How methamphetamine detox works

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that stimulates your central nervous system. In 2011, about 5.9 million people over the age of 26, in the US alone, had taken methamphetamine at some point in their life. Meth has gotten a lot of media coverage over the years. It seems we keep hearing about an illegal meth lab that has exploded due to the chemicals used, or seeing the famous Faces of Meth collected and advertised by The Meth Project. But, how does meth create such a terrible change within a person, and what exactly does it do to your body?

Physical and Mental Addiction to Methamphetamine

Most drugs affect the brain in a way that encourages addiction. Some addiction is mostly psychological. Some addiction is mainly physical. Meth addiction is often both psychological and physical. Using methamphetamine floods the brain with the chemical dopamine. This chemical tells your body that it is doing something good – or has accomplished something pleasant. After flooding the brain with this pleasure chemical, it then stops the chemical from absorbing back into the system. When you experience reward or pleasure without a drug, your brain is releasing this chemical, then absorbing it, then releasing it back into the system again as a natural process. But meth stops the absorption process, so the feeling of pleasure is even more intense than you would normally experience naturally. Addicts pursue this intense high. Using the drug over and over again can actually change the structure and function of the brain. The physical effects of meth are extremely negative. Because it is a stimulant, it increases heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure which can lead to heart attacks, seizures or strokes. Use of meth can also lead to hyperthermia (abnormally high body temperature). Additionally, the drug itself is so bad for the body that it can cause dental decay and infections in the lining of your lungs, kidney, or liver. Even with these effects, those addicted to the drug will keep taking it because of the intense physical craving they experience for the drug. A person can become addicted to this drug after only one use. How fast they become addicted depends on their emotional state, their genetic structure, and their physical health.

Short and Long-Term Effects of Methamphetamine

Some of the effects of methamphetamine use:

• Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature
• Nausea
• Appetite reduction or loss
• Malnutrition and weight loss
• Depression
• Insomnia and disturbed sleep patterns
• Liver, kidney, and lung damage
• Extreme tooth decay
• Apathy
• Brain damage
• Stroke
• Epilepsy
• Short or long term memory loss
• Violent and bizarre behavior
• Hallucinations
• Panic attacks
• Convulsions and seizures
• Psychosis

Death After a high is reached when using meth, the user can experience a severe crash or breakdown. Additionally, meth is a stimulant, so while taking it a user can experience insomnia, but the insomnia can actually continue after the crash. Lack of sleep has its own set of side effects and symptoms including extreme irritability, depression, and psychotic episodes.

Medical Methamphetamine Detox

The process of withdrawing from meth can be extremely uncomfortable. The former user becomes depressed, loses energy and loses his or her ability to feel pleasure. Other withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, paranoia, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts. The most effective method of detoxing from meth is to get involved in an inpatient treatment program which features tightly monitored medical detox. This type of detox is designed to make the person withdrawing more comfortable utilizing medication, nutrition, and therapy to help them through the withdrawal process. The end result of a medical detox is a completely drug-free individual. It is also extremely important to continue rehab after detox in order to address the root causes of the addiction using therapy, support groups, and other means.

Sources:

www.DrugAbuse.gov
www.MethProject.org
www.DrugFreeWorld.com