A Close Look at the Changes Methamphetamine Use Can Bring
Methamphetamine, also known as meth or in some cases, crystal meth, is classified as an illegal stimulant that directly impacts the body’s central nervous system. Methamphetamine can wreak havoc not just on users’ bodies but also on their minds. Due to the intense and extreme nature of methamphetamine, it is important to understand some of the top transformations that commonly take place when an individual begins to use the substance.
What Is Methamphetamine?
Typically, methamphetamine is classified as a stimulant that is a derivative of amphetamine, which can be found in a variety of medications, including inhalers and decongestants. In most instances, methamphetamine appears odorless and white and comes in the form of a powder that can be dissolved in either alcohol or a water-based substance.
Effects of Methamphetamine
When an individual begins using methamphetamine, they may immediately feel a rush of euphoria as dopamine is released in the brain and throughout the body. Methamphetamines cause an increase in brain activity, which results in hyperactive behaviors, such as talking too much, a reduced appetite, and the ability to stay awake for extended periods, even days at a time.
Usage of Meth in the United States
The usage of methamphetamines is on the rise around the country and in most parts of the developed world. Fatal overdoses among Americans 18 to 64 involving mostly methamphetamine, along with other psychostimulants, soared from 5,526 in 2015 to a whopping 15,489 in 2019.
Among Alaskan Natives and non-Hispanic American Indians, deaths related to methamphetamine usage more than quadrupled between 2011 and 2018. Those who use methamphetamine are nearly twice as likely to suffer from at least two chronic medical conditions.
Signs and Symptoms of a Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD)
Knowing how to effectively identify the potential signs and symptoms of someone who is struggling with MUD, or methamphetamine use disorder, is essential if you intend to get them the help they need. While an individual who uses methamphetamine sporadically may be able to conceal their habit, it is not always possible for frequent users to do the same. Understanding the signs and symptoms of a meth use disorder is imperative for anyone who intends to work with and help those with this destructive habit.
Physical Signs of Methamphetamine Use
Noticeable signs that someone is using methamphetamine include:
- Tremors and shakiness: Feeling shaky and experiencing tremors is not uncommon in those who use methamphetamines, even if they have done so for the first time. Because amphetamines directly impact the body’s central nervous system, shakiness and tremors are common in those with lower tolerances to the substance.
- Hyperactivity: This is another telltale sign of methamphetamine usage, even in those who are new to using the substance. Excessive moving, pacing, and the inability to rest, sleep, or stop talking can also be indicators of amphetamine in the system.
- Increased sex drive: It is not uncommon for those who use methamphetamine to feel an increased sex drive, even if they have recently experienced sexual intercourse.
- Rapid breathing: Noticeable rapid breathing may also be present in an individual who has taken too much methamphetamine.
- Sweating: Individuals who are using methamphetamine are more likely to experience intense and unintentional sweating.
- Scratching: Someone under the influence of methamphetamine or experiencing withdrawal may scratch at their skin. In some cases, the scratching is due to feeling as if bugs or other creatures are crawling beneath the skin.
- Nausea/Vomiting: A methamphetamine user may feel nauseated. In extreme cases, vomiting may also occur.
- Hyperthermia: In rare and extreme cases when using meth, it is also possible to experience hyperthermia or a drastic rise in body temperature, in a short time.
- Enlarged pupils: Whenever an individual is exposed to methamphetamine, the pupils of their eyes are likely to enlarge. In extreme instances, this condition is referred to as “meth pupils.”
- Cardiovascular issues: An irregular or increased heart rate is also common in those who use methamphetamine. In some cases, it is also possible to experience a significant spike in blood pressure when exposed to methamphetamine, especially in those with preexisting conditions.
Mental and Cognitive Signs of Methamphetamine Use
In addition to knowing which physical signs to watch for in someone you believe is using methamphetamine, there are behavioral signs that are likely to manifest, such as:
- Unusual levels of excitement: Noticing unusual levels of excitement and hyperactivity that do not align with a loved one’s original personality can be an indicator of the presence of drugs such as methamphetamine.
- Irritability: Increased levels of irritability and anxiety may also be more noticeable in individuals who are using methamphetamine or who no longer have access to the substance and are displaying withdrawal symptoms.
- Talkativeness: Noticing that someone is talking much more than usual may be a sign that they are under the influence of a stimulant such as methamphetamine.
- Psychosis episodes: Those who are experiencing significant withdrawal symptoms from not using methamphetamine after developing a tolerance or addiction are also prone to experiencing psychosis or other conditions that bring on visual and auditory hallucinations. Seeing, hearing, or even feeling things and objects that do not exist in reality are all signs of psychosis due to methamphetamine.
Long-Term Effects of Methamphetamine Usage
Methamphetamine wreaks havoc on a person’s body, mind, and life, and it can do so in a short time, especially with heavy usage. Those who use methamphetamine regularly commonly experience both tweaking and crashing episodes.
What Is Tweaking?
Tweaking, in terms of methamphetamine usage, is classified as a “binge episode,” when a methamphetamine user may be awake and using the drug for days on end. In most tweaking episodes, an individual will not stop to sleep, eat, or tend to their body’s needs. During an episode of tweaking, a meth user may exhibit the following signs and symptoms:
- Extreme hyperactivity: Individuals experiencing a tweaking episode will find it increasingly difficult to sit down, relax, or remain calm.
- Increased sex drive: An uncontrollable sex drive may also be prevalent during tweaking episodes.
- Irritability: Irritability will likely skyrocket due to an individual’s inability to sleep, rest, or relax at any point during their current episode.
- Outbursts: Depending on the individual and the severity of their addiction, violent or loud outbursts are also commonplace.
- Insomnia: The inability to sleep is often present among those who are tweaking. This can quickly wreak havoc on the mind and psyche.
- Psychosis: It is much more likely that an individual who is tweaking will experience hallucinations or psychosis.
- Self-Harm: Unfortunately, those with serious and life-threatening addictions to methamphetamine also have an increased risk of self-harm while tweaking.
What Is Crashing?
Once an individual begins to come down from their “tweaking” episode while using methamphetamine, their body and brain will respond to a lack of dopamine and a loss of the euphoria they first felt when using the substance. This is typically referred to as “crashing.” It can include a variety of methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms, which are likely to worsen during the withdrawal process, including:
- Anxiety and irritability: Extreme anxiety and irritability are likely to be present when someone is crashing after a binge on methamphetamine.
- Exhaustion: Those who have not slept in days may find themselves utterly exhausted once they are crashing.
- Depression: Intense feelings of depression, sadness, and overall hopelessness may present while an individual’s mind and body begin to reset themselves in terms of regulated dopamine production.
- Cravings: A person may experience intense cravings for amphetamines after using methamphetamine for days or weeks at a time.
- Psychosis: While coming down from a tweaking episode and withdrawing, some symptoms of psychosis may appear, depending on the severity of the individual’s usage before the crash.
Top Meth Transformations
Methamphetamine addiction is life-threatening and should always be taken seriously, especially if you know someone who is addicted to any type of amphetamine. Understanding some of the most prevalent top meth transformations can help you identify when it is time to seek treatment for yourself or a loved one.
Skin
Skin changes are often the most noticeable and dramatic transformations in those who use methamphetamine regularly. Even individuals who have used methamphetamine for only a few weeks or few months will begin to notice the development of small sores and scars that typically directly alter the appearance of the face. Most often, scarring and sores result from incessant scratching due to hallucinations involving the sensation of bugs underneath the skin.
Gums and Teeth
Another noticeable meth transformation in individuals who use amphetamines regularly involves the appearance of their teeth and gums. Due to the harmful chemicals typically involved in the process of creating methamphetamine, an individual’s gums will be directly impacted and shrink. Over time, this will increase the rate of tooth decay, resulting in gum disease or the loss of teeth entirely.
Continued use of methamphetamine will also decrease the overall production of saliva. This permits more harmful chemicals and acids to seep into the gums, contributing to the damage and decay of the gums and teeth in a few short years or even a matter of months. Grinding the teeth can also occur with methamphetamine addiction.
It is also important to note that poor oral hygiene is often a common sign associated with a serious addiction to methamphetamine, and this can also speed the decay of one’s teeth and gum health.
Fat and Facial Muscles
Due to a decreased appetite and increased hyperactivity, those who are addicted to methamphetamine are less likely to consume a healthy diet. This can ultimately result in loss of facial fat and musculature over a short period. As the individual stops eating or consuming the nutrients they require to sustain themselves, the body starts consuming its muscle tissue, oftentimes including facial fat. This process will typically result in a caved-in or hollowed-out jaw appearance.
If you or someone you know is currently struggling with a meth addiction, treatment is only a phone call or email away. To learn more about methamphetamine treatment programs, get in touch with our caring team at the free 24/7 National Rehab Hotline. Call us today to learn more about your options for finding the most suitable inpatient or outpatient treatment program.