In 2024, approximately 2.5 million people in the United States reported using methamphetamine in the past 12 months. Prevalence of methamphetamine (METH) use (A) and METH use disorder (B) between 2015 and 2019 in the US 8. Meth addiction (C, D) Increases in deaths from METH overdose between 2011 and 2018 in the US divided by race and sex 15. (E) As compared to other abused substances, METH was the most common type of drug involved in substance use-related ED visits in 2020 18. Stimulants like meth can increase your sexual libido and lead to impulsive and risky sexual behavior.
- Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive and powerful central nervous system psychostimulant that induces a feeling of intense euphoria and well-being.
- METH enters the dopaminergic terminal via the dopamine transporter (DAT) where it subsequently enters dopamine storage vesicles via vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) (black arrows).
- In the future, a combination of cognitive therapy(ies) with medication(s), followed by an anti-METH vaccine to maintain low METH intake long-term, will likely work the best against MUD.
- Methamphetamine is a highly addictive psychostimulant and one of the most widely abused drugs worldwide.
Meth Complications
Find rehab for yourself or a loved one by speaking with a treatment provider. Meth is typically “cooked” or produced in makeshift home laboratories, often referred to as “meth labs“, located in abandoned or rural areas. Makers of illicit meth synthesize the drug by isolating the elements of highly reactive products. The ingredients for meth are cheap and easily obtainable from any local drug store; the products range from lithium batteries to drain cleaner and the end product may contain as many as 32 different chemicals. The only legal meth product is a prescription medication approved to treat ADHD.
- CBT helps people identify, cope with, and avoid situations that could influence them to use meth, while motivational incentives encourage patients to stay drug-free using prizes like vouchers and cash rewards.
- Consequently, behavioral therapies should remain the first line of treatment for MUD.
- Additional efforts to support prevention and response capacity in communities, expand linkages to care for substance use and mental health, and enhance collaborations between public health and public safety are needed.
- CBT for a substance use disorder assumes that drug use is a learned behavior and it emphasizes individual commitment for recovery in order to learn new adaptive behaviors and ways of thinking 90.
Withdrawal Symptoms
If you or a loved one are struggling with meth addiction, reach out to resources for support and assistance. A 2000 report in the Journal of Periodontology found that users who snorted the drug had significantly worse tooth decay than users who smoked or injected it, although all types of users suffered from dental problems. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that the degree of tooth decay is not necessarily dependent on the length of drug use. One of the most striking effects of meth is the change in the physical appearance of meth users. Because meth causes the blood vessels to constrict, it cuts off the steady flow of blood to all parts of the body.
Methamphetamine (meth or crystal meth) is a potent and highly addictive stimulant. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. Meth is often made with multiple toxic chemicals that put undue stress on a person’s organs. Since the liver and kidneys are responsible for filtering and processing these chemicals as waste, a person who uses too much meth can cause these organs to permanently shut down and stop working.
Recognizing A Meth Addiction
“When she was high, which was almost always, she had to be on the computer — diddling with programs to make them run faster, ordering freebies on the Internet,” writes Singer. “He picks and picks and picks at himself, like there are bugs inside his face,” the mother of one meth addict told The Spokesman-Review. “He tears his clothes off and ties them around his head.” The same article told the story of another former addict, who, even after five years of sobriety, can’t go to the bathroom without propping a space heater against the door, in case someone is after him. The chemicals in meth can lead to imbalances in the brain that cause disorganized thoughts and thinking processes. In fact, many other meth addiction symptoms are partly linked to or triggered by disorganized thoughts in the brain, such as violent behavior, confusion, and disorganized speech.
“In New York, we’re seeing about 1,000 gay men every year become infected, and that’s just unacceptable,” says Staley, now an anti-meth activist in the gay community. “It’s very sad. It’s tragic, and it’s almost entirely because of crystal meth.” But the meth-related spread of disease is not limited to urban gay communities; anyone engaging in risky sexual behavior or the sharing of needles is highly susceptible. In Oregon, the prevalence of crystal meth, which is often taken intravenously, is thought to be the cause of a recent rise in syphilis cases, and state health officials fear that it might lead to a boom in cases of HIV. “Whether you have a history of drug addiction or not, has not bearing on whether you get addicted to this drug,” Staley tells FRONTLINE.
Methamphetamine May Cause Brain Changes Similar to Traumatic Brain Injury
Meth addiction produces many physical and psychological symptoms and side effects. Here’s what to look for if you think you or a loved one might be suffering from meth addiction. Neurologic signs of methamphetamine use include hemorrhagic strokes in young people with no previous evidence of neurologic impairments. Methamphetamine use and related harms represent a substantial U.S. public health concern. Additional efforts to support prevention and response capacity in communities, expand linkages to care for substance use and mental health, and enhance collaborations between public health and public safety are needed. Meth is more dangerous than other stimulants because a larger percentage of the drug remains unchanged in the body and stays present in the brain longer.
When it’s used, dopamine floods your brain to boost feelings of pleasure. The odds of this happening to you are higher if you go on a multiday meth binge without sleeping. Methamphetamine hydrochloride (Desoxyn) is the only legal methamphetamine in the U.S. It’s a pill approved to treat ADHD, but doctors don’t prescribe it very often. Most of the crystal meth and other meth products used in this country are made by transactional criminal organizations (TCOs)in Mexico. In addition to these Mexican “superlabs,” there are many small home labs in the U.
PHARMACOLOGY OF METHAMPHETAMINE
From the cognitive‐behavioral perspective, substance use is considered the result of coping deficits and maladaptive thinking. CBT for a substance use disorder assumes that drug use is a learned behavior and it emphasizes individual commitment for recovery in order to learn new adaptive behaviors and ways of thinking 90. Individuals in CBT learn to identify and correct addictive behaviors by applying a range of different skills that can be used to stop METH abuse and to address a range of co-occurring problems.
In general, people use it a little less often than other stimulants such as cocaine. Meth contains chemicals that are similar to amphetamine, a drug used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. Find out the differences between Adderall and methamphetamines, as well as amphetamines vs. methamphetamines. Meth is typically a white pill or powder that doesn’t have a smell but tastes bitter.
It can only be prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), extreme obesity, or narcolepsy. Therapeutic doses of Desoxyn are mg daily, taken every 12 hours, with dose not exceeding 60 mg/day (reference.medscape.com/drugs). L-METH, a vasoconstrictor, is the active constituent of the Vicks Inhaler decongestant, an over-the-counter product containing about 50 mg of the drug 7. The prevalence of and the mortality related to methamphetamine use has doubled over the past 10 years and there is evidence suggesting that methamphetamine use disorder could be the next substance use crisis in the United States and possibly world-wide. Treatment for meth addiction involves a combination of behavior therapy and medication.
The model incorporates CBT, CM, 12-steps, and motivational interviewing therapy. The program is highly structured and is largely made up of group therapy sessions. The Matrix Model therapy provides a framework for engaging people who abuse METH in treatment and helping them achieve abstinence. Patients learn about issues critical to the addiction, relapse, and recovery process. They receive advice from a trained therapist on how to avoid relapse and how to socialize in a drug-free environment.
1.4. Twelve-step Facilitation Therapy
Hypoactivity in the dopaminergic system (decreased levels of dopamine and dopamine D2 receptor) and alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning develops; irritability and dysphoria emerge in the absence of METH 60. Human studies found an association between D2 receptor deficit and METH seeking (e.g. 67, 68); however, administration of D2 agonists in clinical trials did not produce the desired effects. First, NSDUH data are self-reported and subject to recall and social desirability biases. Second, because the survey is cross-sectional and different persons were sampled each year, inferring causality from the observed associations between the predictors examined and self-reported past-year methamphetamine use is not possible. In the United States during 2015–2018, approximately 1.6 million adults, on average, used methamphetamine each year, and nearly 25% of those reported injecting methamphetamine. Particularly concerning were high rates of co-occurring substance use or mental illness among adults using methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive and dangerous drug that can cause severe withdrawal symptoms upon quitting. Long-term use of meth can lead to Meth Head Syndrome, which causes several health issues. In 2021, approximately 1.6 million Americans suffered from methamphetamine use disorder.1 That’s 0.6% of people aged 12 or older.
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