Crystal Meth addiction is one of the world’s most gruesome realities. In the United States alone, it is said that there are 1.5 million users who are addicted to crystal meth. Crystal meth addiction is not that easy to curb despite the stringent rules against it because of its high availability, inexpensiveness, and the energy boost it can give.
The effects are not merely physical. They are emotional and psychological as well. Prolonged and too much use may lead to crime and the users’ involvement in many acts of violence, oftentimes a result of his paranoid schizophrenia. He may also develop suicidal tendencies.
Remember that a puff of crystal meth can keep a user high for 24 hours. When compared with other prohibited drugs, it is the most powerful; thus more destructive, one of the leading causes of crime. Any abuser would suffer from the short term and long term effects of the substance. This drug is a popular and most abused substance because of the “rush” that it can give for more than a half day to its users. This “rush” results from releasing high levels of dopamine which is a neurotransmitter to the areas of the brain that control the sense of pleasure.
The drug has toxic effects of damaging the nerve terminals of that part of the brain where it is stored most. This usually causes a lethal high temperature leading to convulsion. By far, the most detrimental long term effect of crystal meth use is addiction. This means constant craving for the drug in increasing dosage. With the increased dosage, an abuser may experience hallucinations (i.e. insects crawling out of the skin), intense paranoia that oftentimes lead to suicidal attempts, and extreme violence. When you’re a crystal meth user, the greatest thing you can give yourself is self-control and healing to SAMSHA (Mental Health Services Administration). The Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator lists private and public facilities that are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved for inclusion by their state substance abuse agency.
