Methamphetamine Addiction:

Q) What is Methamphetamine?

A) Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug chemically related to amphetamine but with stronger effects on the central nervous system. Street names for the drug include "speed," "meth," "crystal," and "crank." Methamphetamine is used in pill form, or in powdered form by snorting or injecting. Crystallized methamphetamine known as "ice," "crystal," or "glass," is a smokable and more powerful form of the drug.

Q) How widespread is Methamphetamine addiction?

A) Methamphetamine use has spread to all areas of the United States and continues to be on an upswing. Estimates from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) indicate that methamphetamine-related emergency room episodes increased 346 percent from 1991 to 1995.

Q) What are the effects of Methamphetamine addiction?

A) A methamphetamine-induced "high" artificially boosts self-confidence, many users are overcome by a so-called "superman syndrome." In this state, methamphetamine abusers ignore their physical limitations and try to do things which they are normally incapable of performing. Meth is highly addictive because people often continue using the drug to avoid an inevitable crash that comes when the drugs' positive effects begin to wear off. Even first time users experience many of meth's negative effects.

Methamphetamine's negative effects include, but are not limited to, the following:

Hyperactivity
Irritability
Visual hallucinations
Auditory hallucinations (hearing "voices")
Suicidal tendencies
Aggression
Suspiciousness, severe paranoia
Shortness of breath
Increased blood pressure
Cardiac arrhythmia
Stroke
Sweating
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Long periods of sleep ("crashing" for 24-48 hours or more)
Prolonged sluggishness, severe depression
Weight loss, malnutrition, anorexia
Itching (illusion that bugs are crawling on the skin)
Welts on the skin
Involuntary body movements
Paranoid delusions