Although most drugs spread from the city to rural areas, the stimulant crystal meth has the opposite effect. Meth has its roots in rural areas because of the way it is produced.

Meth is sold in crystalline form, which regularly appears like glass shards varying in color from clear, to cloudy white, to light blue. The drug is usually smoked using an apparatus designed specifically for meth, but it can also be insufflated, inhaled or injected intravenously.

Crystal meth users will experience an intense burst of energy immediately upon ingestion. The user will become extremely alert and hyperactive with a profound increase in physical activity.

It is common for meth users to have progressed to the drug from other stimulants, such as cocaine or crack cocaine, and what strikes these users is just how much more powerful crystal meth is than those drugs.

In fact, crystal meth is exponentially more powerful than just about any other stimulant.

Side effects of Crystal Meth use can lead to some of the following symptoms:

Continued use of the drug creates a dependency in the body due to an adjustment to the constant presence of the substance in the system.

Meth Effects on Teeth

Extreme tooth decay is a common sign of meth abuse. The drug reduces the amount of protective saliva around the teeth, which allows the mouth’s acids to eat away at the tooth enamel, causing cavities.

Crystal Meth users will have blackened, stained, or rotting teeth, which often can’t be saved, even among young or short-term users.

Meth Effects on Skin

Meth users’ skin can start to deteriorate because they frequently hallucinate that they’ve got insects creeping on top of or underneath their skin.

The person will pick or scratch, trying to get rid of the imaginary “crank bugs.” Soon, the face and arms are covered with open sores that could get infected.

Meth Effects on the Brain

Crystal meth abuse can lead to emotional and memory damages in the brain.

The drug also alters brain functions including the decision-making process, weakening the ability to control routine behaviors. This makes it very difficult to treat a meth user as they will have a higher risk of relapse.

Long term meth use creates a dependency on the drug to produce energy for the body, as the brain stops calling for the production of natural sources of energy.

Other Long Term Meth Side Effects Include:

Users may become psychotic and experience paranoia, mood disturbances, and delusions. The paranoia may even make the person think about killing themselves or someone else.

Crystal meth is highly dangerous in its addictive properties. When stopped using, one can experience some of the following withdrawal symptoms:

Due to the fact that it is a central nervous system stimulant, one of the main withdrawal symptoms is deep drowsiness and a lack of energy. Because many addicts stay awake for days to weeks at a time on the drug they report a struggle to stay awake while withdrawing from the drug.

Crystal meth also tends to eliminate its users appetites and as a result many people going through withdrawals report extreme hunger.

Crystal meth detox length can be hard to determine as there are a lot of factors in the time needed for different people to detox.

The drug takes about ten hours to exit the body but it could take casual users 2-5 days to detox while heavy users may need up to 10 days.

Each individual has different needs, backgrounds, and experiences that cause them to react differently to the rehab process.

Some people may struggle more with the physical side of their addiction while others may be more affected by the mental aspects of quitting. For this reason, there are a variety of different types of treatment types.

Whether you are thinking about detox, inpatient or intensive outpatient treatment, speaking with a treatment specialist is best way to start the process to recovery from Crystal Meth Abuse.