Crystal Meth according to the Coalition against Drug Abuse, has surpassed cocaine as the recreational drug of choice among young people. It is a stimulant so named because of the crystalline form that it becomes after being manufactured. Meth is most often smoked but can also be injected or taken in pill form.
Signs and Symptoms
There are a number of signs and symptoms of meth addiction, including dilated pupils, weight loss, eye twitching, loss of appetite, repetitious behavior, and hyperactivity. Users of the drug can stay awake for days and then, after the inevitable crash, stay asleep for days. Meth can cause rotted teeth and sores about the mouth and face.
The long term effects of meth addiction include brain damage, skin abscesses, blindness, respiratory failure, kidney failure, chest pain, internal bleeding, brittle bones and malnutrition. There are also a number of psychological effects involving psychosis, paranoia, aggressive behavior, mood instability, delusions, suicidal thoughts and schizophrenia. These conditions are caused by sleep deprivation, brain damage, and over stimulation.
Treatments
The first step for treatment of crystal meth addiction is to cut off the supply of the drug and to allow the patient to go into withdraw, a painful experience that requires a rehab center and/or the support of friends and family. Since the desire for the drug will still be present, even after the withdraw phase is completed, some effort is made to address some of the underlining causes of the addiction. These can include depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. Medication and psychotherapy is used to treat these conditions and to prevent the patient from having a relapse and returning to meth use. However the fact of the matter is that crystal meth has the highest relapse rate of any recreational drug.
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