Meth Drug Abuse Addiction
Welcome to a quick way to ruin one's life fast. Not considered a sexy drug, meth users hit bottom fast. Tooth decay, no interest in personal well being are sure fire indicators of use. Meth Drug Addiction - Methamphetamine methyl amphetamine or desoxyephedrine, popularly shortened to meth, is a psycho stimulant drug. It is prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or narcolepsy under the brand name Desoxyn. It is also used illegally for recreational purposes. "Crystal meth" refers to the crystalline, smokeable form of the drug and is not used for the drug in pill or powdered form.
Methamphetamine acts as a dopaminergic and adrenergic reuptake inhibitor and as a sympathomimetic. Since it stimulates the mesolimbic reward pathway, causing euphoria and excitement, it is prone to abuse and addiction. Methamphetamine rapidly enters the brain and triggers a cascading release of Norepinephrine norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. Users may become obsessed or perform repetitive tasks such as cleaning, hand-washing, or assembling and disassembling objects. Withdrawal is characterized by excessive sleeping, eating and depression-like symptoms, often accompanied by anxiety and drug-craving. Users of methamphetamine often take one or more benzodiazepines as a means of "coming down".
Methamphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant which affects neurochemical mechanisms responsible for regulating heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, appetite, attention, mood and responses associated with alertness or alarm conditions. The acute effects of the drug closely resemble the physiological and psychological effects of an epinephrine-provoked fight-or-flight response, including increased heart rate and blood pressure, vasoconstriction (constriction of the arterial walls), bronchodilation, and hyperglycemia (increased blood sugar). Users experience an increase in focus, increased mental alertness, and the elimination of fatigue, as well as a decrease in appetite.
As with other amphetamines, tolerance to methamphetamine is not completely understood, but known to be sufficiently complex that it cannot be explained by any single mechanism. The extent of tolerance and the rate at which it develops varies widely between individuals, and even within one person it is highly dependent on dosage, duration of use and frequency of administration. Many cases of narcolepsy are treated with methamphetamine for years without escalating doses or any apparent loss of effect.
Signs of Meth Use
Alertness and inability to sleep: Something might be up if you notice a change in sleeping patterns -- especially staying up for days on end and then sleeping or fatigued for a few days straight.
Nervous physical activity: You notice fidgeting -- and possibly scratching or picking at skin.
Decreased appetite: Uninterested in food, and starts to become dangerously thin.
Euphoria and rush: Might be extremely alert and energized, even after up all night.
Increased respiration and/or increased body temperature: Might appear out of breath for no reason (methamphetamine is a stimulant that can speed up one's heart rate.)
Burns, nosebleeds or track marks: If there strange burns on lips or fingers, may be smoking methamphetamine through a hot glass or metal pipe. Snorting methamphetamine could cause nosebleeds and eventually eat away at the septum inside the nose. Using methamphetamine intravenously there could be track marks on her arms.
Carelessness about appearance: Stopped showering? Lost interest in grooming? No longer brush teeth?
Deceit or secretiveness: Is your normally honest child lying to you all the time? Is his bedroom door always closed? Has she got a seemingly endless string of excuses to justify her behavior?
Violence and aggression: Methamphetamine affects the central nervous system, which in turn can affect a person's mood. Look for wild mood swings, hostility or abusive behavior.
Presence of inhaling and injecting paraphernalia: If you noticed razor blades, mirrors, straws, syringes, spoons or surgical tubing in your child's room, this is a clear sign of drug abuse -- and a cry for help.
Withdrawal from family and friends: Look for deteriorating relationships with family members and friends. She may be depressed or exhibit a lack of enthusiasm -- and not share or express herself as she used to.
Loss of interest in school and extracurricular activities: Methamphetamine is highly addictive, and many users spend most of their free time looking for another way to find more of the drug. Therefore, interests that were once very important to your child may all of a sudden seem insignificant.
Problems at school: This can include slipping grades, absenteeism and decreased motivation.
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