Meth, short for methamphetamine, is both mentally and physically addictive and poses very dangerous threats to the addict and all those around. It comes in powder, white crystals (crystal meth), and tablet forms. Meth is a completely synthetic central nervous system stimulant made from over-the-counter cold medicine, cat litter, paint thinner, lighter fluid, and other chemicals. Meth addicts will often go on binges lasting for several days, when they will stay awake and continually use meth. When a user eventually stop using the drug, a "crash" (withdrawl) period follows. Usually the addict will feel irritated, tired, and sometimes suicidal.
Video: Cooking Meth
Cooking methamphetamine takes only a few hours and requires simple household ingredients, like striker plates from matchbooks, the guts of lithium batteries, drain cleaner.
"It's pretty gross," said Matt Leland, who works in career services at the University of Northern Colorado and who recently helped cook the drug in a lab. "If someone was truly interested in manufacturing meth, it would not be that hard. When you think about what they are putting into their body, ... you would not go and buy that stuff and drink it," he said. "I mean, would you buy drain cleaner and take a sip of it?" "
Video: How Does Methamphetamine Affect the Brain?
Chronic methamphetamine abuse significantly changes how the brain functions. Noninvasive human brain imaging studies have shown alterations in the activity of the dopamine system that are associated with reduced motor skills and impaired verbal learning. Recent studies in chronic meth abusers have also revealed severe structural and functional changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory, which may account for many of the emotional and cognitive problems observed in chronic meth users.The before-and-after SPECT brain scan in this video shows massive deterioration after 3 years of abuse.
Featured Video: A Closer Look at Meth Users
"My story is much like many people in regards to the events that take place while abusing this drug. The path that I took ended up destroying just about everything in my life that I held dear to me. By the time I had gone the duration of my abuse I had translucent skin, bloody scabs and pick marks all over my body, my kidneys were failing, brittle hair and nails, paranoia, hallucinations, phobic and panic problems, weak muscles and a very low immune system to fighting off sickness. I had lost about seven sizes within one to two months. The inventory of problems that I had then and still do now is too many to list. Let's just say that I really screwed up my body, mind and life." -Sky
What Treatment Options Exist?
Nearly every addiction rehab center in the nation is equipped to treat meth addiction along with the myriad of other drugs being abused these days. The rehab treatment of meth addiction is less about a physical addiction and more about the psychological rehabilitation of the addict. Generally, the detox process, when the meth is leaving the body and no longer controlling the central nervous system, causes psychological symptoms such as irritability, fatigue, depression, and sometimes suicidal emotions. For this reason, it is very important to undergo the withdrawal, or detox, process from meth in a monitored environment. Once the withdrawal process has been completed, meth rehab treatment is a matter of the addict wanting to free him or herself from the addiction. For meth, or any other kind of substance abuse rehab program, it is always important to have the facts on the disease and the varying types of treatment available for each individual and their specific mental, physical, religious, lifestyle, or health needs. The task of this research can be extremely daunting with the myriad of niche treatment programs available. Please feel free to explore the rest of our links and if you have any questions about your own or someone else’s drug abuse, please fill out our free confidential assessment and we will get back to you immediately to discuss the details of your situation and assess your needs. If we can be of any further assistance to you in obtaining information or finding the right rehab center for you, please call us anytime, day or night. We are here to help.
Drug Rehab Centers Locator - Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Dual Diagnosis Programs and Treatment Resources
The Drug Rehab Centers Locator is a public addiction treatment resource guide dedicated to helping addicts and alcoholics recover from drug addiction, alcoholism, dual diagnosis, eating disorders and co-occurring disorders. We offer a comprehensive directory of drug treatment centers, alcohol rehab programs, drug rehab and drug rehabilitation centers, dual diagnosis treatment programs, and recovery centers for eating disorders and other substance abuse related disorders.
