Addiction to any drug can have horrible side effects, but using methamphetamine is particularly self-defeating. Meth is a potent stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Immediately after ingesting the drug, users feel a rush of alertness, energy and pleasure. This euphoria, caused by a surge of dopamine, is the primary reason for using the drug. However, prolonged use eventually destroys the dopamine receptors in the brain, making it impossible for the user to feel any pleasure at all, with or without the drug. Rather than euphoria, chronic users experience only paranoia, anxiety and aggression. The most severe results of meth use are delusion, psychosis, hallucination and possibly death.
Some people, particularly women, begin taking methamphetamines for appetite suppression. However much thinness is valued in today’s culture, though, the appearance of a chronic meth user is far from attractive. Meth causes blood vessels to shrink throughout the body, wreaking havoc on all your organs, but particularly your skin and teeth. A meth addict’s skin is often covered with acne and sores. Ulcers and abcesses result from constant picking at the skin, caused by the sensation of bugs crawling under the surface. “Meth mouth,” in which teeth rot, break and fall out, can occur after only a few months of use.
Methamphetamine is one of the most addictive drugs, and one of the hardest to recover from. It stays in t...
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