MIGUEL, NICK & WILL

METHAMPHETAMINE

WHAT IS IT?

• It is a central nervous system stimulant. It is used medically to treat several issues such as narcolepsy, hyperkinesia, and to maintain regular blood pressure. It Is also used as an illegal drug or by prescription.

• Has more rapid and longer lasting affects than amphetamine.

COMMON SYMPTOMS AND CONSEQUENCES

• Abuse of methamphetamine has many negative consequences. A very common impact on this drug is addiction. When addicted to this drug, abusers have the desire to continue taking this drug very often. Addicted users show many various symptoms to this drug such as anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances as well as violent behaviour.

• Another common issue for abusing this drug are many psychotic traits including paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions.

• Long term effects include: changes in brain function, memory loss, weight loss and severe dental problems.

WHY IS THIS DRUG TAKEN?

• There are many reasons why individuals about this type of drug such as:

• They didn’t know it was methamphetamine

• Peer pressure

• They may have been misinformed about it

• Different high from other drugs

• They already take a specific drug and want to try something new

HOW IS METHAMPHETAMINE TAKEN? • Math is normally taken orally, it is either smoked, snorted or dissolved in water or alcohol

• Can also be injected, by injecting the drug, it delivers the drug very quickly to the brain where it produces an intense high.

• After it is taken, there are stages of this experience; the rush, the high, the binge, the crash, meth hangover, withdrawal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1BSbiEx4k4

Before and after pictures

HOW METHAMPHETAMINE AFFECTS YOUR BRAIN• Learning – Methamphetamine can cause long lasting cognitive

impairment, compromising the user’s ability to learn and perform basic verbal tasks, as well as affecting basic motor skills.

• Tolerance- the brain quickly builds up a tolerance to Methamphetamine setting up the cycle for dependence where users need the drug in order to feel pleasure, or simply to overcome the “crash.” Over time, meth causes anhedonia, the inability to experience pleasure

• High- Meth floods the brain with dopamine, the neurotransmitter that produces pleasure. It first overstimulates the brain to create an intense rush, and then causes an extreme, rebound low. Meth also initiates changes to the brain that severely impair the user’s ability to experience pleasure

• Paranoia- users often suffer from paranoia, a delusional disorder in which the person is irrational, hyper-alert, and has an overarching feeling of being in constant danger. Paranoia can set in within the first few months of use.

• Delusions & hallucinations –meth can make people hear voices, see things that aren’t really there or even believe they feel things like bugs crawling under their skin. Users also often suffer from persecutory delusions – believing other people are out to get them or that they’re under surveillance.

• Obsessive behaviour- meth users can become obsessed with one thing for hours or perform repetitive tasks over and over because meth disrupts the brain’s inhibitory control- the brain’s brakes – so users can’t stop.

• Judgement – meth impairs the frontal lobe, which governs judgement, impulsive control, and the ability to determine

consequences. Unable to think rationally, meth user do things that they would have thought possible to do before.

• Memory- Methamphetamine damages short and long term memory by changing the structure of the brain. Users talk about not being able to recall long stretches of time and struggle to remember things day to day.

• Aggression- methamphetamine overstimulates the amygdala- the emotional control center of the brain- and compromises brain circuits needed to control behaviour and an amped-up state filled with anxiety and paranoia make users prone to aggression and violence

• Addiction- meth hooks people faster than almost any other illegal drug. Using meth trains the brain to see meth as the only way to feel good, no matter what problems it causes.

• Uncontrollable behaviour –meth use can cause involuntary facial and body movements-including twitching and repetitive ticks, writhing, jerky, and flailing movements, tremors and convulsions.

http://www.methproject.org/answers/what-does-meth-do-to-your-brain.html#The-Brain-on-Meth

METHAMPHETAMINE CASE STUDY• Leo is an eight-year-old son of divorced parents, Steve and Elizabeth. Elizabeth and

Steve both shared custody of Leo.

• Leo’s parents both lived In the same town of about 800 people in central Nebraska

• Leo’s dad Steve has concerns that Leo has been usually irritable and has had problems focusing on his homework

• As he brings his concerns to Leo’s primary care provider Nancy Carter, she brings Leo in for a visit

• Nancy states Leo had a decrease in his weight loss, he was easily distracted and also she noticed a strange smell of cat urine in the room

• Leo’s dad Steve then shared that he had noticed when he comes from his moms that his clothes are dirty and said that his teacher at school has also said that there has been a huge decrease in his grades and effort, also saying he is very hungry at lunch but never in the morning.

• As Nancy and Steve looked further in to it they noticed Elizabeth hasn’t shown for meetings or has not brought Leo to school activities

METHAMPHETAMINE CASE STUDY CONTINUED • Leo’s dad then says he has a concern for the “company” is ex-wife is now living with,

stating that he has noticed a huge change in Elizabeth's personality over the last few months such as dramatic weight loss, paranoia and extreme irritability.

• Steve then stated that he has heard around town that she is a “methamphetamine head” and is also “making stuff”.

• Steve has not yet brought his concerns to the authorities but wonders what actually is going on over there and if Leo is being drugged.

• This case study of Leo and his parents is a great example for our topic “Methamphetamine” because it really gives us a perspective of what its actually really like for some kids in life. Methamphetamine is a very serious drug an can cause many long term affects to your organs but more importantly to your brain if it does not end up killing you first. This case study shows us from Leo even just being around a cooking area for methamphetamine caused many affects to his health by weight loss and not eating healthy and a lack of focus with communication. So the point kids is to not do hard drugs because they will leave you with affects to your body that are unimaginable.

TRINA'S STORY

• http://www.methproject.org/answers/what-does-meth-do-to-your-brain.html#Trinas-Story

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