What Makes Meth so Addictive?

Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant that is highly addictive. While it is available by prescription under the name Desoxyn, most people abusing meth are buying it on the street. This means the substance they receive is not pure and may contain dangerous additives.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1.6 million adults aged 18 or older abused meth between 2015 to 2018.[1]

You can find meth in various forms, including a crystalline substance, powder, or pills. You can smoke, snort, swallow, or inject meth. Any form of meth abuse will lead to long-term addiction and physical or mental health risks.

Meth is often described as one of the most addictive substances known to man. But why? The main reason that meth is so addictive is because of how it interacts with dopamine in your brain.

When you consume meth, it causes your brain to release high amounts of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward. Soon, your brain is trained to crave meth over and over again. Using meth once can begin a cycle of addiction that is hard to break free from.

In this article, you will learn:

  • What are the side effects of meth
  • Why is meth one of the most addictive drugs
  • How to spot the signs of meth addiction

What are the Effects of Meth?

Meth is a stimulant, which means it speeds up processes in your brain and body. It also releases feel-good chemicals in your brain, which is why you experience euphoria and happiness when you abuse meth.

The common short-term effects of meth include:[2]

  • Increased heart rate and blood pressure
  • Heightened body temperature and sweating
  • Dilated or large pupils
  • Shaking and tremors
  • A rush of euphoria and pleasure
  • Increased energy and talkativeness
  • Anxiety or paranoia
  • Teeth grinding or strange jaw movements
  • Aggressiveness or symptoms of psychosis

Long-term meth effects may include tooth decay, malnutrition or severe weight loss, increased symptoms of mental health disorders, heart complications, and more. Because the long-term effects of methamphetamine can be significant, it is best to seek help from an addiction treatment program.

Why is Meth so Addictive?

Meth is often regarded as one of the most addictive drugs on the street. But what makes this substance so addictive?

Some of the factors that play a role in the addictive nature of meth include the way it interacts with dopamine in your brain, the behavioral cycle meth abuse causes, and how it impacts your mental health.

Meth, the Brain, and Dopamine

Whether you smoke, swallow, snort, or inject meth, the substance enters your brain. Once it’s there, it causes your brain to release high levels of dopamine. Because dopamine is responsible for pleasure and reward, you will experience a rush of euphoria.

This dopamine rush causes you to abuse meth over and over again. After repetitive use of meth, your dopamine levels will become depleted. This causes you to become reliant on meth to experience any form of pleasure or happiness.

The Behavioral Cycle

Once you are relying on meth to experience pleasure and euphoria, your substance abuse begins to follow a cycle. You will deal with intense cravings to abuse meth that causes you to engage in the use of it. While you will feel relief for some time, eventually the meth will wear off, causing your withdrawal symptoms and cravings to return.

The behavioral cycle of cravings, substance abuse, and more cravings can be difficult to break. You’ll have to attend a meth addiction treatment center to learn how to recover from long-term addiction and receive support for your withdrawal symptoms.

Mental Health

Lastly, methamphetamine abuse is closely associated with mental health disorders. Many people begin abusing meth to cope with the symptoms of an underlying mental illness. Unfortunately, the effects of meth will only worsen your mental health symptoms over time.

Since meth worsens the mental health symptoms you are trying to cope with, you will have a hard time recognizing the damage meth is doing to your psyche. As a result, it can be hard to acknowledge that meth is a problem when you are also struggling with severe psychological distress.

What are the Signs of Methamphetamine Addiction?

The main signs of meth addiction include:[3]

  • Using meth for longer or in higher doses than you intended
  • Having a hard time controlling how much meth you use
  • Experiencing cravings to abuse meth
  • Failing to meet responsibilities at home, school, or work because of meth use
  • Losing interest in previously enjoyed activities to use more meth
  • Experiencing mental or physical health problems because of meth use
  • Continuing to use meth even though it is causing relationship issues
  • Using meth in risky situations, such as while driving
  • Needing to increase the dose of meth you use to experience the desired effect
  • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop using meth

If you or a loved one experiences the above-mentioned symptoms, it’s time to seek help from a meth rehab center. These programs offer medical detox, evidence-based behavioral therapies, and relapse prevention planning to help you achieve long-term sobriety.

Get Connected to a Top-Rated Meth Rehab Center

Meth addiction can be incredibly difficult to overcome. Thankfully, meth rehab centers can help you recover using a wide variety of evidence-based tools and treatments. At New You Sober Living, we can connect you with a highly-rated addiction treatment center that you can attend before transitioning into our sober living program.

Contact us today for more information on how we can help you recover from meth addiction.

References:

  1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Patterns and Characteristics of Methamphetamine Use Among Adults — United States, 2015–2018
  2. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Methamphetamine
  3. JAMA Network: Neurobiology, Clinical Presentation, and Treatment of Methamphetamine Use Disorder
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