Signs & Symptoms of a Crystal Meth Addiction

Methamphetamine, which is commonly known as crystal meth, is a laboratory made stimulant. These type of drugs can make a person more alert and have more endurance. The average amount of time that a high will last from crystal meth is 4-12 hours. It will take at least 12 hours for the body to remove even half of the drug from your system.

It was reported in 2005 that 12.3 million people from the ages of 12 years and older have used crystal meth at least one time in their life. It's one of the strongest drugs known to man which makes it one of the most dangerous. Becoming addicted to this drug is very easy, especially when you use it many times after the first time of trying it.

Signs of a Crystal Meth Addiction-

Crystal meth is a very dangerous drug which means that if you have an addiction, you will have very strong symptoms that will pose as threats to your life. Here are some common signs that someone may have an addiction to crystal meth:

1. Staying Awake for Long Periods of Time-

Crystal meth can cause a person to be awake for days upon days. That is how strong of a drug it is. If you notice that you have insomnia that lasts for days because there is such frequent uses of crystal meth, it's a sure sign that you or someone you love is in danger of an addiction. Bodies need their rest and if they don't get the sleep they need, they will shut down on their own which is not something that anyone should let happen.

2. Incessant Scratching & Touching-

Crystal meth users will find themselves constantly scratching their arms, necks, and any other body part. Not just scratching but they will also be touching their body at all times. You will rarely find a moment where the user isn't frequently rubbing their hands on their bodies in one way or another.

3. Weight Loss-

This drug can cause a person to be in constant movement which means that they will start to lose weight frequently and rapidly. Users of crystal meth that have a strong addiction will weight a subsequent amount less than what they should really weigh.

4. Short Term Memory Loss-

Even someone who has only been using crystal meth for a short amount of time will experience memory loss in a strong way. They won't be able to remember facts that they were just told or actions that they just recently did. They may end up telling the same story or saying the same things over and over again because they can't remember saying them the first time.

5. Tooth Decay-

The slang term for this is "Meth Mouth" which is what they call an user of crystal meth that has very strong tooth decay. It's common for tooth decay to appear in those that have been using crystal meth for very long periods of time. This is a sign of a long term addiction to the drug.

6. Violent Behavior-

Because crystal meth can cause a person to be come agitated so frequently, it's normal for an user to become very violent on a regular basis. This means that the user will yell often and hit things over situations that aren't even that important. This happens when an user hasn't had a "fix" fast enough to keep their high going. The second they start to lose their high, they will start to become irritated over the smallest things.

7. Crashing-

A crystal meth user, after being awake for days at a time, will end up crashing and sleeping for extremely long hours. You may find that an user will sleep for 48 hours straight without waking up one time. After being high on crystal meth for days, once the body comes down from that high a little bit, it's common for an user to fall straight into bed and not get up.

If you or someone you love are showing signs of a crystal meth addiction, it's important to take control right away. This drug is very serious and can cause an user a lot of harm in a very short amount of time, as it speeds up the central nervous system. It is one of the most addicting drugs that can be purchased on the streets. This means that after just one use someone could end up having an addiction that could potentially ruin their whole life.

During a high, you will hardly remember what you say and what you do and because the effects of this drug last for so long. This could mean that you could wake up from a crash and not remember what you did for the past 3 days. The signs of an addiction to crystal meth will be different for everyone but the most common ones to watch for are listed above.