What are the long-term effects of methamphetamine use?
Methamphetamine causes long lasting changes in brain chemistry, particularly in the pleasure systems of the brain. These changes impact abilities such as memory, judgment, and reasoning. Other long-term effects include extreme cravings for the drug and dreams of use. These brain changes do not disappear quickly after you stop using methamphetamine and are important factors leading to relapse. However, these conditions improve with extended discontinued use of the drug through treatment. The sooner a user gets into treatment, the better, and the longer a user stays in treatment, the greater the chances that treatment will be effective.
Long-term methamphetamine abuse results in many damaging effects, including addiction. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and drug use which is accompanied by functional and molecular changes in the brain. Long-term effects of methamphetamine abuse: • Dependence • Addiction psychosis • Paranoia • Hallucinations • Mood disturbances • Repetitive motor activity • Stroke • Weight loss In addition to being addicted to methamphetamine, chronic methamphetamine abusers exhibit symptoms that can include violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. They also can display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects creeping on the skin, called “formication”). The paranoia can result in homicidal as well as suicidal thoughts. With chronic use, tolerance for methamphetamine can develop.
Methamphetamine causes long lasting changes in brain chemistry, particularly in the neurotransmitter systems of your brain. Notably, these brain chemistry changes seem to impact cognitive abilities such as memory, judgment, reasoning, and verbal learning. And these changes do not reverse themselves quickly. Current research indicates that it takes many months away from the drug before your brain begins to heal. Other long term effects are often frequent bouts of drug craving, frequent agitating dreams of using crystal or frequent frustration dreams of being unable to use. These also fade over time, but this takes many months away from the drug as well.
Long-term methamphetamine abuse has many damaging effects, including addiction. Addiction is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and drug use that is accompanied by functional and molecular changes in the brain. In addition to being addicted to methamphetamine, chronic abusers exhibit symptoms that include violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. They also display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects creeping on the skin, called “formication”). The paranoia can result in homicidal as well as suicidal thoughts. If used excessively, tolerance for methamphetamine can develop. In an effort to intensify the desired effects, users may take higher doses of the drug, take it more frequently, or change their method of drug intake.
Methamphetamine causes long lasting changes in brain chemistry, particularly in the neurotransmitter systems of your brain. Notably, these brain chemistry changes seem to impact cognitive abilities such as memory, judgment, reasoning, and verbal learning. And these changes do not reverse themselves quickly. Current research indicates that it takes many months away from the drug before your brain begins to heal. Other long term effects are often frequent bouts of drug craving, frequent agitating dreams of using crystal or frequent frustrating dreams of being unable to use. These also fade over time, but this takes many months away from the drug as well.
