How to Tell If You or Someone You Love Is a Methamphetamine Addict

Clinically Reviewed by Matt Hawk ICAADC, CACII, Written by Karen Hadley

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The stereotypical image of a methamphetamine user is someone who is agitated, nervous, paranoid and always moving from place to place in a manic manner. But that may not be what you see when someone you love is addicted to methamphetamine. There’s a simple reason for this: at some level, they are ashamed, they know what they are doing is likely killing them, but are stuck in an endless cycle of guilt, shame and regret.

That means that they will inject or smoke the drug away from parents or spouses and sober friends. If they are going to binge on this drug, they’ll do it away from home, so no one will try to make them stop.

To detect their use, you may have to identify secondary symptoms of drug use. This means watching what happens to their health, life, relationships and mental stability.

Meth Can Rapidly Take Over a Person’s Life

For some people, only one use of meth is all it takes to hook them. Many people quickly become daily users while others may only use methamphetamine when they feel the need to escape their problems. If there is any possibility that your loved one is using methamphetamine, you need to be able to identify the immediate signs that they are high on meth and the changes that show up in their health, life and relationships.

Signs That Show Up While the Person Is High

Look for these signs if you suspect that your loved one has been using methamphetamine recently.

• Sleeplessness
• Loss of appetite
• Excitement and talkativeness
• Delusional sense of power and confidence
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Dilated pupils
• Dizziness
• Mood swings
• Mental confusion
• Hallucinations
• Agitation

Very heavy methamphetamine use can also result in psychotic episodes. A person suffering one of these episodes needs medical help immediately.

Signs of Ongoing Methamphetamine Addiction

If you don’t see the immediate signs of methamphetamine use, watch for these signs that show up when a person becomes addicted to methamphetamine.

• Loss of jobs
• Abandonment of goals
• Increasing health problems
• Infections
• Extreme weight loss
• Missing funds or possessions
• Broken relationships
• Isolation
• Secrecy
• Lack of normal communication
• Legal problems
• Arrests
• Financial problems
• Homelessness

Drug use turns into addiction when a person suffers harms like these but continues to use the addictive substance. The other two characteristics of addiction are that they develop a tolerance to the drug (bigger doses are needed to get them high) and the appearance of withdrawal symptoms if they stop using the addictive substance.

A Meth-Addicted Person Will Resist Your Questions and Attempts to Help

When these signs show up and persist, you’re going to have to trust your perceptions and your instincts. Your addicted loved one will, in almost every case, offer excuses or blame others for these problems. Another possibility is that they will turn on you and blame you for failing to support them. It’s also possible that they will claim they can control their drug use or that they can cut down any time. They may promise to quit using. These promises are seldom kept.

It's never a good idea to be confrontational with a drug addict. The guilt and shame they are already feeling can cause some very negative reactions. Addicts may lash out at the person trying to confront them, so it's best to involve other people during a confrontation.

If you see this kind of overall decline in the quality of a person’s life, suspect drug addiction. Your loved one needs drug rehab as soon as possible so they can get the support and guidance they need to recover.

We're here. We're ready to help you.
Call us at 1-800-737-5250 to get help now. or learn more about the Narconon Drug Rehabilitation Program

To get help for a loved one who is struggling with methamphetamine, talk to a Narconon representative today. Learn why the Narconon rehab program has been the key to lasting sobriety for tens of thousands of people over the last 60 years. Call today.