If any of these symptoms sound familiar, it may be time to get help for meth addiction. Meth use affects the portion of the brain that controls rational thinking and emotional response, so it can trigger imbalances that lead to paranoia. Meth is a stimulant that increases your energy and suppresses your appetite to trigger weight loss. But the weight loss caused by meth is normally due to malnutrition, stress, and other adverse physiological factors. Extreme weight loss that happens suddenly or gradually over time can indicate meth addiction. Meth users may see disturbing images and people who aren’t there, hear phantom sounds and voices, and smell odors that don’t exist.
More clinical trials with people who abuse METH heavily and more studies in animal models of heavy METH use are warranted. The finding of increased odds of methamphetamine use among adults with lower socioeconomic indicators underscores the importance of recovery support services and linkage to social service providers. In 2019, about 50% of METH users suffered from MUD, including 19,000 adolescents and 125,000 young adults (Fig. 1A, B) 8. Among people aged 12 to 25, the percentage with a past-year MUD remained relatively stable between 2015 and 2019. Among adults aged 26 or older, the percentage with a past-year MUD increased from 0.3% (or 539,000 people) in 2016 to 0.4% (or 904,000 people) in 2019 (Fig.1B) 8.
Online Therapy Can Help
It accounted for 15% of deaths in 2017 and 50% of those deaths also involved an opioid 17. Almost two decades have passed since the last methamphetamine (METH) abuse epidemic. In recent years, METH abuse in the United States has been rapidly increasing and is currently one of the leading causes of death in our country. Available statistical data indicates re-emergence of METH popularity and suggest an impending third epidemic of METH abuse.
Clinical Presentation
Meth labs are an environmental hazard; the byproducts of cooking meth contaminate their surroundings with harmful fumes that could combust at any time. Many people that cook meth suffer from severe health problems, including asthma, insomnia, tremor, and delusions. Even living in a residence that was once a former meth lab can be detrimental to an individual’s health, as residual chemicals can remain on surfaces in the home for months to years after. Heat stroke, heart attack, and seizures can occur if someone takes too much of the drug.
Tooth Loss and Decay (Meth Mouth)
Use our rehab directory to find nearby meth addiction treatment in your area. For those who are using meth and are not ready to stop, harm reduction methods are often recommended. These strategies include testing drugs for contaminants before use, cleaning and sterilizing injection needles, and taking smaller amounts of meth. Avoiding the use of more than one drug at a time is another strategy that can reduce the risk of overdose.
As part of the Matrix Model therapy, families are encouraged to actively participate in the recovery of their loved one. The Matrix model therapy has been effective in reducing METH use and craving during treatment and has shown somewhat better retention and abstinence rates than other behavioral interventions 74. Specifically, when investigated as an independent intervention, the Matrix model therapy reduced METH use and improved craving management and control 98. When combined with drug court supervision, the therapy improved retention and abstinence rates in individuals with MUD 99. Two studies that compared Matrix model with treatment-as-usual reported a reduction in METH use, risky behaviors and more days of abstinence for 18 months 100, 101.
Neurologic/Brain Signs of Methamphetamine Abuse
- How you’ll feel off the drug depends largely on how often you use it and at what doses.
- Various non-pharmacological approaches have effectively reduced METH use in study participants, with CM producing the strongest effect.
- Similar to rTMS, tDCS significantly reduced METH craving and increased executive functions compared to controls , lasting throughout the treatment and at least up to 1-month post-treatment 114, despite differences in experimental conditions.
- Nevertheless, there is evidence for CM decreasing METH use months post-treatment 88.
A person addicted to meth will experience a wide range of withdrawal symptoms upon quitting meth abruptly or reducing use. Common meth withdrawal symptoms include night sweats, weight gain, fatigue, suicidal ideation, and drug cravings. The majority of meth withdrawal symptoms are psychological and can be safely and effectively treated at a Meth addiction meth addiction treatment center.
Some medications tested in clinical trials had dual actions, e.g., as monoamine stimulators and antidepressants. They included medications targeting opioid, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or the cholinergic system. As aforementioned, the glutamatergic system plays a key role in MUD; consequently, several glutamatergic ligands have been evaluated for their efficacy to treat MUD as well. According to the 2020 United Nations World Drug Report, around 27 million people worldwide (corresponding to 0.5% of the adult population) used amphetamines, including METH, amphetamine, and pharmaceutical stimulants, in the past year.
- In both approaches, METH entry into the brain is reduced because immunoglobulins are too large to cross the blood-brain barrier.
- You may use meth to make sex more pleasurable or to lower your inhibitions.
- If indicated, treatment with medications for opioid use disorder should be recommended.
- The amount of METH consumed is ~1.5 times greater with binge users than with chronic users of the drug.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 100,000 people died of drug overdose in the United States in 2021, a figure that is increasing significantly every year.
1.7. Emerging Non-pharmacological Treatments for Methamphetamine Use Disorder
If not treated immediately, an overdose can result in organ failure and possibly even death. Always call 911 or go to the hospital if you or a loved one has signs of a meth overdose. The risks of overdose are higher when you mix the drug with opioids or other stimulants such as cocaine, ecstasy, or amphetamines. Your withdrawal symptoms will be strongest during the first 24 hours or so and typically last about 7-10 days.
† Binge drinking and nicotine dependence reported within the past month; all other substances are within the past year. All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Wilson M. Compton reports long-term stock holdings in General Electric Co., 3M Companies, and Pfizer, Inc., outside the submitted work. The chances you’ll take too much meth are higher if you inject meth, but harmful or life-threatening health problems can happen no matter what method you use. The powerful rush you get from using meth makes it easy to get hooked right from the start.
2. History of Methamphetamine Use
An independent, multistage area probability sample design for each state and the District of Columbia allows for production of national and state estimates. The average overall weighted response rate for the 2015–2018 NSDUHs was 51%. NSDUH variables included sex, age, race/ethnicity, urbanization status of county, education, annual household income, insurance status, and self-reported substance use, mental illness status, and receipt of substance use treatment.
Long-Term Risks of Meth Addiction
You may have similar symptoms, but they’re usually less intense and chaotic. You may also get bruises around the injection sites or have trouble with blood flow through injured veins. You probably won’t be able to tell if the drug you take has dangerous stuff in it, so try to buy meth from someone you trust. After the high wears off, you may start to feel bad physically and emotionally. These negative feelings may equal the intensity of your high but in the opposite way. Crystal meth is often made with a common cold medicine ingredient called pseudoephedrine, which helps ease congestion.
Your costs will depend on the type of health insurance you have and what facilities or services your provider covers. Using meth can also put the person at risk for a drug overdose, which is when the person consumes too much of a particular drug, resulting in a toxic reaction that causes severe symptoms or death. Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as meth, speed, or crack, is a powerful stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. While some drugs slow down the body, meth speeds it up by triggering a burst of energy and an intense rush of euphoria.
