Out of all illicit drugs circulating throughout the black market, methamphetamine is shown to have the highest rate of relapse among recovering addicts. Methamphetamine has arguably the most number of nicknames as compared to other drugs. Names for crystal meth include "crank", "crystal", "crystal meth", "glass", "ice" and "poor man's cocaine", among many others.
It is extremely important for crystal meth addicts to seek treatment for their addiction. Upon first ingesting the drug, users experience a chemical shift in the brain. The euphoria from the first hit of meth produced can never be recreated, as the first hit damages neurotransmitter receptors in the process of inducing euphoria. Thus, users become caught in a perpetual cycle of trial and disappointment, attempting to recreate the high that can never be quite as strong. Professional intervention is often necessary in the fight to stay clean and sober, due to the particularly aggressive nature of a meth addiction. Why is meth so addictive? There are several contributing factors that make it a popular stimulant in today's society:
- Boost of euphoria and feelings of contentment that last up to 12 hours
- Raises energy and the user's alertness
- Reduces appetite, leading to temporary weight loss
- Boosts the libido
- Increases social proclivity similar to the way in which cocaine does
This may sound well and great, but methamphetamine is extremely dangerous. It is illegally generated in home labs via a chemical composition of deadly ingredients. Hence, meth labs pose very strong health threats to surrounding communities and houses. A typical meth lab generates hazardous vapors that trickle out of the house and are toxic to those surrounding the meth lab. Byproducts of meth production include:
- Chloroform
- Ether
- Acetone
- Ammonia
- Methylamine
- Iodine
- Hydroiodic acid
- Lithium
- Mercury
There are many more toxic vapors associated with the production of methamphetamine. Why are we discussing the chemical composition of crystal meth? The answer: to illustrate the force with which methamphetamine permeates an otherwise healthy body. To describe the magnitude with which meth hits the human brain and causes neurological damage - as well as changes for the worst. Drug rehab must be sought for meth addicts, especially if the drug has been used regularly and frequently for an extended period of time. Rehab centers understand the unique nature of meth and are fully equipped with resources to contend with unruly meth addicts in early sobriety. "Coming down" from meth alone and without medical supervision can be very dangerous, even lethal in some cases. The withdrawal symptoms from crystal and meth are fierce. In a drug rehab center, clinicians will prescribe counter-indicative medications to combat withdrawal symptoms and keep the client as comfortable as possible. Adverse effects from cessation of regular methamphetamine use include but are not limited to the following:
- Severe depression and/or suicide
- Increased levels of stress
- Inability to cope with surfacing emotions that have been either intentionally or indirectly dormant as a byproduct of drug use
- Anhedonia
- Drug-induced psychosis, which can last several weeks and/or months beyond the last use of meth
- Muscle deterioration; in the event of an overdose, kidney damage and kidney failure may result
- Constricted artery walls
- Increased blood pressure
- Fluctuating blood sugar levels, chemically altered and requiring medical treatment
- Agitation and restlessness
- Insomnia
- Body aches and pains
- Headaches
- Fatigue and/or lethargy
- Strong compulsions to leave the rehab center and ditch all sobriety efforts in the pursuit of more crystal meth
- Obsessive thoughts and a preoccupation with crystal meth
Many coming off of methamphetamine end up sleeping for five days at a time. While actively using crystal meth, user's bodies are kept up on an artificial basis, sometimes for days or weeks at a time. As a result, paranoid delusions, hallucinations, and psychosis can occur. Thus, it is crucial for a meth addict to be surrounded by rehab clinicians, assistants, and therapists. The process is very difficult. Through detoxification from methamphetamine, the user's body will eventually be flushed of chemicals. Once the detoxification period has subsided, clients are immersed in the emotional work associated with methamphetamine rehabilitation. Attempting to detoxify from methamphetamine alone and without medical care is ill advised. The adverse withdrawal effects will virtually always push a self-managed detoxifying addict back into the streets in search of a fix. Herein lies the truth; the longer the user can stay in drug rehab, the better. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and addiction specialists almost always recommend long-term treatment for methamphetamine.
