Treating Methamphetamine Addiction

The production and use of methamphetamine has been on the rise since the 1990's, especially in rural Midwestern communities. This epidemic caught many treatment centers and hospitals off-guard, and was thus termed untreatable. However, there are so many people suffering from methamphetamine addiction that researchers have recently begun to take a closer look at this highly damaging substance in hopes to uncover new possibilities for treatment.

To discover how to treat an addiction like methamphetamine, the course of the addiction must be studied, starting at the beginning. Getting hooked on meth is easy, according to addicts across America. Some people smoke it for the intense rush it produces. Others take it orally or snort it for functional reasons. When used in this way, it acts as an appetite suppressant used for weight loss purposes, or for a boost in energy that can last for more than 12 hours. This extended high happens because of the way methamphetamine reacts with the nerve cells in the brain. Meth actually attaches to this chemical nerve cell, causing dopamine to cascade throughout the brain. The chemical dopamine is generally associated with feelings of pleasure and euphoria, but too much of this chemical can result in aggression, irritability, and schizophrenic-like behavior. The abuse of methamphetamine is also linked to serious medical complications such as heart damage, stroke, and psychosis. The most frightening result of methamphetamine abuse is by far the long-term neurological damage that is unlike any other drug addiction result.

Through research, scientists have discovered that the neurological damage caused by methamphetamine addiction is done mostly to the dopamine centers and transporters. Because of the addiction, a meth addict's brain does not register that dopamine transporters are necessary – the brain has become accustom to having a regular dose of methamphetamine to release a flow of dopamine for an extended period of time. But, what does this decline in dopamine transporters mean for the addict and their recovery? Studies have shown that former meth users have an average of 24% loss in the total number of dopamine transporters in their brain structure. This loss has been linked to the cause of slowness in motor skills and poor performance on verbal and memory tasks. The higher the loss of these transporters, the higher the damage in necessary brain function. This same loss in dopamine transporters is reported in Parkinson's disease patients, but these patients experience this loss on a larger scale. 

When the abuse of methamphetamine traveled to the rural communities of the Midwest, treatment centers in those areas deemed the addicts untreatable. These centers had never really been exposed to the treatment of cocaine or heroin, and so meth was seemingly impossible to treat. However, many of the treatment facilities in larger urban settings have done the best they can to treat meth addiction, and have concluded that it is very treatable. The physical withdrawal is not as severe as a person might expect, but the psychological withdrawal is beyond intense. A methamphetamine addict may feel an inability to experience pleasure because of the very low levels of dopamine being produced in the brain. According to a rehab center in L.A., this inability can last for months, and many patients experience a relapse around six months into their recovery.

The only currently available treatment that is proven to work for methamphetamine addiction is behavioral therapy. However, there are hundreds of treatment centers and thousands of patients taking part in different types of treatment in order to discover the best method for treating a methamphetamine addiction. There is never a complete loss of hope. The misconception of meth being untreatable has been proved false time and time again. Meth may be dangerous, but there is hope of a healthy recovery.

Methamphetamine Horrors

Crystal meth is a psychoactive drug that has sparked an epidemic over the last few decades, especially in rural areas where meth labs can easily be set up and operated without notice. Meth is made using relatively inexpensive and easy-to-find chemicals such as phosphorus from match heads, pseudoephedrine found in common over-the-counter cold medications, and ammonia from fertilizers. Labs can be set up in one’s garage, basement, or trailer with little to no experience, and anyone with basic instructions can illicitly manufacture methamphetamine. It is both inexpensive to produce and cheap to purchase, making it the drug of choice for many addicts.

It is very easy to become addicted to meth due to the drug’s positive psychological effects of euphoria and increased alertness and energy. Users will often take it for days on end with little to no food or sleep. Crystal meth addicts can become so engulfed by their drug addiction that it takes over their lives and can have extremely adverse physical and psychological effects. Physical self-destruction can occur quite rapidly with meth addicts, and examples are most notably depicted in the Faces of Meth campaign. Faces of Meth was designed to deter people from using meth by showing mug shots of individuals who had been arrested twice or more for violations involving methamphetamine. These photographs can be horrifying as they show the physical deterioration that occurs with drug abuse in those who are addicted to methamphetamine.

One of the side effects of drug addiction to meth is a loss of appetite, which is apparent in these mug shots. Upon their initial arrest, these people appear normal and healthy, but as their addiction progresses, their faces become gaunt with hollow cheeks due to undernourishment. Because they do not eat, their body begins to consume muscle tissue and healthy fat, leaving them looking frail and older than their actual age. Acne is also common among meth addicts due to lack of proper hygiene from being under the influence of the drug for extended periods of time. In addition, addicts also frequently pick at their face because of the common sensory hallucination of having bugs crawling underneath their skin. Telltale signs of meth addiction include sores, scabs, and scarring from constant picking.

Another physical effect apparent in people with methamphetamine drug addictions is meth mouth. When a user smokes meth, their mouth becomes extremely dry, the blood vessels in their gums shrink, they crave food and drinks that are high in sugar content, they grind their teeth, and they typically do not practice healthy oral hygiene. All of these symptoms of drug abuse can lead to the rapid deterioration and falling out of teeth. In addition, meth is made up of a combination of extremely caustic chemicals, which can also contribute to dental corrosion. All of these negative physical effects of meth addictionleave users appearing to be much older than they really are, which is shown by the photos that are taken years and sometimes just months apart.

The horrors of methamphetamine are clearly evident in the Faces of Meth, and the campaign, although deemed ineffective by some, intends to prevent people from ever trying the drug in the first place. Because of the drug’s highly addictive qualities, first-time users can easily become hooked and fall into an ugly spiral of drug abuse and addiction. Sometime the best option for these individuals who are so deep into their addiction is to get professional help. Going to drug rehab may be their only way out, and the only path that can save their lives. Drug rehab provides millions of people with a new chance at life and recovery from drug addictions that may otherwise lead to imprisonment or death.

Methamphetamine Horrors