Meth Addiction Treatment Articles
Meth Addiction Treatment
Methamphetamine, also called meth for short, is a highly addictive drug that stimulates the nervous system. Many of the children that are seized at meth lab raids often have meth in their blood. These children then need to be tested for pathogens that might reside in their blood as well. A 2006 survey concluded that over 6% of children in the U.S.A who were below the age of twelve had used meth at least once in their lives. This highly addictive drug is easy to manufacture and gives drug dealers a high profit ratio because they are considerably cheaper to manufacture than other drugs on the market.
The History of Meth
Meth was originally invented in 1893 by a Japanese chemist named Nagayoshi Nagi. He developed meth by isolating a chemical called ‘ephedrine’ from an herb called ‘ma huang’. Later, in 1919, the crystallized version was developed by another Japanese scientist named Akira Ogata. Meth was originally intended to be used as a nasal decongestant. German soldiers used it as a stimulant during World War II. It was also marketed by various pharmaceutical companies until it began to be abused. It was also prescribed to people who were overweight and suffering from obesity.
The Effects of Meth
Meth instantly affects the nervous system. Users of meth state that after taking the drug they feel an instant and intense rush along with increased activity, but they don’t feel hungry. They then proceed to experience a euphoric high for several hours. Meth interferes with the natural chemicals that are produced by the nerve cells and are used for communication between the various nerves. The affected nerve cells are responsible for regulating thoughts and the feeling of pleasure.
Meth affects dopamine, which is the main neurotransmitter in our body. Every time a person does something pleasurable, dopamine is released. Meth increases the amount of dopamine for a short time, but over long periods dopamine receptors begin to deplete as production of dopamine slows down. This means that in order for a person to reach even a normal state of mind he needs to increase his usage of meth.
Over a longer period of usage meth can lead to permanent brain damage caused by a depletion of dopamine. Meth addicts end up being slow and this is one reason why it is stressed that meth addiction treatment should be started as soon as possible. Overuse of meth without proper meth addiction treatment can lead to Parkinson’s type disorders.
In order to understand how meth can destroy a person, you need to understand how dopamine works. When you eat, your dopamine levels jump from 100 units to 200 units. This behavior is natural as eating is vital to your survival. Using cocaine can make your dopamine levels jump from 100 units to around 400 units. Meth users will experience a dopamine increase of 1250 units which is not only unnatural but also very harmful. Prolonged usage of meth will eventually destroy all major brain and bodily functions. Some damaged receptors do have the ability to grow back after a few years of abstinence from meth, but cognitive damage cannot be reversed.
Meth Addiction Treatment Programs
While much of the damage caused by meth addiction cannot be reversed, there is still a chance that the person can live a life without the substance. The point of meth addiction treatment is to get a person away from using meth by detoxification. Detoxification helps to rid the body of the drug, but without a full life rehabilitation, meth addiction treatment is incomplete.
