Am I Addicted To Meth

All too often people get caught up in a meth addiction before they can really recognize and become aware of what’s happening. It’s important to catch on to an addiction as early as possible in order to prevent a worsening of addiction. Meth is a hard drug to quit and notoriously addictive as well. Many people start out using meth, not expecting to become as addicted and hooked on it as they end up being. It’s one of those mysteriously insidious drugs that seems to hook user upon user with no regard to how the person’s health and life will turn out. There are tons of horror stories in relation to this drug, and a lot of them end up with the addict in financial ruin over this stuff. It really is a dangerous drug in many ways.

Determining on whether or not you are in fact addicted to meth is hugely necessary in order to get clean and stay there. Getting clean requires getting out of denial on the matter. Knowing if you are addicted to meth is a needed step in order to move forward and progress in recovering. Of course, if you’ve only used meth recreationally and aren’t actually addicted to it, then that’s a different story and all that is required is to stop use in its track before addiction and dependance can set in.

You may not be able to differentiate between being hooked on it and having merely tried the drug out. And that’s okay. You may still be asking yourself the question: Am I addicted to meth? Well, there are various things to look at and keep in mind when trying to determine if you are suffering from an addiction to meth.

Signs Of Meth Addiction: Determining Your Problem

Let’s look at some of the signs of meth addiction in order to accurately determine if you have a problem or not. It’s important to keep yourself informed of the warning signs and catch something like this as early as you can. The earlier you get treatment, the more effective it can be simply because of the fact that you aren’t as deeply pulled into the addiction. However, even the most hardcore addicts have been able to pull themselves out of a deep, and intense addiction with the right kind of support and treatment required. So it’s never too late.

One sign to keep in mind is that a person using meth will have an inordinate amount of energy. Now this might not be a particularly obvious sign if the person was energetic to begin with. However, if we are dealing with a relatively calm, laid back individual then being super energetic could stand out as a legitimate sign.

Another sign to look at is within the person’s sleeping habits. Meth won’t necessarily eradicate those haggard looks that come about with no sleep, but meth will prevent one from sleeping more than a couple of hours per night at the most.

Money is one major sign to look out for. If someone is having a meth problem, most likely they’re having a problem with money as well. This is because meth is so powerfully addictive that the addict will be spending undue amounts of money on the drug in order to keep up the habit. People end up in large amounts of debt over meth. Just like other drugs, and even though meth is generally a cheap drug, it still costs a lot to keep up with an addiction. It truly depends on the level of addiction, but most of the time the person will end up financially messed up. This also has to do with the fact that there’s a certain stage in meth use when the person can no longer get high. At this stage eve though the right thing to do would let their body crash and get some sleep, they normally go out and buy more drugs in a desperate attempt to get a high. They might end up spending a lot of money to no avail.

Meth mouth is another thing to look out for. If your teeth are falling out and/or deteriorating then you’re addicted to meth. Meth addiction puts a dent on the health of your teeth and gums.

Having social problems is really an easy sign to see. When you’re struggling with a meth addiction, you’re going to be gradually withdrawing from the sober people and groups that you would have normally associated with had you not been doing meth. It might not be a sudden drop in social interaction but eventually you will become totally distant from those you were once close with. There are many psychological reasons behind this, I’m sure. But the main reason is that you’re doing something that these people probably wouldn’t agree with, and you’re hiding a serious problem and addiction from them. So naturally you aren’t going to feel as comfortable in these peoples’ presence.

Meth Comedown And Some Additional Warning Signs

When someone is coming down from meth it can be a pretty intense process. First of all, right when they are coming down they will experience the “crash”. The crash is when they will have intense lethargy and sleep over a long period of time. This can last one to three days. When they wake up they’re going to feel extremely exhausted in every way imaginable (mentally, physically, emotionally, etc.). This part of the comedown can last up to two weeks, depending. The person will have an increased appetite and usually put back on all the lost weight from having used the drug. They will be paranoid, get a lot of anxiety and sometimes experience psychosis. They will get a deep and intense depression, usually resulting in a condition where they feel they can’t get pleasure from anything they do. It’s a really unfortunate state to be in. The comedown is difficult and intense and too often people don’t go through this period smoothly which sometimes leads them to further drug use. Clearly that’s not the answer. Once they get over the comedown then they have the opportunity to really face life in a sober way and will eventually be able to enjoy life as much as they once did.

Another sign to look out for is strong cravings. If you are getting strong cravings that lead to further use then chances are you are a meth addict. It’s really a pretty simple judgment call.

The withdrawal symptoms are nausea, dry mouth, sweating, insomnia, fatigue and mood swings. If you can pinpoint what you are going through and whether or not it mirrors these symptoms then you might be a meth addict.

Some additional signs to look out for are teeth grinding, dry skin, dry gums, brittle hair and/or hair loss, sores on the body from constant picking and a sunken-in face.

If you suspect that you’re a meth addict, just look at all the symptoms which are pointed out in this and determine for yourself what you think it is that you are going through. After spotting that you have a problem, if that is the case, then it’s vital you seek treatment as soon as you can. Facing the problem head on is the best way to go and the sooner the better.

By Robert O. Newman II, ICDAC, ICPS, CIP