How Methamphetamine Affects People’s Lives
Meth use can take over lives in various ways. There are three main levels of abuse:
Low-Intensity Meth Abuse: Low-intensity abusers swallow or snort methamphetamine. They want the extra stimulation methamphetamine provides so they can stay awake long enough to finish a task or a job, or they want the appetite-suppressant effect to lose weight. They are one step away from becoming binge* abusers.
Binge Meth Abuse: Binge abusers smoke or inject methamphetamine with a needle. This allows them to receive a more intense dose of the drug and experience a stronger rush that is psychologically addictive. Continued use puts a person on the verge of moving into high-intensity abuse.
High-Intensity Meth Abuse: The high-intensity abusers are the meth addicts. Their whole existence focuses on preventing the crash, that painful letdown after the drug high. In order to achieve the desired rush from the drug, they must take more and more of it. But as with other drugs, each successive high is less than the one before, plunging the meth addict into a dark and deadly spiral of addiction.
* binge: excessively or uncontrollably using a substance in a concentrated period of time
How much do you really know about crystal meth?
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