Meth is a highly dangerous drug that has severe negative effects on the body. If you or someone you know uses this highly addictive drug, it can be a challenging and isolated battle. Chronic methamphetamine use can result in consequences that require professional help to address and overcome.
Long-Term Effects of Meth Use
Meth can seriously affect the physical and psychological aspects of a person. The drug affects how you think, feel, and function. It has lasting consequences which can worsen with continued use.
Cardiovascular Damage
Meth is a stimulant drug, which means it can cause your heart and blood vessels to work harder. The increased heart rate and blood pressure can take a toll on your cardiovascular systems and put you at risk of cardiovascular damage. Abusing meth can make you more prone to heart attacks or strokes, even if you are a generally healthy person.
Cardiovascular damage as a result of using methamphetamine can also look like constant chest pain. You may constantly feel like your heart is racing, which can sometimes be a life-threatening situation.
Organ Damage
Abusing meth can also overwork organs in your body. The liver and the kidney are two organs that are seriously affected when you continue abusing meth. The liver is responsible for processing the toxic chemicals in the drug. If you keep taking meth, your liver will work harder and may be prone to failure or other complications.
On the other hand, kidney damage results from the dehydration and overheating that happens when you abuse meth. Your kidneys may be unable to handle these processes if they keep happening, resulting in kidney failure.
Mental Health Problems
Meth can have negative effects on the central nervous system, which means it’s going to affect how your brain functions. You may start to feel more on edge whenever you are on the drug. Over time, the effects on the body will cause more serious mental health problems that require a whole different treatment approach.
For example, people who repeatedly abuse meth may experience paranoia and hallucination whenever they take the drug. These effects can be very dangerous because they can lead to violent and erratic behaviour.
Meth Mouth
Meth mouth refers to the dental health problems you may experience when taking meth. When you’ve been using meth for a long time, you tend to neglect your overall health. This may result in severe tooth decay and gum disease because you’ve failed to take care of your dental hygiene.
Respiratory Issues
The respiratory system can also bear the damage of long-term meth abuse. When you smoke crystal meth, your lungs will also eventually decline in health. Some respiratory problems that may happen after using meth for a long time include persistent coughing, difficulty breathing, and other respiratory infections.
Weight Loss
Weight loss is one of the more noticeable long-term effects of abusing meth. It’s a result of the suppressed appetite and metabolic changes that come with abusing the drug.
When you continuously abuse meth, you may eventually feel like not feeling like eating anything at all. Weight loss isn’t just physical; remember that this effect can result in being underweight and experiencing severe nutritional deficiencies.
Sores and Scabs
One side effect of abusing meth is “meth mites,” the feeling of bugs crawling on you even when they aren’t. This side effect can cause you to scratch your skin continuously, causing sores and scabs to form.
Sores and scabs may also result from injecting meth into the body. It’s especially common in people who use unsterilized needles to inject the drug. Track marks along the veins and tissue damage also result from abusing meth this way.
Social and Financial Consequences
The long-term consequences of abusing meth aren’t just physical. Using the drug also has a social and financial effect on your life. For example, drug use can make you more aggressive towards your loved ones, or you might even isolate yourself from the people close to you. This can cause relationships to be rocky since you aren’t able to communicate well with them anymore.
Wanting to keep purchasing meth can also have financial consequences. You may be in debt or be bankrupt from spending a lot of money to continue taking the drug. Problems with the law may also arise if you start engaging in risky behavior whenever you abuse meth.
Severe Long-Term Effects of Meth Use
Meth abuse can also cause more severe long-term effects, and these can become life-threatening. The effects of methamphetamine below should be treated as a medical concern, and a professional is needed to help manage them.
Overdose
An overdose happens when you take a very high dose of the drug to the point that your body can’t process it anymore. Chronic users will eventually develop a tolerance to meth, which means they need higher doses to achieve the same effect. Taking a higher dose to feel the same effects doesn’t mean your body can handle it.
Some signs that you’re experiencing a meth overdose include chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, and seizures. This is a medical emergency – you should always call for emergency services right away if you suspect an overdose. Immediate help can save someone’s life and prevent lasting physical and neurological damage.
Addiction
Meth is a highly addictive drug, and even just one use can result in addiction. Addiction is when you start to have a compulsive need to keep taking the drug despite the harmful consequences. When you don’t get your hands on the drug right away, you may start feeling depressed or irritable. Recovery from meth addiction is very challenging, and it will require intensive treatment.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal happens when you try stopping or reducing your meth intake after being dependent on it for such a long time. During meth withdrawal, you may feel very agitated or fatigued; this is one of the most common withdrawal symptoms as well as having intense cravings for the drug.
This side effect is why many people find it so difficult to quit using meth. They can be physically and emotionally painful, and without professional support, the risk of relapse stays high.
What Is Meth?
Meth is a highly addictive stimulant drug. This substance can make you feel more euphoric and alert when you take it. It’s a lab-grown drug, which means that it has a combination of toxic and often dangerous chemicals. The possibility of taking meth that’s laced with other harmful substances is also very high.
The drug can be smoked, snorted, or injected. Although the way of taking the drug doesn’t necessarily change the drug’s addictive nature, it can somehow affect how quickly it impacts brain function. Oftentimes, injecting or smoking meth can cause a more intense high with more dangerous effects.
What Does Meth Do to Your Brain?
When you take meth, your brain is flooded with dopamine. This is the neurotransmitter that’s associated with pleasure and reward. Having these higher levels of dopamine in the brain can feel very good, and it’s what produces the “high” that comes with taking meth.
The rush of dopamine can be so appealing that you may want to use the drug again. However, giving in to using will create the same effects, and eventually, you’ll end up in a very dangerous cycle. Doing this repeatedly can make you more dependent on meth to experience pleasure.
Abusing meth will also damage dopamine receptors. You may even end up in a state of anhedonia, which is when you don’t feel pleasure from everyday activities anymore. This cycle can lead you to take more meth just to try and restore the feelings of happiness you once experienced when you first used the drug.
Signs of a Meth Addiction
People who abuse meth will typically show different signs and symptoms that they’re addicted to the drug. These signs include:
- A compulsive need to use the drug even if it has negative consequences.
- Isolating or withdrawing from loved ones.
- Neglecting responsibilities just to keep using meth.
- A sudden change in behavior and mood, such as being more energetic and aggressive.
- Erratic sleeping patterns.
- Twitching and involuntary, jerky movements.
- Reduced appetite.
When to Get Help for Meth Use
It’s time to get help for meth use as soon as you think you’re dependent or addicted to the drug. The signs outlined in the previous section are just a few things to look out for when considering whether you should get help.
Even if you’re not necessarily addicted to meth, an unhealthy relationship with any drug already shows that it’s time to look for a way out. The journey to taking the first step and calling for help can be overwhelming. Sometimes, even admitting a problem means you are already taking the path in the right direction.
Treatment Options for Meth Addiction
If you struggle with meth addiction, there are different treatment options available so that you can live a healthier life. Here’s an overview of what’s available out there.
Detox
Detox is the first and most crucial part of the treatment process since it helps stabilize you for the next treatment steps. During detox, professionals will help you manage your withdrawal symptoms. It can be very difficult to go through meth withdrawal without the proper help, but medical professionals will be there to make everything go smoothly.
Rehab
Rehab is usually the next step after going to detox. This is when you go through intensive treatment to learn more about your addiction and successfully manage your symptoms. You can go through rehab while living inside a facility or sometimes at home.
People with more severe cases of addiction, however, are recommended to receive inpatient rehab first before transitioning into an outpatient setting. Once you’re done with inpatient rehab, outpatient care will allow you to balance treatment and other responsibilities.
Evidence-Based Therapies
Evidence-based therapies are scientifically proven, which means they have a good track record of being effective in helping manage addiction. One example of an evidence-based therapy used during addiction treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In this kind of therapy, you’ll work with a therapist to challenge harmful thoughts and behaviors so that you can develop healthy coping mechanisms to overcome them.
Holistic Therapies
In addition to evidence-based therapies, many rehab facilities will incorporate holistic approaches into treatment. Activities like yoga, mindfulness, art therapy, and nutritional counseling can help heal the whole person. They also open doors to possible interests and passions outside of addiction. A good combination of evidence-based therapies and holistic approaches offers a more well-rounded approach to recovery.
Support Groups
Support groups are when you meet with others to receive therapy or discuss your recovery journey. During support groups, you hear the stories of other people going through the same struggles as you. It’s a great way to learn new coping mechanisms and find a community that will help make you feel less alone while overcoming addiction.
Aftercare
Aftercare is equally important as the primary treatment itself. Addiction recovery doesn’t end when you leave the doors of the treatment facility. You’ll continue to face triggers and other challenges in everyday life, which shows the need for a proper aftercare program. These programs give you access to continued therapy and other support that will help you prevent relapse.
Start a Substance-Free Life with Us
Starting a life free from drugs can seem impossible when the effects of these substances have taken over your life. Even if things may seem hopeless, know that many people are willing to help.
At Luxe Recovery, we’re here to guide you throughout recovery. Our team has years of experience providing expert care for those struggling with addiction. We know that addiction can have serious effects on your well-being, so we approach each situation with compassion and empathy.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our team members today. We’ll always make sure there’s someone to pick up the phone or respond to your email so you can get the help you deserve.
