Crystal meth is the street name for methamphetamine. It is a strongly addictive illegal street drug that affects the central nervous system. It usually comes in a crystal form, normally clear or white rocks, that users either smoke from a pipe, snort or inject. This drug will cause serious damage to your mind and body if the addiction is left untreated.
Side Effects of Methamphetamine Addiction
When crystal meth is used, it tends to give users a false sense of well being and energy, so a person will tend to push the limits of their body pushing it further and further. After this extremely heightened amount of energy, a user will experience a crash. This causes a physical and mental breakdown after the drugs wear off. There are many short-term and long-term side effects involved with smoking crystal meth.
The short-term side effects of crystal meth abuse include:
- Loss of appetite
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Heightened body temperature
- Disrupted sleep patterns
- Dilated pupils
- Nausea
- Bizarre, erratic, and even violent behavior
- Irritability
- Hallucinations
- Panic and anxiety
- Drug-induced psychosis
- Convulsions and seizures
The long-term side effects of crystal meth abuse include:
- Permanent damage to blood vessels of heart and brain
- High blood pressure leading to heart attacks, strokes and death
- Liver, lung, and kidney damage
- Breathing problems
- Infectious diseases
- Severe weight loss
- Severe tooth decay
- Disorientation/exhaustion
- Long term psychosis
- Depression
- Memory loss
- Anxiety
- Loss of cognitive function
Signs of Crystal Meth Abuse
Crystal meth use comes with a laundry list of different symptoms. It can be pretty easy to spot the changes in a person when they are abusing it. Not only does crystal meth abuse affect a person’s physical health in a major way, but it also does serious damage to a person’s mental health. Some of the symptoms to look out for include:
- Obsessively picking or scratching at the skin
- Loss of appetite
- Extreme weight loss
- Sunken eyes and face
- Unkempt personal appearance or grooming
- Dilated pupils
- Weird sleeping patterns; often staying awake for days or even weeks at a time
- A constant need for money that can result in borrowing or even stealing
- Erratic body movements such as twitching, tics, or exaggerated mannerisms
- Profuse sweating
- Angry outbursts
- Severe mood swings
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Psychosis
Crystal meth abuse is not only dangerous, but it is also life-threatening. High doses of crystal meth can result in death due to a heart attack, stroke, or the shutting down of multiple organs at once due to the body overheating.
How to Treat Crystal Meth Addiction
The best and safest option to getting off crystal meth is by the use of one of the many treatment programs we offer at Recreate Life Counseling. We offer partial care and outpatient treatment programs that provide therapeutic education and guidance for each individual to help them safely reintegrate into society. We offer one on one, group therapy, as well as many other specialized options to fit each person’s needs.
Addiction isn’t an easy thing to face and the health risks are not worth a short high. Getting sober can be hard, but the rewards you will get in life are worth it. For your sake, you do not have to face getting off crystal meth on your own. Our admissions counselors and addiction professionals are available around the clock. We are ready to help you or a loved one overcome the disease of addiction. Now is the time to change your life.