Your son is acting strangely. He has periods of extreme activity and seems agitated or upset. He is losing weight and has no appetite. He has sores on his face and arms and continues to dig at them as though bugs are crawling on his skin and he cannot get them off. You’ve noticed the behavior increasing over time and you suspect substance abuse. You start finding evidence that your suspicions are true – empty soda cans with holes in the sides, crumpled pieces of aluminum foil, and his manner has changed. You find yourself facing a harsh, upsetting reality. Your son is using “meth,” and you’re not sure how to go about helping him or if you even can.
In order to help your loved one struggling with meth addiction, it is important to understand “meth” and why it is such a popular drug of choice.
The use of Methamphetamine, or meth, continues to gain popularity with young adults. The stress of a fast paced lifestyle and the urge to have more energy often contributes to the desire to try meth for the first time. Methamphetamine is an intense stimulant that can last anywhere from 8 to 10 hours when it is ingested. Meth provides a fast, strong euphoria followed by a long, less intense euphoric phase. Meth is so addicting that users can become addicted within a few uses. Meth is easy to obtain and, according to HealthResearchFunding.org, costs about $25 for one hit, which equates to about a quarter of a gram. HealthResearchFunding.org also states that the first high from Methamphetamine is so pleasurable and intense that users feel compelled to keep chasing that high, trying again and again to replicate it. For a meth user, the craving is constant.
