How Does One Become Dependent on Methamphetamine

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

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Methamphetamine is not only one of the most destructive drugs; it’s also one of the most addictive. You may hear stories of people becoming addicted to meth after one use. While this is possible, it’s not common. It’s more common for people to use the drug occasionally, maybe once a week or when they are upset about something or out of curiosity. Then their frequency and dosage increase gradually. Finally, the cravings increase, and they need the drug every day—they can’t do without it. At that point, they have reached addiction. If they stop using the drug, they will suffer the symptoms of withdrawal.

What Makes Methamphetamine Destructive as Well as Addictive?

All street drugs are toxic. Many are processed with toxic and corrosive chemicals like lye, gasoline, toluene, or acetone. Methamphetamine is “cooked” with such an extremely harsh and toxic list of chemicals that the final product can have devastating mental and physical effects. Chronic users can lose physical, mental, and emotional health.

A few of the chemicals used to make methamphetamine are:

• Toluene
• Benzene
• Chloroform
• Lighter fluid
• Ether
• Sulfuric acid
• Lithium
• Acetone

However, the main health effects of methamphetamine come from the drug itself. The intense euphoria, increased heart rate, and dry mouth caused by the drug can cause permanent damage to the brain, total decay of the teeth, and psychosis.

If It's So Toxic, Why Would Anyone Use This Drug?

The first time they use it, they will experience a short, powerful rush lasting between 5 and 30 minutes. The person also experiences higher energy, euphoria, and confidence, which may last as long as 12 hours. But then the high fades. They feel tired and drained. After even this first use, they might feel irritable, anxious, and mildly depressed. These aftereffects are called a comedown or crash.

The first reason they want to use more of it is because they want to feel that rush again. Second, they enjoy the energy, euphoria, and confidence and want to experience more of it. All this energy, ability to focus, and ability to get into action seem desirable. The third reason is that using more meth makes the fatigue and irritability of the comedown go away.

Besides that, all that euphoria makes any problems they have fade into the background. It’s tempting to keep using more meth to sustain the energy and activity level and keep problems in the background. Too many people yield to this temptation.

Once a person repeats their methamphetamine use several times or for a week, they may crave the drug so much that they need to use it more frequently. They probably find they need to use a greater quantity each time to get the rush and euphoria they seek. They are now well on their way to full-blown addiction. They lose the power of choice over the use of the drug. They now feel that they simply have to have it.

How is Dopamine Involved in Creating Methamphetamine Addiction?

Dopamine is a chemical in the brain and body that helps you learn, focus, and control the movements of your body. When you do something pleasurable, one of the effects is that your brain releases dopamine, and you feel good.

When methamphetamine is consumed, the brain is forced to release very high levels of dopamine, creating the rush and euphoria. When methamphetamine is taken multiple times, the parts of the brain that produce dopamine naturally decrease production, and the brain’s sensitivity to dopamine is also reduced, so even if this chemical is present, the brain can’t respond to it as well. This effect can be permanent, but over time, the brain often returns to normal function.

Gradually, higher doses of methamphetamine are needed to generate a pleasurable release of dopamine. Meanwhile, other normal life activities that used to create a pleasurable release of dopamine are less satisfying. This is another factor that drives a meth user back to more drug consumption. Eventually, a person simply doesn’t feel “normal” unless they are using meth. They are now dependent on this drug.

What Wreckage Does Meth Addiction Create?

Methamphetamine addiction is like a tsunami that washes through a person’s life, wrecking it from one end to another. It’s impossible to detail all the harm caused by meth addiction, but here are several examples:

• Chronic meth abusers frequently exhibit anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behavior.
• Psychotic behavior, including paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions, can be triggered by heavy use.
• These psychotic phenomena can persist for months or years after the person stops using the drug.
• Chronic use can cause severe structural changes in the brain.
Meth use can cause serious harm to unborn babies, including premature delivery, brain abnormalities, and small birth size.
• Smoked meth can cause the lungs to hemorrhage or fill with fluid.
• High doses can cause seizures, convulsions, or death.
• A 2021 survey revealed that people who used methamphetamine were nearly twice as likely to suffer from two or more chronic medical conditions and more than three times as likely to have mental illness, compared to those who did not use the drug.

With all this harm created by meth addiction, it is vital that anyone using meth get help as soon as possible.

Recovering from Methamphetamine Addiction

Despite the terrible toll taken on a person’s mind and body by methamphetamine, recovery is possible. Anyone addicted to meth needs a thorough drug rehab program that is long enough for them to learn how to build a new sober life. They will need to learn new life skills or rehabilitate the life skills that were destroyed by addiction. There must be a way to recover from the intense cravings for more drugs.

All these features can be found in the Narconon drug rehab program. With an effective rehab program like Narconon and good support, those addicted to methamphetamine can recover enough to become good parents and productive citizens again.

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

If you know someone suffering from methamphetamine addiction, contact a Narconon drug rehabilitation counselor right away. The Narconon program has been saving lives from the wreckage of drugs since 1966. This program even has a method of calming cravings by drawing old drug toxins out of the body. Unique exercises help orient the drug user to their safe current environment. Life skills education enables each person to create a life free from addiction. For more information about the Narconon rehab method, contact us today.