Meth Addiction

National reports about meth addiction have appeared to decline over the past few years. In 2010, it was estimated that meth use had dropped by 60-80% from 1999’s meth use rates among 8th, 10th and 12th grade students (2010 Monitoring the Future Study). A 2010 survey on meth addiction conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that past month meth use had declined from 731,000 past month meth users in 2006 down to 353,000 past month meth users in 2010.

 

Methamphetamine is a synthetic stimulant abused for its euphoric, energetic and long-lasting high. The drug stimulates chemicals in the user’s brain that manufacture and transmit messages of gratification to the brain’s pleasure center.  Dependence on this highly addictive drug can happen very quickly. Some people develop a psychological craving for meth from the first time they try it. Because the user’s mind and body responds almost instantly to the drugs physiological and physical effects their brain begins to anticipate the immediate gratification that it has become accustomed to when the drug is taken. As this cycle repeats itself it becomes harder for the drug user to feel the same joy and happiness in life’s normal rewards as the craving to use meth becomes all consuming.  

 

As the drug user’s meth addiction develops they place more trust in meth’s immediate gratification and less in other areas of their life. People and events that once held value to them get pushed to the side as their time is spent in search of drugs, using drugs and recovering from the drug’s effects. This process begins on a physical level with the drug user chasing that fleeting rush they first felt when they tried meth. However, they are never able to completely recapture that intense feeling because the drug has a way of suppressing and depleting the brains production of the necessary feel good chemicals. Repeated use of meth changes the user’s brain function to adapt to lower levels of the necessary natural chemicals to feel good.

 

Meth addiction also takes a psychological toll on the drug user making normal life rewards (eating, spending time with loved ones, etc.) less pleasurable. This drug takes hold of the pleasure center in the user’s brain and demands attention at all times. They begin to focus on the drug and let other important areas of their life slide. When they are expected to be sober they begin to resent the people and places where their drug use is not accepted. As their resentment builds they often disassociate from their friends and family who do not “fit” into their drug using lifestyle. 

 

No one sets out to become addicted to meth. It is a process that happens over time as they begin to place more faith in meth’s effects and less in their ability to handle life’s problems. People use drugs like meth as a means of escape from their daily life, for fun, to be part of a group but most of all to change the way they feel. It helps them feel good for the time being and that is something that most people wish to recreate over and over again. The problem often lies in the fact that as they begin to use more and more meth to escape from their problems and to feel good. Meanwhile they create a larger problem known as meth addiction.

 

Some meth users go on binges, continually using the drug for days or even a week at a time. This can have devastating long-term effects. Prolonged meth addiction can result in psychotic behavior and brain damage.

 

Addiction to meth and other illicit drugs can be difficult to overcome without professional help. This is because the addict needs more than just strong willpower to stay away from their drug of choice. Recovery often involves entering into a rehab program, sometimes out of town for an extended period of time. Leaving home and going to a meth addiction rehab program in a new city for several months has numerous benefits. The recovering addict is removed from the constant reminders of their drug use and is able to focus on sobriety and building themselves back up. Remaining in treatment for several months solidifies the work they have done while in rehab. Shorter programs (a couple weeks to a month) only allow time for the addict to sober up before they are thrust back into their daily life. Programs that last longer (3-6+ months) have shown the greatest success when it comes to meth addiction recovery. This is because the user’s mind and body need adequate time to repair themselves from meth use before the recovering addict is able to process new information.