Last updated : November 25, 2024
If so, MethProject.org answers the most common questions about meth and provides answers in a very slick and engaging interactive site. The site and the organization are dedicated to stopping people from trying meth, even just once. That is because meth is one of the most addictive substances in the world. It creates a powerful high after initial use, followed by a severe crash. Users immediately seek out another hit to get out of the hole.
Methamphetamine, or “meth” for short, is a white or yellowish powder. Sometimes it is produced as a crystalline form, called crystal meth or ice. It can be snorted, smoked, injected or taken as a pill. Meth is a Schedule II
drug in the United States, meaning:
- the drug has a high potential for abuse,
- abuse of the drug may lead to severe psychological or
physical dependence, - it has very limited medical uses, monitored very closely
by medical professionals, - and recreational possession or use of the drug is illegal.
Our brains release dopamine to make us feel pleasure as a reward for doing things necessary for survival. Things like eating or having sex make give us a feeling of euphoria. Meth hijacks this system. It triggers a cascading release of dopamine. The user feels immense pleasure from using the drug. However, with each use, meth changes the user’s brain chemistry, making them less sensitive to pleasure from any source. Over time, the addict becomes unable to experience any pleasure or joy from anything other than meth. Eventually, even the high that used to come from the drug dwindles down to just a few moments of relief with each use, followed by long term misery.
The physical effects of meth are pretty obvious if you have ever seen a meth addict. Their hair is thinned out. Their teeth look like they are about rot out of their heads. Because meth makes the addict feel like there are bugs on or under their skin, the will scratch and pick at their skin all over their body until it bleeds and scars. Meth can cause their muscles to move or twitch involuntarily. Because meth restricts the skin’s blood flow, it slows the healing process. This leads to graying skin, acne and open soars. Something similar can happen to the user’s eyes. The cornea (the clear outer lens over the eye) can develop open soars or infections. To see what meth can do to a person’s appearance, try Googling meth before and after.
Long term, meth damages the brain and stresses the heart, leading to increased rates of heart attack and strokes. Other effects include nervous conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
Will meth lead to more sex? Yes, probably so. Poor judgement and loss of control often result from drug use. Many addicts turn to prostitution to pay for the drugs. Rape is also a common occurrence when users put themselves in a dangerous situation. These kinds of sexual encounters increase the chances of contracting a sexually transmitted
disease.
What makes meth so dangerous is that the first high—the first time a person takes the drug—is so wonderful and intense that many will do almost anything to get there again. The problem is that even after just that first use, the brain begins to reduce its sensitivity to the drug. The user takes more and more meth “chasing the high,” trying to get back to that original feeling that was so good. But they never will.
That’s why you can’t just try meth…not even one.
