Meth Addiction Symptoms, Crystal meth is an entirely illicitly manufactured form of methamphetamine. Thus, The concentrated d-methamphetamine crystalline chunks of crystal meth have no medical purpose.1 However, legal pharmaceutical formulations of methamphetamine are still in production, though with somewhat limited medical utility. One prominent example is the brand name formulation Desoxyn, which may be used to treat obesity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
However, If you, or someone you know, use crystal meth, it is critically important that you understand the risks that come along with this dangerous drug.
The Side Effects of Crystal Meth
Meth Addiction Symptoms, Crystal meth use carries tremendous health risks, including the potential for significant drug toxicity and overdose. While methamphetamine can trigger an intense high, it can also have very serious side effects. These side effects include
- Rapid heart rate.
- Increased blood pressure.
- Increased respiratory rate.
- Elevated body temperature.
- Insomnia.
- Anxiety.
- Paranoia.
- Aggression and violence.
- Cardiovascular issues such as stroke and heart attack.
- Tremors.
- Convulsions.
- Death.
Side Effects After One Use
Meth Addiction Symptoms, In 2020, an estimated 153,000 individuals aged 12 and older tried methamphetamine for the first time.4 Also, While an individual won’t necessarily become addicted to crystal meth after a single use, they may feel the drug’s potently rewarding effects—feeling more awake and energized, less hungry, and with a briskly paced heartbeat and breathing.1,5 Meth Addiction Symptoms
However, a few of the aforementioned adverse effects may also occur, on a dose dependent basis, with just a single use—physiological changes like hyperthermia (or increased body temperature) and potentially irregular heartbeat.7 Also, Other risks may be introduced when drugs are mixed, even with a single use. For example, when mixed with alcohol, methamphetamine can mask some of alcohol’s intoxicating effects, which could make continued drinking and, ultimately, alcohol overdose more likely
Harmful Long-Term Effects of Crystal Meth
However, When used repeatedly for long periods of time, methamphetamine can cause an individual to develop a tolerance to the drug’s pleasurable effects.8 Thus, Tolerance means that individuals need to take higher doses, take it more frequently, or change the method in which they ingest it to get the desired effect.8
Other adverse long-term effects of chronic methamphetamine use may include:8
- Stimulant addiction development.
- Changes in brain structure and function.
- Decreased motor skills.
- Verbal learning declines.
- Chronic anxiety.
- Mood disturbances.
- Aggressive or violent behaviors.
- Delusions.
- Paranoia.
- Visual and auditory hallucinations.
- Repetitive movements.
- Memory loss.
- Severe dental problems.
- Malnutrition.
However, Individuals who abruptly stop taking crystal meth after long-term use and significant stimulant dependence may experience withdrawal symptoms, which may include:8 Meth Addiction Symptoms
- Fatigue.
- Depression.
- Anxiety.
- Drug cravings.
Signs and symptoms of meth addiction
Furthermore, Methamphetamine is an extremely powerful stimulant that causes both short and long-term effects. Short-term effects of meth use include:
- Intense rush
- Euphoria
- Rapid heartbeat
- High blood pressure
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Extreme increase in physical activities
- Increased body core temperatures
- Increased wakefulness
- Decreased appetite
Meth Addiction Symptoms, While not all of the following will be present, thus, the following is a list of the most common and severe long-term effects of methamphetamine abuse:
However, Mood symptoms are:
- Anxiety and restlessness
- Panic
- Aggression
- also, Inability to sit still
- Racing thoughts
- Severe depression following a methamphetamine binge
- Euphoria
- Violent mood swings
- Delusions of power
Also, Behavioral symptoms are:
- Risky sexual behavior
- Wanting to quit or cut down on methamphetamine use without being able to
- Increased sexual activity
- Increase in fighting
- Violence
- Avoiding hobbies and activities that were once considered pleasurable
- Legal problems
- Borrowing or stealing money
- Preoccupation with “chasing the next high”
- Pulling away from friends and family
- Engaging in unsafe activities
Furthermore, Physical symptoms are:
- Marked weight loss
- Rapid heart rate
- Molecular and functional changes in the brain
- Inability of body to repair damaged tissues
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Increased libido
- Malnutrition
- Insomnia, especially during a methamphetamine binge
- Constriction of the blood vessels in the body
- Respiratory problems
- Liver disease and damage
- Acne or picking scars
- Loss of elasticity of the skin
- “Meth Mouth”
- Immune system dysfunction
- Brain damage
- Seizures
- Heart attack
- Stroke
Conclusively, Psychological symptoms are:
- Marked confusion
- Memory loss
- Disorganized lifestyle
- Paranoia, which can be permanent
- Psychosis
- Hallucinations
- Violence
- Total break from reality,
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