Meth addiction signs and symptoms are sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle. The drug itself is harsh and volatile, which means living with meth addiction is not easy to hide like many other drugs. When people consistently take small doses of crystal meth, they can manage their chemical dependency for a time. However, addiction always evolves beyond manageability. As a severe synthetic drug, crystal meth can completely change the way someone looks and acts.
Physical Signs of Meth Addiction
Physically, meth drains the body of its natural nutrients and minerals, essentially causing the body to decay. Meth addicts tend to lose a drastic amount of weight in a short amount of time. Due to being stimulated for days, the body is exhausted and often malnourished. For the skin, meth can cause two issues that change the face. First, meth causes hyperfocus and stimulation as well as heightened obsessive thinking. “Picking” at one’s skin can feel like it only lasts a few minutes when it really lasts for hours. Scars, acne, and scabs on the face can be a sign of meth addiction. Some of the meth addiction symptoms include developing a pasty-like texture and turning it into a grey-like color.
Physical signs of meth addiction can also be found in the teeth. Methamphetamine, often called “glass” or “crystal,” can come in shard-like pieces. Smoking meth is smoking chemicals which are highly reactive and damaging. Smoking meth also means ingesting what disintegrating shards of glass causes damage to gums and teeth. Gingivitis and tooth decay isn’t just in the beginning stages of meth addiction. Gums can turn black, and teeth can completely rot until they fall out.
Behavioral Signs of Meth Addiction
Meth is a central nervous system stimulant drug that causes extremely erratic behavior. Meth does not interact with any particular area of the brain but all of them. As a synthetic drug, there is never a guarantee of what the meth is made out of or what specifically the effects will be. Some behavioral meth addiction symptoms include having extreme energy and staying awake and focusing for days at a time, loss of mind-body coordination, hyperactivity, and paranoia. In extreme cases, meth addiction can result in psychosis, with permanent hallucinations and visual disturbances, slurred speech, and dissociation from reality.
Design For Change offers detox and residential treatment programs in addition to many other recovery services to support your journey to recovery. If you or a loved one are struggling with meth addiction, there is hope. Everyone is capable of recovery. For more information, call us today at 855-997-1372.
