Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that can be injected, snorted, smoked, or ingested orally.
Methamphetamine is illicitly synthesized and then sold in a crystalline form resembling small shards of odorless, bitter-tasting crystals; leading to the colloquial nickname “crystal meth”.
Common Names:
- Crystal Meth
- Meth
Street Names:
- Chalk
- Crank
- Crystal
- Glass
- Hillbilly Heroin
- Ice
- Rock
- Speed
- Ya Ba
Effects:
Meth users feel an intense “rush” when the drug is initially administered. Psychological effects can include euphoria, anxiety, increased libido, alertness, concentration, energy, self-esteem, self-confidence, sociability,irritability, aggression, psychosomatic disorders, psychomotor agitation, grandiosity, hallucinations, excessive feelings of power and invincibility, repetitive and obsessive behaviors, paranoia, and with chronic and/or high doses, amphetamine psychosis can occur.
Long term effects of methamphetamine use has a high association with depression and suicide as well as serious heart disease, amphetamine psychosis, anxiety and violent behaviours. Methamphetamine abuse can cause neurotoxicity which is believed to be responsible for causing persisting cognitive deficits, such as memory, impaired attention and executive function. Over 20 percent of people addicted to methamphetamine develop a long-lasting psychosis resembling schizophrenia after stopping methamphetamine which persists for longer than 6 months and is often treatment resistant.
Withdrawal Symptoms:
Long-term methamphetamine abuse can cause addiction, anxiety, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behavior. Additionally, psychotic symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions (such as the sensation of bugs crawling under the user’s skin) can occur. The psychotic symptoms can last for months or years after methamphetamine use has ceased. Following a period of heavy use, also known as “bingeing”, which typically lasts days or even weeks, a severe withdrawal syndrome lasting up to ten days can occur, primarily consisting of depression, fatigue, excessive sleeping and an increased appetite. Chronic methamphetamine abuse may result in prolonged psychiatric disorders, cognitive impairment, as well as an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. As a result of methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity to dopaminergic neurons, chronic abuse may also lead to symptoms which persist beyond the withdrawal period for months, and even up to a year.
Substance Classification:
Psychostimulant
