Methamphetamine: It's All About The Brain
(written by Dr. John Bledsoe)The average person has no idea what methamphetamine does to the brain. Even users of methamphetamine don't realize how it is affecting their attitude and actions. It is such a gradual change for recreational users that they are not aware of the drug's addict power until it is too late.
The first time they use the drug they experience a euphoria never experienced before. Addicts say it made them feel better than they had ever felt before. As result, many spend the rest of their lives chasing the first high which they can never reach again.
Why is this true? What happens that causes this high? First, methamphetamine causes the brain to release dopamine at a rapid rate until it is depleted. Because the brain is unable to replace the depleted supply, individuals use the artificial stimulant methamphetamine in an attempt to feel good again. Eventually, an addict becomes enslaved because of changes in the brain. Methamphetamine destroys the conscience and the ability to have compassion for others. Addicts give up their spouses, children, jobs, and resources in search of methamphetamine highs.
Because of changes in the brain, Methamphetamine addicts become psychotic. It is fairly common for a methamphetamine addict to develop paranoid schizophrenia like symptoms. In the past it has been fairly common for psychiatrics to diagnose addicts as paranoid schizophrenics only discover later that they were methamphetamine addicts. Fortunately, in some cases these conditions clear up when addicts become drug free for a year or more.
The average methamphetamine addict knows that it affects a person physically, but the vast majority don't have a clue about the effects of this deadly drug on the brain. Methamphetamine robs addicts of their ability to experience joy without artificial stimulation. This condition is called anhedonia - a state of pleasurelessness. It also destroys ethical and moral values.
The end result is chemically induced insanity. Because of heavy methamphetamine use addicts need to be placed in a controlled setting for a minimum of three to six months followed by twelve to eighteen months in outpatient treatment for substance abuse rather than prison. The reason for this is obvious. The pull of the drug is so strong that addicts are unable to resist the urge to use without help.
Is there any hope for methamphetamine addicts? The answer is unequivocally "yes." We know it takes two years or more for the brain chemistry to return to normal, provided there is no permanent damage. Therefore, some recovering addicts will need non-addictive antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications to feel normal. Some also need non-addictive medication for sleep. A word of caution: addicts should never take benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, etc), or pain medications, and must refrain from using any addictive drug, including alcohol and marijuana, in order to stay in recovery.