What Are Some Common Crystal Meth Drug Addiction Symptoms?
Crystal meth drug addiction symptoms result from ingesting the substance crystal meth either by smoking, snorting, or injecting it. Repeated use may lead to damaging, long-lasting effects on both your mind and your body.
Common Short-Term Crystal Meth Drug Addiction Symptoms
Hyperthermia- A feeling of euphoria
- Increased respiration
- Increased attention
- Increased talkativeness
- Tremors
- Stroke
- Confusion
- Paranoia
- Mood disturbances
- Delusions
- Auditory hallucination
- Violent behavior
- Psychological addiction
- Decreased appetite
- Rapid heartbeat
- Irregular heartbeat
- Decreased fatigue
- Increased activity
- Increased wakefulness
Common Long-Term Crystal Meth Drug Addiction Symptoms
| – Addiction | – Increased distractibility |
| – Paranoia | – Memory loss |
| – Hallucinations | – Aggressive or violent behavior |
| – Repetitive motor activity | – Mood disturbances |
| – Brain structure and function changes | – Severe dental problems |
| – Deficits in thinking and motor skills | – Weight loss |
Warning Signs
If you’re concerned that a loved one may be addicted to crystal meth, look for the warning signs. Many addicts will compulsively pick at their skin. Skin picking can become an obsession that can lead to open wounds and scratches on the face. These wounds and scratches can eventually become permanent scars.
Another warning sign of crystal meth addiction is formication. Formication is a disorder in which a person feels as though their skin is crawling. In many cases, an addict will think that bugs or insects are crawling all over them.
Tooth decay is also a warning sign to look for. Tooth decay due to crystal meth addiction is referred to as meth mouth and can lead to some pretty painful and expensive dental appointments. Tooth decay is permanent and often requires dentures or bridges.
Crystal meth addicts may suffer from hair loss as well. Hair loss is a result of a lack of nutrients. Because crystal meth causes a decreased appetite, addicts rarely eat and deny their bodies of the nourishment it needs.
Effects on The Brain
Pleasure, increased energy, and elevated moods are just a few of the sensations that the drug crystal meth will produce. Crystal meth is able to create these feelings by its ability to release high levels of dopamine in your brain.
There are many pleasurable activities that naturally release dopamine in your brain. This can include food, sex, vacations, and so on. Crystal meth on the other hand releases almost twelve times the dopamine that these normal activities do.
When an individual continues to use crystal meth, their natural reserve of dopamine will start to become depleted. Not only will they have to continue to increase their dosage, their brains will have a harder time naturally releasing dopamine through normal pleasurable activities like mentioned above. This can lead to conditions like depression, anxiety, and many others.
Diseases and Other Dangers
Addicts who share needles to shoot crystal meth into their veins are much more likely to contract hepatitis, HIV, AIDS, or another dangerous disease. By using new needles or abstaining from the drug, you can greatly reduce your risk as well as others.
In addition to this, shooting crystal meth can also result in the scarring of veins, the collapsing of veins, the swelling of arteries, and the swelling needle injection areas as well. All of these conditions have the potential to result into an infection if the habit is not kicked or medical attention is not acquired.
If you notice a loved one experiencing any of these crystal meth drug addiction symptoms, it is important that they seek help from a medical professional who can help them to get clean.
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