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What Is Methamphetamine? |
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It is a powerfully addictive stimulant that dramatically affects
the central nervous system. It is made in clandestine laboratories
with relatively inexpensive over-the-counter ingredients. These
factors combine to make methamphetamine a drug with high potential
for widespread abuse.
Methamphetamine is commonly known as "speed, meth, and
chalk." In its smoked form, it is referred to as, "ice,
crystal, crank, and glass." It is a white, odorless,
bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or
alcohol. The drug was developed early in this century from its parent
drug, amphetamine, and was used originally in nasal decongestants and
bronchial inhalers.
Methamphetamine's chemical structure is similar to that of
amphetamine, but it has more pronounced effects on the central
nervous system. Like amphetamine, it causes increased activity,
decreased appetite, and a general sense of well-being. It's affects
can last 6 to 8 hours. After the initial "rush" there is
typically a state of high agitation that in some individuals lead to
violent behavior.
Methamphetamine is a Schedule II stimulant, which means it has a
high potential for abuse and is available only through prescription
that cannot be refilled. There are a few accepted medical reasons for
its use, such as the treatment of narcolepsy, attention deficit
disorder, and - for short term use - obesity; but these medical uses
are limited. |
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How Is Methamphetamine used? |
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Smoked
- Snorted
- Orally ingested
- Injected
As with similar stimulants, methamphetamine most often is used in
a "binge and crash" pattern. Because tolerance for
methamphetamine occurs within minutes - meaning that the pleasurable
effects disappear even before the drug concentration in the blood
falls significantly - users try to maintain the high by bringing on
the drug.
In the 1980's, "Ice", a smokeable form of
methamphetamine came into use. Ice is a large, usually clear crystal
of high purity that is smoked in a glass pipe like crack cocaine. The
smoke is odorless, leaves a residue that can be re-smoked, and
produces effects that may continue for 12 hours or more. |
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Short-term Effects Of
Methamphetamine Abuse |
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Long-term Effects Of
Methamphetamine Abuse |
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Addiction
- Violent behavior
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Insomnia
- Weight loss
- Psychotic features including:
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Mood disturbances
- Repetitive motor activity
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Medical Complications of
Methamphetamine Abuse |
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Chronic Abuse of
Methamphetamine Can Result In: |
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What Treatments Are Effective
For Methamphetamine Abusers? |
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A. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy |
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Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) derives, in
part, from both behavioral and cognitive theories. While sharing a
number of procedures in common, CBT is also distinct in many ways
from other therapies. CBT places less emphasis on identifying,
understanding, and changing underlying beliefs about the self and the
self in relationship to substance abuse. It focuses instead on
learning and practicing a variety of coping skills, only some of
which are cognitive. A greater emphasis is also placed on using
behavioral coping strategies, especially early in therapy. CBT tries
to change what the client both does and thinks. |
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B. Methamphetamine
Recovery Support Groups |
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There are currently no particular pharmacological treatments for
dependence on amphetamine-like drugs such as methamphetamine. The
current pharmacological approach is borrowed from experience with
treatment of cocaine dependence. Unfortunately, this approach has not
met with much success since no single agent has proven efficacious in
controlled clinical studies. Antidepressant medications are helpful
in combating the depressive symptoms frequently seen in
methamphetamine users who recently have been abstinent.
There are some established protocols that emergency room
physicians use to treat individuals who have had a methamphetamine
overdose. Because hyperthermia and convulsions are common and often
fatal complications of such overdoses, emergency room treatment
focuses on the immediate physical symptoms. Overdose patients are
cooled off in ice baths, and anticonvulsant drugs may be administered also.
Acute methamphetamine intoxication can often be handled by
observation in a safe, quiet environment. In case of extreme
excitement or panic, treatment with anti-anxiety agents such as
benzodiazepines has been helpful, and in cases of
methamphetamine-induced psychoses, short-term use of neuroleptics has
proven successful.
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References: |
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Pa. Department of Health, Bureau of Drug and
Alcohol Programs |
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U. S. Department of Health and Human Services:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
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National Institute on Drug Abuse |
Epidemiologic
Trends in Drug Abuse Advance Report, December
2002
Drug Availability Estimates in the United States, December 2002
Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse, Street
Terms: Drugs and Drug Trade, 2002 |
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