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The Effects of Methamphetamine as an Addictive Substance

There are many myths and justifications for using mind-altering substances and the use of methamphetamine, (meth, crank, crystal, speed) certainly has its share.

Probably the most detrimental myth about meth is the idea that it is not addictive. Users of methamphetamine equate it to a super potent caffeine-type substance, and in some ways they’re right. Meth and caffeine are both stimulants, but the similarities end there. Drugs of abuse can be addictive at the psychological level, the physical level or both. However, all psychologically addictive drugs have a physical addictive component. The level of the addiction is directly related to the amount of discomfort an addict experiences when the drug use is discontinued. Everyone is familiar with the headaches that you can get when you have been drinking coffee on a regular basis and then abruptly stop. Times that by about a hundred and you’ll be close to what an addict feels like quitting meth cold turkey.

The body gets accustomed to having the drug as an external stimulus and when that is removed, there is an physiological adjustment that causes stress. When a person uses methamphetamine on a regular/daily basis and stops, dramatic effects occur all over the body. It isn’t uncommon for someone to sleep for two days after being on a meth binge. The over-stimulated glands, especially the adrenals, under-produce until they re-establish normal levels of activity again, and in the absence of these hormones a person is barely able to keep their body functioning. It becomes necessary to sleep for long periods of time while normal equilibrium is being renewed.

With the body under extreme stress, a meth users emotions become unstable. They may experience mild to severe depression, sometimes leading to suicidal thoughts. And knowing that simply using the drug again can stop these uncomfortable feelings is the simplicity of addiction… and the reason that most people need professional help to progress through their recovery.

Article Source: www.easyezinearticles.com