Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Crystal Meth

The pure form of methamphetamine, crystal methamphetamine, is most often referred to as simply crystal meth. It is a manmade substance that affects a person’s central nervous system. Crystal meth can be inhaled, smoked or swallowed, but taken in any form, it leads to psychological and/or physical dependence or addiction. People addicted to crystal meth feel compelled to seek out and use the drug. With prolonged use, meth addicts wind up using more of the substance or switching up their method of drug use to achieve the same desired results.

People addicted to crystal meth experience similar body and behavior changes which are telltale signs of the drug’s use. Knowing those signs can help a loved one to recognize what is happening and, hopefully, intervene.

How Meth Affects the Brain

Crystal meth is toxic to the brain. Research shows that exposure to even small amounts of crystal meth over an extended period can damage as many as 50 percent of a person’s dopamine-producing cells. Cells which contain serotonin fare even worse. Other neurological effects include convulsions, tremors and hyperthermia with body temperatures capable of skyrocketing to a deadly 108 degrees Fahrenheit.

When a person uses crystal meth they are taking a substance which dramatically increases the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is connected to the brain’s pleasure or reward region. Those who inject or smoke crystal meth experience a short-lived but intense feeling of euphoria called a rush. When the drug is snorted or ingested, the pleasurable sensation is more of a mood elevation than an intense rush, but the good feeling may last up to half the day.

Whether brief or extended, the pleasing feelings eventually fade and are replaced by the polar opposites. Once down from their “high,” users may become angry, violent and aggressive. Behavior may become erratic and unpredictable. Feelings of absolute well-being are replaced by paranoia and extreme anxiety. In some instances, users will hear things (auditory hallucinations) or feel things (the sensation of things crawling on their skin, for example) that are not based in reality. Homicidal and/or suicidal ideations also sometimes come post-use.

How Meth Affects the Body

People who are addicted to crystal meth are often severely underweight. That is because the drug works as an appetite suppressant. The body is kept in an unnatural heightened state of alertness which some have likened to the body’s more natural “fight or flight” reaction in which the body is not focused on hunger.

Crystal meth users commonly go days at a stretch without sleeping. Just as the drug inhibits the body’s natural call for food, it also interferes with the body’s sleep requirement messaging. Addicts are kept hyper-alert and often experience short-term insomnia. This is one of the hallmarks of crystal meth use.

Using crystal meth also poses serious physiological dangers. The drug is known to cause inflammation of the lining of the heart, produce tachycardia or elevated heart rates, and lead to high blood pressure, which in turn can cause chest pain. Crystal meth damages tiny blood vessel in the brain which can cause stroke and may result in irreparable kidney damage.

Crystal meth produces easily recognizable signs in the behavior and physical well-being of its users. Making yourself aware of these signs empowers you to intelligently inform others, especially youth, about its high cost while making you alert to potential warning signals.