Crystal Meth

Why crystal meth is so addictive

Crystal meth is so addictive because it causes one to feel great as it promotes dependence. Crystal Meth high can last for 12 hours which gives addicts a powerful mental and physical feeling that is unmatched by many drugs. Also, as one continues to use the drug, the starting dosage is no longer effective in terms of producing the initial desired feeling. One therefore has to increase the dosage in order to continue getting the same high/effect. This often leads to one becoming an addict without even realising.

As addiction starts, Crystal meth new addicts begin to care less about certain important areas of life i.e. work, family, personal hygiene, finances e.t.c. Getting high is the only thing that matters. It is important to note that higher doses have harmful side effects towards the brain thus the chances of an addict being able to pull out of addiction without outside help are close to none. Crystal Meth addicts continue to seek happiness and pleasure that can't really be achieved. This leads to a very bad vicious circle which can eventually leads to serious health problems i.e. brain damage or even death. It is impossible to function normally as a Crystal Meth addict without the drug which is one of the many reason why the drug is so addictive.

Effects of crystal Meth towards the body

Crystal Meth alters the production of dopamine which is a brain chemical or neurotransmitter. This in turn causes a build-up of the chemical (dopamine) in the brain. Dopamine has a very important role in terms of dictating how the brain interprets pleasure and experiences. Dopamine also plays an important role in motivation, reward and motor functioning. Dopamine in the brains reward regions is responsible for giving Crystal Meth addicts false rewards i.e. euphoria.

Crystal Meth addicts experience dramatic changes in terms of brain functioning. According to numerous studies done on brains of Crystal Meth addicts, chronic methamphetamine addicts were found to have dopamine system activity that changed significantly to seriously undermine how their brain conducted verbal learning and performed motor skills. In summary, Crystal Meth severely affects how the brain is structured and also how it functions. For instance, Crystal Meth affects memory and emotion brain functions which explains why chronic Crystal Meth abusers/addicts develop cognitive and emotional difficulties. Crystal Meth abusers stand the risk of being addicted when molecular and chemical changes take place in the brain. Most of these brain changes remain the same even after an abuser has stopped taking Crystal Meth. A chronic abuser therefore stands a chance of suffering from permanent brain damage. It is however important to note that most brain changes can be reversed with proper medical care i.e. during rehabilitation.

Crystal Meth withdrawal symptoms

Crystal Meth has a number of withdrawal symptoms. Some of these symptoms can last for days while others can last longer i.e. weeks, months or even years. The severity of withdrawal symptoms is dictated by the time one has spent as a Crystal Meth addict i.e. chronic addicts experience longer withdrawal symptoms. Some of the common Crystal Meth withdrawal symptoms include, agitation, Anhedonia which is inability to experience any kind of pleasure, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia moodiness, strong craving for Crystal Meth and hunger. Withdrawal symptoms such as hunger cause most Crystal Meth addicts to gain a lot of weight because of eating too much.

To be able to deal with the above withdrawal symptoms better, it is always advisable to join a drug addiction program especially if your withdrawal symptoms are severe. Drug rehabilitation programs are the best because they are conducted by professionals who understand addicts and want to help them cope throughout their withdrawal process. Rehabilitation programs are also good because they guide Crystal Meth addicts on how to live a drug-free life when all the withdrawal symptoms are gone. Crystal Meth drug rehab involves; exercise, nutritional guidance, counselling or talk therapy e.t.c.

It is important to note that even when all withdrawal symptoms linked to Crystal Meth are gone, addicts still need to deal with emotional turmoil and strong cravings of the drug which are bound to last for long.