Methamphetamine is a highly addictive psychostimulant. It is available as a white or brownish powder with visible crystals. This drug is mostly smoked, but it can also be taken by injection or in pills. Parents and those close to their users can recognize the signs of consuming this substance, in order to find immediate solutions and help the addict to get out of the drug tunnel. You too can recognize the signs of methamphetamine use by checking for physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Detecting Physical Signs
Step 1. Look for physical changes
Watch for any changes in the person's appearance. Physical signs are very common among those who abuse this substance, unlike other types of drugs which lead to less noticeable alterations. Put your observation skills into motion. Do you notice any differences in its appearance? Any physical illness or malaise? Some of the physical symptoms of methamphetamine use are:
- Excessive weight loss due to lack of appetite
- Dilated pupils
- Eyes that look droopy, tired or have dark circles (this may be due to lack of sleep)
- Muscle spasms in the eyes.
Step 2. Check for dental caries
This drug can adversely affect your teeth, turning them brown and causing tooth decay or "meth mouth". People may also have red or painful gums due to the damage caused by this substance.
- Teeth may appear rotten or brown;
- People may also lose some teeth.
- You can observe online pictures of people with "meth mouth" and compare them with the subject.
Step 3. Check for rows of holes in the skin or nosebleeds
You may notice clear markings on the arms if the person injects the drug, or frequent episodes of nosebleeds if he sniffs it. There may also be burn marks on the lips or fingers if the person smokes the drug with a metal pipe or a glass water pipe.
Step 4. Pay attention to bad body odor
If the person uses methamphetamine, they can smell very bad. This is due to a combination of drug use and the addict forgetting about personal hygiene when under the effects of the drug. Sometimes the smell is similar to that of ammonia.
Step 5. Identify the signs of premature aging
Users of this drug often look old ahead of time, due to the damage to the skin, which starts to become rough and itchy, as the hair begins to fall out.
Step 6. Look for skin lesions
These are very common among methamphetamine users, due to the fact that the subject tends to scratch their face compulsively.
- Check for open sores on your face.
- See if the person pinches or scratches their face.
- Often the lesions become infected by forming sores and scars.
Step 7. Identify long-term health problems
Those who use this substance are more susceptible to diseases, such as hypertension and heart problems; the consequence is death at a young age. Below is a list of some diseases that can be caused by the consumption of methamphetamine:
- Hypertension, i.e. high blood pressure;
- Tachycardia, rapid heartbeat;
- Hyperthermia, body temperature higher than normal;
- Heart attack, stroke, seizures, kidney / liver failure which can result from excessive consumption of methamphetamine;
- Breathing problems, such as bronchitis, when the drug is smoked
- Increased risk of contracting HIV or hepatitis C due to risky sexual behavior and sharing of needles.
Part 2 of 4: Psychological Symptoms
Step 1. Check out the immediate effects
Methamphetamine causes effects that last several hours or even a day, depending on how it is used. After consumption, the subject may experience:
- Euphoria (due to increased dopamine in the brain);
- Increased state of attention;
- Increased levels of cortisol (stress hormone);
- Decreased state of anxiety;
- Greater self-confidence;
- Improvement of attention and concentration;
- Decreased appetite;
- Hypersexuality or increased libido
- Increased energies;
- Hyperactivity - which may be noted by speech or inability to sleep
- A high dosage of this drug can cause: increased anxiety, restlessness, compulsive behaviors and tremors (physical agitation). The combination of these symptoms is sometimes referred to as "tweaking" by regular consumers in Anglo-Saxon countries.
Step 2. Check the signs in the long run
Psychological symptoms may also be noted which are generated by chemical changes in the brain. Among these you can also find those listed below and which indicate the consumption of methamphetamine:
- Reduced judgment or inhibitory systems;
- Hallucinations or delusions, for example the addict may see or hear things that others do not perceive;
- Aggressive behavior due to drug unavailability (for example starting a fight for no reason);
- Increased anxiety or depression;
- Paranoia or believing that someone is deliberately trying to harm
- Social isolation;
- Insomnia.
Step 3. Pay attention to a disturbed and irregular life
Social, occupational and functional problems are very common among drug abusers. The school, work and / or social life of people who use methamphetamine suffer greatly from this addiction. You can notice the effects of these alterations:
- By staying in touch with the subject's teachers, peers, and close friends. They can help you monitor your recent activities.
- By making contact with colleagues, if the subject is working. These people can describe their behavior to you in the workplace and inform you about their daily behaviors, for example by telling you the time of arrival and departure and so on.
- Observing the person's legal, social, and financial situations if you suspect that they are overusing methamphetamine. Poor social life, financial hardship and frequent problems with the law are common among drug abusers.
Step 4. Check to see if your reasoning skills have been weakened or compromised at all
You may notice impaired cognitive or memory capacity. Continued use of methamphetamine damages many brain cells, due to the numerous caustic chemicals that are used in the preparation of the drug and which can lead to impaired brain function and memory loss. In particular, it looks for:
- Difficulty in attention;
- Difficulty in activities that require the use of memory or the ability to solve problems
- Reduced decision-making skills.
Step 5. Look for signs of withdrawal
These occur when the regular user stops using the drug. Most of these symptoms typically arise around 7-10 days after consuming the substance. Symptoms of methamphetamine withdrawal are mostly psychological rather than physical, as is the case with other drugs, and include:
- Anhedonia or decreased motivation;
- Irritability, anxiety or depression
- Reduced tolerance for frustration;
- Reduced energy or feeling of exhaustion;
- Drowsiness;
- Impaired social functions;
- Inability to concentrate;
- Loss of sexual interest
- Possible thoughts of suicide or self-harm
- Intense drug craving that can last up to five weeks.
Part 3 of 4: Behavioral Indicators
Step 1. Pay attention to the subject's activities
It is very important to observe some of his activities for signs of methamphetamine abuse. Some of the typical social problems encountered in individuals who abuse this drug are:
- Increased sexual activity, often unprotected, triggered by the effects of the drug leading to confusion and inability to judge;
- Excessive aggression that causes relationship problems with parents, peers and siblings;
- Maintain contact with other drug addicts or with those who can easily procure drugs.
Step 2. Observe hyperactivity and impulsivity
These aspects, in addition to a reduced capacity for analysis, are typical of those who use methamphetamine. Pay attention to the person's behaviors and try to understand if they are unusual for their personality.
- Logorrhea. For example, the addict may end other people's speeches and give advice, even if they know nothing about the topic being discussed.
- When the subject is impulsive, he behaves not very cautiously and does not worry about the risks deriving from his actions.
Step 3. Pay attention to his financial difficulties
Users of this drug often have financial problems due to addiction. Some of them, for example, spend everything they have to buy it. Keep in mind that this is often a problem that mostly affects young people, as with only the "tip" left by their parents they cannot afford to buy drugs, so they have to find other ways to raise the necessary money. You can find that the person has economic problems from:
- Inability to meet financial needs due to overspending on drugs or related activities, such as buying them for a party. You may find that he does not pay his bills and is unable to afford normal expenses such as buying food.
- Too much debt due to constant requests for money from other people to finance the consumption of methamphetamine.
- Money problems with friends and peers due to the inability to pay off debts.
- Problems with parents and constant complaints about not having enough money.
- Inability to justify expenses when asked.
- Thefts.
Step 4. Look at the companies he frequents
Methamphetamine users tend to stick with other drug abusers themselves. This is one of the easiest ways to tell if the person is using psychotropic drugs. Generally the people he goes to have these characteristics:
- They abuse methamphetamine or other drugs;
- They manage to obtain drugs easily;
- They do not pose a threat to the addict, ie they will not go and report to family members that he is using drugs and will not criticize him for his addiction.
Step 5. Be aware that this person tends to be shy and withdrawn from others
When he takes the drug he can also stay in his room all day with the door closed, preventing anyone from entering. In addition, he behaves in a very reserved and reticent manner to hide his addiction.
Step 6. Look for drug use tools in your environment
If you find some typical accessories in his room or home, then you are faced with a clear sign that the person is using methamphetamine (or other drugs). Among the items you should look for are:
- The tube of a ballpoint pen or surgical catheter that can be used for snorting;
- A crumpled aluminum can;
- A bag containing white powder or crystals;
- A can of soda with a hole in one side;
- A syringe that can be used to inject the drug.
Part 4 of 4: Understanding the Behavior Patterns of Methamphetamine Users
Step 1. Know the behavioral patterns of casual consumers
This type of consumer uses methamphetamine only for fun and to obtain so-called benefits, such as a sense of great vitality, euphoria, increased attention span and a sense of power. He is not psychologically addicted to the drug and most of the time he ingests or sniffs it.
Regular consumers include truckers who have to stay vigilant while driving long distances, workers who have to stay awake all night or taxi drivers who work shifts, the housewife who has to juggle tasks at home, raise children and be a good wife or the "perfect" bride
Step 2. Recognize regular consumers
They abuse the drug and prefer to take it intravenously or smoke it. They do it to feel "euphoric" or to get aroused; they typically become psychologically and physically dependent and continue to consume the drug in large quantities.
Step 3. Recognize the signs of binge drinking
This type of consumer needs more methamphetamine every few hours to always feel "high" and has to take it for several days.
- After using it, this consumer feels mentally and physically active; he feels an enormous excitement but it abruptly subsides.
- Other typical symptoms of excessive drug use are: insomnia, hallucinations, paranoia, irritability and aggression for no reason.
- This category of consumers often exhibits compulsive and repetitive behaviors, such as selecting and cleaning objects.
- Several hours after the last large dose, the person may even sleep for several days.
