Meth Addiction in Martins Ferry, OH

Methamphetamine, or meth, is a stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system, causing a person to experience a sense of euphoria, heightened energy, and decreased appetite. Those with meth addiction in Martins Ferry may feel so energetic they may not sleep for days. Other names for methamphetamine on the street are meth, chalk, ice, and/or crystal.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 1.2 million people in the United States abuse meth. Meth addiction in Martins Ferry and Ohio is also a rising problem. According to the Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, a 20 percent increase in methamphetamine cases from July 2015 to June 2016. According to the report, those who abuse heroin may begin to abuse meth as a means to wean themselves off heroin. While heroin is a drug that slows down the body's functions, including breathing, meth is a stimulant that speeds up the body's processes.

How Is Meth Used?

Meth is abused in a number of ways, including smoking, snorting, injecting, or ingesting. Smoking meth is the most common method at this time, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. When a person smokes meth, they experience feelings of euphoria, usually within about three to five minutes. If a person snorts the drug, they will experience the euphoria faster.

Meth belongs to the stimulant category of drugs, similar in some ways to cocaine. However, meth can be even more dangerous because only half of the drug is removed from the body in 12 hours. An estimated 50 percent of cocaine is removed from the body in one hour. This extended time, means a person can build up a number of toxic compounds in their body. Meth is highly addictive, and breaking the addiction often requires the added assistance of meth addiction rehab professionals. We offer help planning and staging an addiction intervention in Martins Ferry for convincing your loved one to get clean.

Dangers of Meth Addiction in Martins Ferry

Meth is created in laboratories using a number of harmful chemicals, including pseudoephedrine, acetone, fertilizer, lithium, and red phosphorus. Most of these chemicals were never intended to be ingested and in the quantities those who abuse meth use. Meth can cause both short- and long-term effects when a person abuses it.

The short-term effects of meth abuse include, a rapid and irregular heartbeat, which can weaken the heart. Additionally, meth abuse can increase a person's body temperature, causing hyperthermia that can be very dangerous to a person's health.

Long-term health effects associated with meth abuse include anxiety, insomnia, and violent behaviors. Repeated use can lead to psychosis, which includes hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions, such that a person feels as if insects are crawling under their skin. Even when a person stops abusing meth, they may continue to experience psychotic symptoms associated with meth abuse. This is why it is vital a person seek addiction treatment for meth addiction before their disease progresses to psychosis.

Those who abuse meth via injection, are at heightened risk for diseases that are transmitted through sharing needles, such as hepatitis B and C, as well as HIV. A person suffering from meth abuse will experience severe dental problems and skin issues due to scratching and picking at their skin while under the influence. This results in sores that are easily infected.

In the long-term, meth abuse also affects a person's memory and ways of thinking. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, research has also linked meth abuse with increased risk for Parkinson's disease later in life. A person can also overdose on meth. The effects of overdose include stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure, especially due to the effects of overheating.

Methamphetamine Addiction Signs and Symptoms

Abusing meth can cause a person to appear "sped up" and overly energetic. Examples of these symptoms include having high energy levels, such that a person may not sleep for an extended period of time—even days in a row. The person may breathe rapidly and will have a decreased appetite such that they will not eat enough or anything at all. These periods of intense energy are often followed by feelings of anxiety, fatigue, depression, and intense drug cravings. A person may experience unexplained weight loss or start to show noticeable dental changes, as well as visible scabs and sores on the skin.

Several drug treatment programs in Martins Ferry have been shown to help a person receive the help they need to overcome a meth addiction. An example would include, cognitive-behavioral therapy, a very useful method. This therapy type helps a person identify "addictive" ways of thinking and positive behaviors where a person can resist the urge to return to drug and alcohol abuse in Martins Ferry. Another meth addiction recovery method is motivational incentives, which involves providing rewards for positive, drug-free behaviors. Call us now at (877) 804-1531.