Wednesday, January 27, 2016

METH - Methamphetamine Use

Meth is one of the most addictive substances in the United States. Many people have reported getting addicted to meth in as little as one use. Meth releases more than three times the amount of dopamine that cocaine does, highlighting how addictive it is.
The rush of dopamine from meth abuse is much higher than the natural amount of dopamine produced in the brain. This reinforces the behavior of abuse and likelihood of binging. After the reward system is rewired, the cravings for meth often take over a person’s life. Overcoming a meth addiction is difficult because the drug hijacks the brain reward system, impairing healthy decision-making.
A burning question I've had over the years.  

WHY would anyone begin using a drug like Meth? 

My first encounter with this question came when I was just 30 years old.  Upon visiting a long time friend whom I'd admired, loved and felt she was a perfect role-model mom I discovered what the effects of what this chemical cocktail can do.

When I was still living close to her I recognized how an attentive mother she was,  she kept a tidy home, great cook, good listener and close friend. Our family moved and as life gets busy with our own families it had been over 5 years since we'd had contact. 

I do remember how excited I was to pull into her driveway expecting to catch up on where we'd left off.   Ready to enjoy sharing the tales of growing our families and ideas.  What I found that day as she opened the door was an entirely different person.  A person that shared no resemblance to my dear friend.  Not only was I in shock, but my heart was broken.

My first question of course was, What happened to her?  That was quickly answered at another friend's house just a few blocks away.  They informed me that my friend had taken up with a few people that were meth users.

Over the years I've witnessed many that have changed significantly after using meth.  Old school friends, friends of friends, people in the communities and many stories from others witnessing this change in people.  It is almost like they seem to cross over into another place in their mannerisms, their personalities, ideals, and even with a noticeable decline in health.

It saddens me greatly to lose so many people to something as crazy as using a substance as unstable as this drug.  And this heavy heart only directs me back to my question that drives me here today.  WHY would someone, anyone, choose to use something as well known to the public to cause so many side effects? Why?

The following below is what I've come up with so far.  Anyone with additional helpful information or resources that can shed light on how best to help others, please feel free to leave your information in the comment section below.   Thank You! ~Vickie

Crystal meth addiction is difficult to kick because it stimulates the reward centers of the brain. Once away from the drug, patients can experience extreme depression. 

Causes and Risk Factors of Methamphetamine Use

Genetic: Since everyone is a product of their parents, those individuals who have parents with addiction struggles will be much more susceptible to addiction. This effect is particularly strong when the relative was addicted to a stimulant.

Physical: Dopamine, a chemical responsible for communication in the brain, has been linked to experiences of pleasure. Methamphetamine stimulates certain areas of the brain, causing a large amount of dopamine to be released, leading to the brain’s reward center communicating a sudden rush of pleasure. This experience of exhilaration can lead to an addiction.

Environmental: Sometimes people experience a number of negative life events in a relatively short period and are unable to cope with them. Feelings of being overwhelmed may lead to a sense of hopelessness and cause them to turn toward substances such as meth to make themselves feel better. Additionally, peer pressure is a huge factor on drug use. Those children who belong to a social group where drugs are seen as cool and accepted are more likely to use meth and become addicted.

Psychosocial: Some research has shown that there are certain personalities that are more likely to become dependent on meth, such as having an aggressive personality. Additionally, children who lack self-confidence and self-esteem are more likely to turn to drugs in order to fill some type of void.

Once methamphetamine is abused, it causes negative changes in personality, which can lead to even more destructive behavior.

For courses on meth, please call Kameron. 8015975264

Source:  https://www.facebook.com/appleenviro/posts/858344887612563?fref=nf 
Apple Environmental Meth Remover Solution for the Removal of Meth

People may try meth out of curiosity, in search of a high or even to lose weight. They may continue using it because of the energy and euphoria it produces, not recognizing its seriously addictive potential.

*****************************************************

Crystal meth, also known as crystal methamphetamine, and informally as ice, tina, crystal, redneck cocaine, crank or glass, is a colorless form of d-methamphetamine, a powerful synthetic stimulant which is highly addictive.

 *****************************************************

Brain Damage Caused By Meth 
Looks a Lot Like Schizophrenia
By John Lavitt 11/20/14

Australian researchers found that meth caused the same structural damage seen in the brains of schizophrenics.
A new study published by Australian researchers from the University of Sydney reveals how the methamphetamine-induced sensitization of the brain looks a lot like schizophrenia.

By examining alterations to the prefrontal cortex, the researchers were surprised to find the neurological changes induced by methamphetamine use to be extraordinarily similar to the brains of schizophrenics. The structural damage and protein alterations seen in schizophrenia appeared in the brain after methamphetamine-induced sensitization.

Published in the Journal of Proteome Research, the ultimate focus of the study was more focused on the implications for the maintenance of psychotic disorders than on methamphetamine treatment. A proteome is the entire set of proteins expressed by a specific organism at a certain time. More specifically, it is the set of expressed proteins in a given type of cell or organism at a given time under defined conditions. By examining the proteome layout in the prefrontal cortex, damage done by genetic psychotic disorders or external abuse factors like drugs and injuries can be gauged.  

In the study, the Australian researchers worked with rats. They found that repeat administration of methamphetamine to the rats led to a progressive increase in locomotor activity in the form of a behavioral sensitization. Such a behavioral sensitization is similar to the underlying neurochemical changes driving traditional psychoses like schizophrenia. The behavioral changes are the direct result of alterations to the prefrontal cortex of the brain.

The original aim of the current study was to investigate changes to protein expression in the prefrontal cortex in male rats sensitized to methamphetamine. Twenty percent of the neural proteins affected by the methamphetamine have previously been implicated in the neurobiology of schizophrenia. 

From synaptic regulation to mitochondrial function, the changes in the brain caused by methamphetamines had only been seen before in the brains of schizophrenics. Future treatment of schizophrenia could be improved by avoiding the stimulation associated with methamphetamine use.



Meth and Parkinson's Disease

 “We found that meth/amphetamine users had a 76% increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in comparison to a matched population-proxy control group,” the researchers wrote in a paper published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. ........

People hospitalised for abuse of methamphetamines like crystal meth or ice have a 76% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to those with no drug addiction, a study has found.
Parkinson’s disease begins with degeneration of certain brain cells and causes trembling, stiff muscles and an inability to coordinate body movements normally.

Methamphetamines produce a feeling of intense euphoria by boosting levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain.

Because Parkinson’s disease symptoms appear when dopamine producing cells stop functioning normally, scientists had long suspected a link with meth use but had been unable to prove it because Parkinson’s typically develops in middle and old age. Methamphetamine addiction is a relatively recent phenomenon.


Blood is the best way to detect metamphetamine and if possible, muscle tissues show fairly the same amount of metamphetamine traces as blood. Over time, meth damages neuron cell endings. In living, one can usually expect the decaying teeth, respiratory problems, anorexia and paranoia.