What Is Methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine is a very potent synthetic stimulant that works directly on the central nervous system by producing an overwhelming release of dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical.[1] The euphoric feeling associated with this dopamine rush is far more intense than any natural dopamine response the brain can procure, which is what makes methamphetamine such a highly addictive substance when used repeatedly.[2]
The drug can be found in powder or crystalline form, with crystal meth being the most potent and widely abused form of the drug, a crystalline solid that is typically smoked in glass pipes, though it can also be injected, snorted, or swallowed. Crystal meth also produces a faster and more powerful high than the powdered form, making it more rapidly addictive.
Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance due to its very high potential for abuse and the capability of causing severe psychological and physical dependence.[3] Although pharmaceutical methamphetamine exists under the brand name Desoxyn, the substance behind most people’s addiction is almost always the illicitly manufactured form.
Meth Addiction and Abuse
Methamphetamine addiction develops quickly, often more quickly than users anticipate. The initial high produces a surge of energy, confidence, and euphoria, and can last between a few minutes and several hours, depending on how the user consumes the drug; smoking or injecting it produces an intense but brief “rush” lasting only a few minutes, followed by a prolonged high that can last 6 to 8 hours. [4] However, once the effects wear off, dopamine levels crash below their baseline level, leaving users feeling exhausted, depressed, and immediately craving more.
This sudden drop in dopamine levels is the driver behind methamphetamine addiction. Over time, using again begins to feel like the only way to escape the negative effects of the post-high crash.
With repeated use, the brain’s dopamine system becomes effectively rewired; meth damages and depletes the brain’s dopamine receptors, and the brain loses its ability to produce or respond to dopamine normally.[5] As a result of these changes, long-term methamphetamine users typically experience profound anhedonia, which means they are unable to feel pleasure from anything that isn’t the drug. Things that brought joy in the past, such as food, relationships, and achievements, become uninteresting and flat. For many people in this state, meth use stops becoming a choice, and they are compelled to use it just to function at all.
Signs and Symptoms of Meth Addiction
Meth addiction produces very distinctive physical, behavioral, and psychological warning signs, and they typically worsen the longer someone continues to use.
The most common are:
- Weight loss and deteriorating physical appearance
- Tooth decay and tooth loss
- Skin sores or scabs from constant picking
- Enlarged pupils and rapid, darting eye movements
- Hyperactivity, talkativeness, and reduced need for sleep
- Paranoia, agitation, and aggression
- Detachment from family and friends
- Failure to fulfill obligations, poor personal hygiene, and poor financial decisions
- Continued meth use regardless of the potential negative impact on health and life
- Preoccupation with getting and using meth
Recognizing Meth Withdrawal
Methamphetamine withdrawal is mostly psychological in nature, and unlike opioid and benzodiazepine withdrawal, it is not typically medically dangerous.
However, that does not mean it will be an easy process. When meth leaves the system, a user’s dopamine-depleted brain will struggle to rebalance itself, producing withdrawal symptoms that can be intensely uncomfortable.
Some of the common meth withdrawal symptoms include:
- Profound fatigue and the need to sleep for extended amounts of time
- Severe depression that may lead to suicidal thoughts
- Intense and persistent cravings for meth
- Increased appetite
- Anxiety, irritability, and unstable mood
- Cognitive fog, difficulty concentrating, and slowed thinking
- In some cases, psychotic episodes that can persist into early sobriety
Acute withdrawal usually lasts one to two weeks, but mood swings, confusion, and intense cravings could continue for weeks or months after.[6] The brain takes time to recover, which is why the first few weeks of sobriety are considered high-risk times for relapse and why receiving help during this time is vital.[7]
Long-Term Effects of Meth Addiction
Consequences of meth use do not end with mood changes. Prolonged or excessive methamphetamine use results in severe tooth decay, often referred to as “meth mouth”, as well as weight loss and malnutrition, skin lesions from compulsive picking, cardiovascular damage greatly increasing the chance of heart attacks and strokes, and significant mental impairments affecting memory, focus, and decision-making.[8] Psychosis, including paranoia, hallucinations, and delusional thinking, is also common with continued long-term methamphetamine use and can remain present even after usage stops.
Meth abuse also devastates the people around the person using it. Family members often bear the weight of the addiction, covering for their loved one, managing crises, absorbing financial and emotional damage, while the person with the addiction becomes increasingly unrecognizable to the people who know them best.
When It’s Time to Get Help
It can be difficult to know when meth use has become a problem that requires professional support. Below are the signs that seeking treatment at a meth treatment center is warranted:
- You’ve tried to stop or reduce meth use without success
- You’re using meth solely to feel normal or make it through the day
- Your physical health, relationships, or finances are deteriorating
- A family member or someone you love has expressed serious concern about your meth use
- You’ve developed paranoia, hallucinations, or psychotic episodes
- You’ve started combining meth with other substances to manage the comedown
- You no longer feel pleasure or motivation from anything except meth use
