Prescription Drug Addiction, Programs and Treatment.

Though methamphetamine addiction is spread throughout all areas of the United States, it is the biggest problem in the Midwest, with adults in the 18-25 age group being the predominant users of the substance.  Nearly 90% of all the drug cases in the Midwest are methamphetamine related, and it has surpassed cocaine as the preferred drug in the state of Oklahoma where it is the most prevalent.

The number of reported deaths involving methamphetamine has surpassed those where cocaine was the cause.  Additionally, there are more homicides and motor vehicle accidents now involving methamphetamines than other substances.  It was reported that by the end of 2000, nearly 9.5 million people in the United States admitted to having tried the substance at least once.

Considered a powerful stimulant, methamphetamine imitates the same chemical reaction in the brain that stimulates the messages received by the pleasure center.  In fact, it is such a powerful stimulant that the user can become addicted to the substance after only one use of the drug.  Also contributing to the drug’s powerful addictiveness is the fact that it produces a false sense of instant gratification.

The deeper into the drug addiction that a person gets, the stronger its hold becomes over the individual.  As the important aspects of daily life become less and less important due to the addiction, the individual places more and more of their trust in the drug’s effects and the pleasure it creates.  This is more of a physical nature than a psychological one, because the user continually attempts to achieve the feeling they had the very first time they ingested the substance.

People don’t consciously decide that they want to be a methamphetamine addict, but unfortunately, this doesn’t stop them from becoming addicted.  To understand why the drug is so popular, one only needs to look at the reasons for its use — out of curiosity, to be accepted into a group, because of physical and/or psychological pain, but most commonly, for the sake of having fun.

Posted in: Crystal Meth Abuse, Crystal Meth Addiction