METHAMPHETAMINE:
Destroyer Of Minds
Methamphetamine releases high levels
of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, enhancing mood
and body movement. It also appears to have a neurotoxic effect, damaging brain
cells that contain dopamine and serotonin, another neurotransmitter. Over time,
methamphetamine appears to cause reduced levels of dopamine, which can result
in symptoms like those of Parkinson’s disease, a severe movement disorder.
Methamphetamine is taken orally or intranasally (snorting the powder), by intravenous
injection, and by smoking. Immediately after smoking or intravenous injection,
the methamphetamine user experiences an intense sensation, called a “rush”
or “flash,” that lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely
pleasurable. Oral or intranasal use produces euphoria - a high, but not a rush.
Users may become addicted quickly, and use it with increasing frequency and
in increasing doses.
Animal research going back more than 20 years shows that high doses of methamphetamine
damage neuron cell-endings. Dopamine- and serotonin-containing neurons do not
die after methamphetamine use, but their nerve endings (“terminals”)
are cut back and re-growth appears to be limited.
(Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse, http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofax/methamphetamine.html)
Methamphetamine is commonly
known as speed, meth, chalk, Christina or Tina. In its smoked form it is often
referred to as ice, crystal, crank, and glass. It is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting
crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.
The drug is made easily in clandestine laboratories with relatively inexpensive
over-the-counter ingredients. These factors combine to make methamphetamine
a drug with high potential for widespread abuse.
Methamphetamine’s chemical structure is similar to that of amphetamine,
but it has more pronounced effects on the central nervous system. Like amphetamine,
it causes increased activity, decreased appetite, and a general sense of well-being.
The effects of methamphetamine can last 6 to 8 hours. After the initial “rush”
or “flash,” there is typically a state of high agitation that in
some individuals can lead to violent behavior.
Methamphetamine users can be identified by:
• Signs of agitation
• Excited speech
• Loss of appetite
• Increased physical activity levels
• Dilated pupils
• High blood pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Occasional episodes of sudden and violent behavior
Methamphetamine users who inject the drug and share needles are at risk for
acquiring HIV/AIDS.
Methamphetamine is an increasingly popular drug at raves (all night dancing
parties), and as part of a number of drugs used by college-aged students. Marijuana
and alcohol are commonly listed as additional drugs of abuse among methamphetamine
treatment admissions.
Most of the methamphetamine-related deaths (92%) reported in 1994 involved methamphetamine
in combination with at least one other drug, most often alcohol (30%), heroin
(23%), or cocaine (21%).
The most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction are cognitive behavioral
interventions. These approaches are designed to help modify the person’s
thinking, expectancies, and behaviors and to increase skills in coping with
various life stressors.
Family-focused prevention efforts have been found to have a greater impact than
strategies that focus on parents only or children/adolescents only.
Support groups also appear to be helpful, along with behavioral interventions,
to long-term drug-free recovery. To find support groups and other helping resources
in your area, go to the Directory of Family Help in the U.S. and Canada.
To learn more about methamphetamine
and other drugs of abuse, contact the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and
Drug Information (NCADI) at 1-800-729-6686. Information can be accessed also
through the NIDA World Wide Web site (http://www.nida.nih.gov/)
or the NCADI Web site (http://www.health.org/
Need help for your teen? Call FocusAS 410-341-4342 or 1-877-362-8727.
