in the United States?
[2] Meth Mouth: How Methamphetamine Use Affects Dental Health
[3] Meth and heart disease: A deadly crisis we don’t fully fathom, report says
Published On: 09/26/2022
Susana is a recovery, mental health, and addiction education enthusiast with other 7 years of experience in addiction recovery herself. Susana holds a Bachelor of Arts from GCU. She is anti-addiction stigma and believes that accurate and factual information is essential to beginning the recovery process.
Karen is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 15 years experience. She not only specializes in addiction, but is in recovery as well. Karen is our clinical director.
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