Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that was discovered in 1919 by a Japanese scientist. It was first marketed and sold as a recreational drug, until its side effects became evident. Methamphetamine is still used to treat some diseases, but the necessity of its use for any reason is open to debate. Methamphetamine provides a seemingly limitless supply of energy for the user. Meth users often report feeling superhuman with increased awareness and highly euphoric. It is perhaps these effects which results in a high potential of abuse.

The effects of Methamphetamine As a stimulant methamphetamine causes a user to stay awake and alert for long periods of time. It was used during war to assist pilots to fly longer missions and ground troops to last longer on the battlefield. Methamphetamine is also known to affect the moral compass of the user. Users often feel little or no emotion when inflicting harm on others. This contributes to its use during war time, as troops become effective killing machines while using the drug. Meth has similar effects to cocaine but is often many times more potent.

Methamphetamine affects the brain

The effects of meth are caused by an increased production of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is naturally produced by the body and is responsible for pleasurable feelings, it is released after exercise and while eating foods. Meth causes an abnormal amount of the drug to be released into the brain. Prolonged use of the drug damages the cells that produce dopamine and more of the drug must be taken to achieve the same result. This is a primary reason why methamphetamine is so addictive. The body becomes dependent on its use. When a person stops using the drug there is no longer enough dopamine being produced naturally by the body and the result is deep depression and an inability to function without the drug. Most users cannot go long without using the drug again. The powerful effects of the drugs are too much of a temptation when the user is unable to cope with day to day life.

Methamphetamine abuse can lead to psychotic behavior

Prolonged use of Methamphetamine can lead to psychotic behavior which can include hallucinations, paranoia, and violent outbreaks. Users often experience the delusion that bugs are crawling under their skin which leads to deep sores caused by scratching. The drug is often used in binges in which the user does not eat or sleep for days and continues to use the drug until a physical or mental breakdown causes them quite using the drug.

Methamphetamine users abuse the drug to escape a real problem

Many methamphetamine users begin using the drug to escape a problem in their lives. While using the drug people feel unstoppable, liked by everyone and popular with their friends. Meth causes a type of hyper reality in which the party never ends. It completely blinds the user to their real life problems. Meth users ignore their health and do not eat or sleep for days at a time. Many users end up in jail because of their behavior.

Meth users form small tight communities

Meth users sometimes form small communities among themselves. These groups form tight emotional bonds, intensified by the drug, which often become stronger then family ties. These groups of people behave as a family. They use together and often only leave each other when they must sleep or eat. The group becomes focused entirely on find ways to get the drug. These groups ore usually short lived lasting only months, but the attraction to the feeling of belonging is very hard for the meth user to ignore.

Types of Meth Meth comes in many forms and varies in quality depending on how it was made. Originally meth was made to take by snorting the drug up the nose. This kind of the drug is often called crank. It is usually low quality and made in home with crude labs and even cruder ingredients. The drug in this form can be very damp and smell like ether.

Another form of the drug is Ice. Ice is a very pure form of the drug which may be snorted, smoked or injected and is made in industrial laboratories. The purity of the drug causes addiction to happen much more rapidly. Ice looks like broken pieces of quartz and is pure white, blue or green.

There are many substances similar to meth which is often sold as the drug. These drugs are not as potent and the user may need to take a large amount in order to achieve anything close to the same effects. This can become dangerous when the drugs are toxic to the body. Death or permanent damage may occur from improperly made drugs.

Summary: There are many reasons why meth is so addictive. The effects it has on brain chemistry create a situation which requires the user to take more of the drug just to feel normal. The psychotic effects of the drug cause loved ones and family members to distance themselves from the user cutting off all hopes of support. The drug masks a person's real problems and seems to make them go away. Then users form small groups which replace the family and allow the drug use to continue until a point is reached when the user is absolutely bankrupt, physically and emotionally. The many different types of meth makes it very easy to find on the street and the effects of the drug create an almost perfect environment for addiction to occur.