Methamphetamine, or commonly known as meth, is an extremely addictive drug. Similar to most drugs, once abused, meth addiction could result to damaging effects towards the user’s body. Upon entering the brain, methamphetamine triggers the rapid release of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine which regulate feelings of pleasure. It is extremely active in mesolimbic reward pathways of the brain which causes extreme euphoria.
Methamphetamine has a stimulating consequence on sex, mood, and energy. Meth can cause weight loss and appetite suppression. Also, it provides the body with alertness and the ability to concentrate. Like any other drugs, overusing meth develops tolerance. Meth exhausts the brain’s store of dopamine and destroys the wiring of dopamine receptors. The drug’s pleasurable effect is not everlasting. Negative effects on the body takes place once the user of meth takes increasing amount due to tolerance. Meth addicts usually elicit poor judgment and harmful behaviors such as committing petty and violent crimes. To maintain the pleasurable effect of the drug, the user is likely to take in increasing doses which in turn results to the damage of body organs, mental disorders, and even death. Long-time users of this drug have been known to develop symptoms of psychosis, like paranoia, aggression, hallucinations, and delusions. Furthermor, physical effects of Methamphetamine use are diarrhea, palpitations, and dizziness, jaw clenching and facial ticks. Meth can also lead to heart failure since it increases heart rate. Other consequences include bronchial dilation, dilation of the blood vessels to the skeletal muscles, dilation of pupils and the emptying of the bladder and intestine.
In the United States, methamphetamine addiction is quite common. Statistics show that there are about 1.4 million users of methamphetamine in America and the number is increasing. The number of users is rising and it seems that the U.S. government is helpless. While readily available, meth is very inexpensive. Meth’s chief object is the youth most especially those problematic ones; ravaged by broken homes, neglect and little parental influence. The National Association of Countries report that users are both high school and college students and white and blue collar-workers as well as people in their 20s and 30s who are unemployed.
What pushes people to using meth? Methamphetamine is easy to use, cheap, and could work as an energy booster. The immediate but temporary benefits of using meth is the once that greatly attract people to use this drug.
Methamphetamine addiction greatly damages a person’s life. Once addicted to it, the symptoms could lead to undesirable and unhealthy behaviors. Moreover, depriving the body from taking in methamphetamine would lead to depression, aggression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia, and intense craving for the drug.
Fighting addiction is such a hard and painful thing to do. It is like pulling your hair on your head one by one until nothing is left. Imagine the pain. It is not a one-time thing. Most of all, it wouldn’t work if it is a forced thing. Meth addicts should be first of all, be very eager and determined to battle the addiction and get rid of it for good. The inspiration should not come from the people around the meth users. It should only come from the self. After accepting one’s problem, the desire to do something about it should come next. There have been a number of meth-specific programs that have been developed. The purpose of treatment is to teach the user new skills that will help cope with the user’s drug cravings and prevent relapses. Meth treatment therapies involve individual and small group approaches. Treatment allows the patient to see beyond the immediate positive effects of drug use and lead them to see the negative effects that inevitably follow. Moreover, recovered addicts are taught to handle their lives more successfully, increase their confidence and self-esteem, and set positive personal goals.
One easily gets addicted to something, yet it is so difficult to become “un-addicted” if there is such a word. Addiction is akin to letting go of a loved one, we know that letting it go is the correct thing to do, but we find it hard to do it because we know it would hurt so bad. Before anything else, the determination should start with the self.
