You Should Fear Meth Because it Rhymes with Death

The broadest category in which meth falls under would be a stimulant. Ingesting the drug causes the brain to go into hyper-drive as it becomes more alert. Blood pressure skyrockets and the heart starts to race. The mind travels incredibly fast, and a person could become extremely anxious and disoriented. In many ways, the use of methamphetamine is similar to the use of cocaine although studies suggest meth is even more powerful and addictive.

Methamphetamine is sometimes confused with the capsule stimulant amphetamine (“speed“). Meth is similar but different from the pills. The chemical composition is somewhat the same, but meth is taken in the form of a crystal powder. The powder can be snorted or heated with liquids or injected. The powder can also be altered, so the substance is suitable to be smoked in a pipe.

The smokable form of the drug is extremely addictive and extremely dangerous. Currently, smoking “ice” has reached pandemic levels, and it does not seem the scourge will be abated anytime soon.

Overdosing on meth does not take very much regarding pure amounts. 50mgs is all that is required for the average person to suffer from an overdose when smoking or snorting. The number was easy for a desperate addict to use in short period.  Of course, this is one of the main reasons to fear meth.

The fatalities associated with a methamphetamine overdose include a heart attack, a stroke, or a brain hemorrhage. Once these conditions manifest, even with immediate attention, a person might not be saved. Even surviving the situation could prove very troubling as the after effects could inflict severe disabilities. Brain damage is a possibility if the person is unconscious and not breathing for some time.

Acute overdoses are not the only way a person could suffer from the aforementioned adverse effects. Long term, chronic use inevitably increases the risk of a heart attack, stroke or brain hemorrhage.

Ignoring the Warning Signs

Treatment for problems related to meth addiction is minimal. Simply put, someone who suffers from a serious and severe addiction to meth is more concerned with feeding an addiction rather than seeking medical help for various ailments.

A person could be suffering from consistent chest pains, a final warning sign of a heart attack. However, the addict ignores the problem and continues to use. Again, concerns over health problems are not exactly going to mean much to the person suffering from meth addiction.

The pure nature of addiction is to continue to use a drug even though visible signs of the harm the drug is doing remain clearly present.

There is another factor that could contribute to the need to fear meth. People can, and do, get into car accidents or other serious mishaps while under the influence of meth. These figures are not factored in with the 15,000 deaths due to an overdose.