Crystal Meth Addiction

• Crystal meth is an extremely addictive synthetic drug.
• Most crystal meth is made at home with ingredients found in over-the-counter cold and asthma medicines (processed ephedrine or pseudo-ephedrine).
• Crystal meth stimulates the central nervous system and works directly on the brain and spinal cord by interfering with healthy neurotransmission.
• Crystal meth is a slang term for methamphetamine, also sometimes referred to as meth.
• Crystal meth has stimulant properties similar to that of adrenaline and is the most potent type of amphetamine available today.
• Crystal meth comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, injected, or orally ingested.

Crystal Meth Use

The artificial pleasurable feeling created by crystal meth use is stored in the user's subconscious. Though it is rare that the initial pleasurable rush or high is ever duplicated, this subconscious memory creates the desire to use more crystal meth in order to recreate the feelings of the initial experience. Many people use methamphetamine to lose weight due to its appetite suppressant properties but others use it in a binge-and-crash pattern. The pleasurable effects of crystal meth disappear before the drug concentration in the blood falls significantly, leading users to take more of the drug to try to maintain the high feeling. Some users avoid food and sleep while continuing abuse for up to several days. They call this a run. There are many negative consequences of long-term crystal meth abuse, including addiction.

Crystal Meth Addiction Risks

Numerous serious physical problems are associated with crystal meth use. The drug can cause:

• Increased blood pressure
• Rapid heart rate
• Damage to the small blood vessels in the brain which can lead to stroke
• Chronic use of the drug can result in inflammation of the heart lining
• Overdoses can cause hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), convulsions, and death
• The drug can produce psychotic symptoms that persist for months or years after an individual has stopped using the drug.

Crystal meth users may also experience: Episodes of violent behavior, paranoia, anxiety, confusion, insomnia

Crystal methamphetamine users who inject the drug expose themselves to additional risks, including: Contracting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), hepatitis B and C, and other lood-borne viruses.

Chronic crystal meth users who inject methamphetamine also risk: scarred or collapsed veins, infections of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and liver or kidney disease.

Please contact us and allow us to introduce you to our medically supervised drug detox program complete with 24 hour nursing. Let Lakeview Health help you. We will treat your crystal meth addiction to help you get safely drug-free at our comfortable and serene lakeside addiction treatment facility. Call us toll-free: 1-800-884-1727. All calls are strictly confidential.