What is Crystal Meth?
Crystal methamphetamine or just “meth” is an illegally manufactured amphetamine. Like all amphetamines, legal or illegal it is a potent and highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It is most commonly seen as a crystalline whitish powder or in pieces of semi-translucent crystal sometimes called ‘shards’.
Crystal meth addiction is a harrowing experience for millions of people, regardless of how they choose to consume the drug. Dependence sets in early and the drug often takes a frightening grip on its users. Meth is usually consumed in one of three ways, smoking, injecting (as a solution) or snorting. Much less common is swallowing or ingestion.
How is Crystal Meth Used?
- Smoking: This is the most common method of crystal meth use. The drug is typically smoked in a small glass pipe. Heating the crystal produces vapors that are inhaled directly into the lungs. This method delivers the drug quickly to the brain, producing an intense and immediate high.
- Injection: Some users dissolve crystal meth in water and inject it directly into the bloodstream using a needle. This method also produces immediate effects but carries significant risks, including infection, transmission of diseases like HIV or Hepatitis C if needles are shared, and the potential for overdose.
- Snorting: Crystal meth can be crushed into a powder and snorted through the nose. This method results in a slower onset of effects compared to smoking or injecting, but it still leads to a high.
- Swallowing: Some users swallow the drug by either mixing it into a drink or (rarely) putting it into capsules to be swallowed. When swallowed, crystal meth takes longer to take effect, but the effects typically last longer. This holds true for almost any drug which is swallowed rather than smoked or injected.
Crystal Meth Addiction in Ohio
Like many midwestern states with large rural areas, Ohio has been hit especially hard by America’s crystal methamphetamine epidemic. The combination of large rural areas, unemployment and economic decline are believed to have contributed to this. The COVID epidemic also led to increased isolation and depression, which many health experts believe helped fuel an increase in both Ohio’s meth addiction rate and its overdose deaths.
Some sobering facts about crystal meth addiction in Ohio:
- The percentage of overdose deaths in Ohio involving meth is up over 400% since 2015.
- Fentanyl is beginning to be seen in Ohio’s meth, which could contribute to OD deaths.
- As of 2021 more than 25% of Ohio’s overdose deaths involved crystal meth.
- Ohio saw 1,060 meth-related overdose deaths in 2020 alone.
Where Does Crystal Meth Come From?
Crystal methamphetamine, (C10H15N) was first manufactured in Japan in 1919, but it wouldn’t become a popular drug of abuse until many decades later and an ocean away. What began as a drug popular mostly among California biker gangs in the 1970s and early 80s has spread throughout the United States with devastating effects.
Today crystal meth addiction is a serious problem in all 50 states, including Ohio.
The primary chemicals involved in its production are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, hydriodic acid, and red phosphorus. The process of creating meth is not only illegal but also highly dangerous due to the toxicity of the chemicals used. Explosions and fires sometimes occur in its production, particularly in smaller, amateur meth labs in the rural U.S.
Through the 1990s and 2000s, increasingly sophisticated organized crime syndicates began to overtake smaller biker gangs and amateur rural labs as the primary producers of crystal meth. This helped to not only spread the availability of the drug but also increase its potency and purity and increase the number of people addicted to crystal meth exponentially.
What Are The Effects of Crystal Meth Addiction?
Crystal Meth is a highly potent and addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It can have severe short-term and long-term effects on both physical and mental health.
Upon ingestion, Crystal Meth stimulates the release of large amounts of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain, which is involved in reward, motivation, the experience of pleasure, and motor function. This leads to an intense rush of euphoria or a ‘high’ in the user.
Physical Effects:
- Increased Heart Rate and Blood Pressure: Crystal meth stimulates the cardiovascular system, leading to increased heart rate and blood pressure. This can cause chest pain, irregular heartbeat, and even heart attacks in some cases.
- Hyperthermia: The drug can raise body temperature to dangerous levels, which can lead to heatstroke.
- Decreased Appetite: Users often experience a loss of appetite, leading to malnutrition and weight loss.
Psychological Effects:
- Elevated Mood and Increased Activity: Users often feel an initial wave of confidence, hyperactivity, and energy.
- Insomnia: Crystal Meth can cause restlessness and insomnia. Heavier meth users are known to go for several days without sleep, which often exacerbates other psychological side effects like psychosis, hallucinations, agitation and paranoia.
- Paranoia and Hallucinations: Users may experience hallucinations, severe anxiety, confusion, and paranoia along with symptoms of psychosis.
Consequences and Long-Term Effects of Crystal Meth Addiction
Long-Term Physical Health Effects of Crystal Meth Addiction:
- Organ Damage: Prolonged use can lead to severe kidney, liver and lung damage.
- “Meth Mouth”: Users often suffer from extreme tooth decay and gum disease, a condition known as “meth mouth.”
- Severe Weight Loss: Chronic users often suffer from drastic weight loss due to suppressed appetite over time.
Long-Term Mental Health Effects of Crystal Meth Addiction:
- Brain Damage: Long-term use can alter the brain’s dopamine system and reduce the amount of dopamine available, leading to motor and cognitive deficits similar to those seen in Parkinson’s disease.
- Psychosis: Chronic use can lead to a state of persistent psychosis, characterized by paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions.
- Dependence and Addiction: Due to its highly addictive nature, medium to long-term use very often leads to substance dependence and addiction. The person who can “flirt” with using crystal meth and avoid falling into addiction is exceedingly rare and the risks are tremendous.
Many of us have seen the infamous “Faces of Meth” photo galleries consisting of mug shots of meth users arrested over several years. Without fail, they all look more and more emaciated and unhealthy with time, with scrapes, scabs and meth sores appearing on their faces.
It would be helpful if these alarming depictions of the consequences of meth use were enough to steer most people away from using the drug in the first place. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case and millions of Americans are currently living with an addiction to crystal meth.
Crank vs. Meth: What’s the Difference?
The term crank was more commonly used in the 1980s and 90s when smaller amateur labs were still a major source of crystal meth. This slang name is believed to have originated in trucker culture, as the drug was popular with over-the-road truck drivers, especially before widespread drug testing became the norm in the professional trucking industry.
“Crank” usually refers to a specific type of crystal meth, the less pure, “dirty” form made in small home labs using over-the-counter antihistamines containing pseudoephedrine as a precursor ingredient. Rather than the pure white or bluish-white, clear crystals of purer crystal meth, crank often had a yellow, tan or brownish tinge to it due to the impurities and inferior manufacturing methods.
This type of crystal meth is much less common today for two main reasons. One, authorities have cracked down on over-the-counter antihistamine (pseudoephedrine) sales making it much harder to produce. The other is that larger-scale meth labs bankrolled by drug cartels and organized crime have dominated the market pushing small-scale amateur makers out.
Getting Help For An Addiction to Crystal Meth
Everything you’ve read so far about crystal meth addiction might seem discouraging. There is no getting around the fact that this is a dangerous drug and people who use it regularly often struggle to break free from the grips of crystal meth. However, it’s also true that millions of people have successfully recovered from an addiction to crystal meth.
Treatment for meth addiction is multifaceted, often involving behavioral therapies and sometimes medication-assisted treatment (MAT). While there are currently no government-approved medications to treat meth addiction directly, research is ongoing. A Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), like the one we offer at Redemption Recovery, is often the first stop for someone seeking recovery from meth addiction as an inpatient detox isn’t always necessary.
Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment Methods
Many patients do benefit from pharmacological treatment with antidepressants which can help rebalance brain chemistry. This is an important part of meth addiction recovery along with restoring physical health by introducing a nutritious diet including vitamin and mineral supplements to restore depleted stores in the body.
Behavioral therapies, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and contingency management interventions, have proven effective. These methods focus on modifying the patient’s thinking, expectations, and behaviors while increasing skills to manage stress and triggers.
Recovery is a lifelong process, a lifestyle if you will. Entering crystal meth treatment at Redemption Recovery’s PHP and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is an excellent way to build a firm foundation for a life in recovery. Our clients receive top-notch therapy and addiction education that not only helps stabilize them but sets them up for continued success and progress long after treatment is completed.
Treatment for Crystal Meth Addiction in Ohio
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