Methamphetamine affects dopamine levels in the brain, causing a flood of the neurotransmitter that disrupts normal functioning. Dopamine is not only responsible for feeling pleasure, but also for motivation, movement, memory functions, learning, and reward processing. In short, meth makes a person feel good and makes them want to continue taking it to keep feeling this way.
Taking meth repeatedly can build up a tolerance to the drug that will then require a person to take higher doses more often to feel the same effects as before. It may become difficult to feel happy without meth, and withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, increased appetite, depression, and even psychosis can occur when it wears off. This is called drug dependence, which can form rather quickly with chronic meth abuse and even faster with binge use and escalating dosages.
Once dependence forms, changes are made in how the brain functions and to its chemical makeup and circuitry. Compulsive drug-seeking behaviors and a loss of the ability to control how much and how often meth is taken can occur. This inability to control meth use coupled with the changes made in the brain are some of the primary hallmarks of addiction.
Addiction can create a myriad of social, emotional, physical, and behavioral issues. When someone suffers from addiction to meth, getting the drug, using it, and recovering from it can consume them, and other activities take a backseat. Interpersonal relationships suffer as mood swings can be unpredictable, and the person may consistently shirk regular responsibilities and obligations. Grades and work output drop, and unemployment, financial strain, and homelessness can be the result of meth addiction. Meth abuse also leads to lowered inhibitions and an increase in risk-taking and possible suicidal behaviors.
Short-term side effects of meth abuse and addiction also include the potential for a life-threatening overdose. The effects on the heart and central nervous system can overwhelm the system and lead to seizures, heart attack, stroke, dangerously high body temperature, agitation, irregular heart rate, difficulties breathing, kidney failure, coma, and even death. When meth is mixed with other drugs, the likelihood of an adverse reaction and possible overdose increases greatly.
Side Effects of Meth Addiction and Long-Term Abuse
Long-term use of meth can cause significant damage to the brain and the cells that make dopamine as well as to the nerve cells containing serotonin. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) warns that chronic and prolonged meth exposure can damage as many as half of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain and potentially even more of the serotonin-containing nerve cells.
Individuals who use meth long-term can have severe cognitive and emotional issues, including:
- Aggressive behaviors
- Trouble with verbal learning and memory
- Violent outbursts
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Paranoia
- Confusion
- Distractibility
- Difficulties sleeping
- Movement, motor, and coordination issues
- Mood disturbances
- Visual and auditory hallucinations
- Delusions
Skin sores and infections from picking, tooth decay and “meth mouth,” significant and unhealthy weight loss, and an increased risk for contracting an infectious or sexually transmitted disease are common side effects of methamphetamine addiction. People who regularly inject the drug may suffer from collapsed veins and a higher risk for contracting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis. Snorting meth can damage sinus cavities and nasal passages, and lead to chronic nosebleeds and/or a perpetual runny nose. Smoking meth may lead to respiratory damage and lung complications.
NIDA reports that meth addiction can also possibly increase the risk for developing the nerve and movement disorder Parkinson’s disease. Psychotic symptoms, memory problems, and cognitive and emotional issues can persist for several years after stopping meth use, NIDA further warns. While some of the damage to the brain may be reversible with long-term abstinence from meth, some of the changes may be permanent.
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