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The Signs Someone Is on Meth

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There are many signs that are exhibited when someone is on meth, and it is important to help out if you suspect a loved one is abusing methamphetamine. Meth is an extremely powerful and highly addictive stimulant that affects a person’s central nervous system. Meth is a highly addictive drug that can have a powerful effect on a person’s mind and body, and there are many physical tell-tale signs that develop as a result of meth addiction. Although meth abuse often leads to addiction, it is possible to overcome a meth addiction through seeking recovery and undergoing rehabilitation. See Purpose is an incredible facility for those suffering from substance abuse problems to make a full and meaningful recovery.

 

What Is Meth?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), meth is a highly addictive stimulant that can cause addiction in as little as one use in some users. Addiction occurs so easily with meth because a person on meth experiences a rush of dopamine produced by the drug, stimulating the brain and causing a highly pleasurable feeling that a person will aim to replicate over and over again. Meth addiction is really powerful and comes on very quickly. Many people who take meth end up taking the drug again and again throughout a very short duration of time due to the effect it has on their brain, and this can cause a tolerance to build up rather quickly. This means that it will require a person to need higher and higher doses of meth in order to achieve the same initial high they felt the first time they took the drug.

 

If a person tries to stop using meth, the withdrawal symptoms can be so unbearable that a quick relapse is common. Some withdrawal symptoms include severe anxiety, depression, insomnia, and extreme fatigue, and this debilitation may lead a person to start abusing meth again just to get rid of these symptoms. The issue with meth is that once this cycle begins, it truly starts to overtake a person’s life in an extreme way that is difficult to resolve without undergoing rehabilitation. Fortunately, there is help out there and there is a way to recover from meth abuse.

 

Common Signs Someone Is on Meth

The first sign someone is on meth is, as with many addictions, a sudden loss of interest in areas of life that were once important to the person. Meth addiction will start to take precedent to any prior hobbies, activities, relationships, schoolwork, or career goals. Although many people will attempt to hide their drug use, the more someone uses meth the more physical symptoms arise that will make it increasingly clear that the person is abusing meth.

 

According to the NIH, signs of meth use include hyperactivity, twitching, paranoia, noticeable and sudden weight loss, skin sores and itching, rotting teeth, burns on the lips or fingers, outbursts or mood swings, and more. Another telling sign someone is on meth is when they are ‘tweaking’. Tweaking is when, at the end of a drug binge, when a person can no longer achieve a rush or a high from the meth and this brings about irritation and desperation that will look like severe paranoia, irritability, confusion, hallucinations, and potentially violent behavior. Lastly, another sign someone is on meth is during what’s called a ‘crash phrase’. This is when the body becomes deprived of the dopamine high that it was previously experiencing, and this causes extreme exhaustion that can last several days. During this time, a person will experience extreme fatigue that will bring on long periods of sleep, intense cravings, and depression.

 

Recovering From a Meth Addiction

 

Addiction to methamphetamine can be treated through behavioral therapies, and the most effective treatments so far are behavioral therapies. This includes cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps patients recognize, avoid, and cope with situations that trigger meth abuse, and motivational incentives, which uses vouchers or small rewards to patients who remain drug-free. There is continued research for developing medications and potential vaccines for treating meth abuse that will hopefully be helpful down the line for someone suffering from methamphetamine addiction.

 

The NIH also concludes that people can and do recover from meth addiction if they have access to effective treatments that address the medical and personal problems that result from long-term meth abuse. Come visit See Purpose, a drug treatment center located in Indiana, for help recovering from your addiction today. 

 

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