Methamphetamine Use, Danger, and Abuse

 

Substance abuse of methamphetamines is one of largest drug abuse problems in the world. It is endemic in almost all countries and is highly destructive. Methamphetamines is known under a lot of names like meth, crystal, and crank. Meth has an incredibly powerful high and is extremely addictive.

A person takes meth, normally by eating or snorting it, but it can also be consumed as a drink, injected, or smoked.

After a person has taken crank it will usually cause a strong surge of good feelings, but it is not long before the "good feelings" are replaced by anxiety, fear, paranoia, and anger.

So what exactly is methamphetamine?

Basically it is a neurotoxin and psychostimulant. It is rarely used clinically, but occasionally is prescribed for hyperactivity disorders and even more rarely for treating obesity. One of the most destructive aspects of this drug is that it disrupts the ability of the brain to produce and process serotonin and dopamine. These are chemicals that are crucial to a person's ability to feel happiness and joy. This is one of the reasons why the psychological addiction to this drug can be so strong. When a person needs the drug just to feel a semblance of happiness, it is very difficult to quit.

Depression and suicidal thoughts are common side effects of withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms of meth can last for months.

One of the greatest dangers of this drug, aside from the fact that an overdose could kill the user, is that it causes permanent brain damage. As was mentioned before this drug is a neurotoxin. This means that it is a toxin which works upon the brain to disrupt normal functioning. Overtime this "disruption" can become a permanent condition.

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive and insidious drug that should be avoided at all costs.