Methamphetamine abuse often results in severe physical and mental damage. Chronic methamphetamine abusers can become violent, anxious and depressed. Psychosis, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations and delusions, is also possible.
Longtime, regular use can cause violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, auditory hallucinations, mood swings, delusions and paranoia.
Brain damage caused by excessive meth use is similar to Alzheimer's disease, stroke and epilepsy.
Research shows that chronic meth use can cause a variety of cardiovascular problems, including rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure and irreversible, stroke-producing damage to small blood vessels in the brain. Elevated body temperature (hyperthermia) and convulsions sometimes occur with a meth overdose and, if not treated immediately, can result in death.
Recent studies of chronic meth abusers have revealed severe structural and functional deficits in parts of the brain associated with emotion, specifically depression and anxiety, as well as memory.
A recent neuron-imaging study of meth abusers showed partial recovery of brain function in some brain regions following protracted abstinence, associated with improved performance on motor and verbal memory tests. However, function in other regions did not show recovery even after two years of abstinence. This suggests that some methamphetamine-induced changes are very long-lasting.
National Institute on Drug Abuse |
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