Other reasons people abuse drugs include fitting in with peers and friends, escaping an unpleasant situation, relief from boredom, to rebel from authority, and to experiment. People try illegal drugs for a number of reasons, mostly involving being dissatisfied with their lives. Research suggests that these pleasure centers can heal over time, however, the damage to the cognitive abilities of the user may be permanent.Ĭauses and risk factors for meth addiction This means that a chronic long-term methamphetamine user will not be able to feel pleasure without the use of methamphetamine. Over time methamphetamine use destroys dopamine receptors within the brain. The euphoric high experienced by methamphetamine users is caused by a surge of dopamine released into the brain. By the time the methamphetamine binge is over, the person has not eaten or slept in days. This cycle can cause the user to be up for days smoking, snorting, or injecting the drug before crashing from the euphoric feelings. Crystal meth is commonly used as a “club drug” at raves and nightclubs and is often called “glass” or “ice.” Methamphetamines are often used in a binge and crash manner. The rock form, crystal meth, is the most pure and potent form of methamphetamine. Like cocaine, methamphetamines are produced in two forms: a white powder or clear chunks of rocks. These chemicals are particularly dangerous and many who manufacture methamphetamines are burned or killed during production. Over-the-counter cold remedies are usually used as a base and are then combined with chemicals like battery acid, drain cleaner, ammonia, and antifreeze. Illegal or street methamphetamine is often produced in makeshift laboratories by using over-the-counter, readily-available inexpensive materials. Medical methamphetamine is prescribed at a far lower dose than the street version. Medical methamphetamine is used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD. Medically, methamphetamine is a Schedule II stimulant with a high potential for abuse. Meth also gives users a longer and more sustained high which leads to damage to the central nervous system.
However, methamphetamines are different than amphetamines because much higher amounts of methamphetamines are able to reach the brain which increases the potency. Methamphetamine is the child of a drug class called amphetamines, both stimulants that can provide users with increased energy, intense desire to chat, and an overall sense of happiness. While initially pleasurable, methamphetamine can destroy a person’s life by burning up the body’s resources and leaving the user with a dependence that is only relieved by using more of the drug. Some users state that they were hooked on meth after they try it once.
Due to the psychoactive properties, false confidence, and sense of happiness, people who try methamphetamine quickly develop a desire to continue using. Methamphetamines (more commonly known by their street name, “meth,” “crystal meth,” and “crank”) is a powerful and addictive stimulant that can be smoked, snorted, eaten, or injected.