How Meth can Destroy a Life

Crystal methamphetamine

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In school, most children are taught of the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and other common drugs. For many people, these lessons are enough to keep them away from drugs for a lifetime; however, one widely used drug that is not receiving the attention it needs, is Methamphetamine, also known as (Crystal) Meth or Ice.

Meth is often used as a cheap form of cocaine, since many of its effects are the same, such as increased concentration and alertness. Meth is usually made in a make-shift laboratory, usually just referred to as “Meth Labs,” and is popular with very low-income drug users. While the exact location is disputed, the majority of experts agree the “Meth capital of the World” is somewhere in America, though some say it is actually Japan.

What many people are not taught are the harmful effects of Methamphetamine use. Meth is one of the most debilitating drugs available, both physically and mentally. There are an incredible number of effects of meth use, but some of the more common ones are anorexia, headaches, hypertension, hypo-tension, aggressiveness, schizophrenic hallucinations, depression, and psychosis. Meth is also one of the hardest drugs to quit and has some of the worst and most severe long-term effects of any drug, sometimes with hallucinations lasting six months after quitting and increased chance for heart problems.

Meth addiction is a very serious problem. If you or anyone you know uses methamphetamine, it is very important that you seek help immediately. Meth is known to destroy people and whole families, but only if you let it.

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The Struggle That Comes After Getting Clean

Becoming sober is only the first step on a lifelong journey. Ask someone who’s been clean of drugs for so many years and they will tell you that they have been recovering instead. The problem is that just because an individual has become sober, it does not mean that the temptation has gone away. Being an addictive personality is no cake walk.

Many individuals turn to drugs and alcohol as a form of self medication. They have suffered emotionally at some point in their life to a grievous extent, with no ready support from other sources. Their pain is an engulfing thing. A potential addict won’t go to a doctor because they’re not taught to, or there is a stigma attached to admitting that they need help. Instead, alcohol or drugs serve to kill the pain.

Some addicts turn to drugs such as heroin or intoxicants like alcohol because they are depressants. Others gravitate towards crystal meth and cocaine for the euphoria. In either case, the facts remain the same: Drugs kill the pain. No having to feel anymore, just ride off on the cloud of bliss. The problem here with illegal drugs is that there is no structured support in their use, just go hide somewhere and get stoned. There is no one to talk to, no one to confide in, just the drugs taking over.

Once the addict starts the journey to get clean, they must begin to face the issues that drove them to the drug use in the first place. That look inside is hell indeed. Breaking the chains to addiction means that all of the issues that they were hiding from comes back into the full light. This is why it is so important to get counseling. Talking to a therapist gives the addict tools to move on with their life and not fall back into destructive patterns.

The temptation will always be there for the addict, even after getting sober. It never really goes away, just lies in the background, waiting. This is why the ex-addict will say that they are still in recovery.

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Crystal Meth Addiction Fact Sheet

Definition: Crystal meth is a popular street drug that is produced by combining a variety of completely legal chemicals to create an illegal drug. Everything that it takes to make crystal meth can be purchased at an ordinary store. The mood-altering effects that are associated with meth are said to last for a very long period of time, which is another reason for why crystal meth is such a popular drug.

Crystal meth is an amphetamine, also known as methamphetamine and speed. It is a powerful stimulant that can create powerful euphoric feelings lasting as long as 8 hours or more. Immediately after the ingestion of this drug, the user will begin to feel powerful euphoric feelings and an intense rush. The effects of the high will then gradually diminish over a lengthy period of time.

Use: Crystal meth can be snorted, smoked, taken by mouth or injected into a vein. The most popular method of taking crystal meth is smoking it.

Creation: Batches of this drug are created or cooked in regular homes, garages and basements. The production is typically done by United States drug-trafficking cartels, though these drugs are also made in Canada and Mexico and trafficked into the United States as well. The manufacturing of crystal meth is actually a dangerous process because it is both potentially explosive and extremely toxic. Although the chemical structure of methamphetamine is very similar to regular amphetamines, the effect that it creates on the central nervous system is much more pronounced.

Addiction to crystal meth is a serious problem. People promote the use of crystal meth because the “high” that it gives comes with energy, upbeat attitude and other qualities. Unfortunately, the other side of methamphetamine addiction is very rarely seen. People who do meth are typically painfully thin, experience serious dental problems, and have a host of other health problems including hair loss, damage to the brain and damage to the other vital organs. If you know someone who is dealing with a crystal meth addiction, do what you can to help them get assistance before the problem becomes worse.

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Drug Addiction and Street Names

2D structure of psychedelic drug LSD (lysergic...
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Each illegal drug has a number of different street names associated with it, sometimes just serving as nicknames while other times describing the region of origin. For example, “blow” is a universal monicker for cocaine, and “Mexican black tar” describes black tar heroin hailing from across the border.

Cocaine: Common names for cocaine include blow, candy, cock, freeze, happy dust, mojo, nose, shot, snow, sugar and white powder. “Crack” refers to a smokeable form of cocaine, which is also known as beat, casper, chalk, gravel, kryptonite, moon rock, scrabble and tornado.

Depressant Drugs: Common names for depressants taken illegally include backwards, downie, green dragons, joy juice, M&M, peanut, red bullets, stumbler and yellow.

Fentanyl: Fentanyl is also known as apache, china town, friend, great bear, jackpot, murder 8, tango & cash and TNT.

GHB: GHB, which stands for Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, is also known as cherry meth, easy lay, gamma hydrate, grievous bodily harm, liquid X, sodium oxybate and soap.

Heroin: Heroin is also referred to as black pearl, big H, capital H, brown sugar, china white, good horse, dope, hard stuff, heroina, hero, mud, little boy, smack, perfect high and tar.

Inhalants: Inhaling chemicals is also known as air blast, boppers, climax, hardware, high ball, heart on, honey oil, laughing gas, huff, moon gas, medusa, thrust, satan’s secret and whiteout.

Ketamine: Ketamine is also known as cat valium, cat killer, honey oil, ket, special K, super acid and vitamin K.

LSD: Also known as Lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD is also referred to as acid, blotter, cubes, golden dragon, paper acid, superman, pink robots, yellow sunshine and twenty-five.

Marijuana: Marijuana is also called boom, chornic, ganja, grass, hash, herb, mary jane, rip, skunk, reefer, root, weed and zambi.

Meth: Methamphetamines are also referred to as beanies, chalk, crank, CR, crystal meth, crystal, granulated orange, meth, Mexican crack, rock, pink, speckled birds, tina, speed and yellow powder.

PCP: PCP or Phencyclidine is also known as angel dust, black whack, belladonna, cliffhanger, Detroit pink, hog, elephant tranquilizer, Peter Pan, soma, sheets, trank, zoom and white horizon.

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