Symptoms and Signs of Meth Abuse

Addiction and dependence

Meth is a highly addictive drug and even casual users can develop tolerance, dependence, and addiction rapidly. Meth and crystal meth cause the dopamine receptors in the brain to remain active and powerful euphoria keeps users repeatedly using. 

After a short time, users brain's will not be able to produce sufficient amounts of dopamine on their own and will become dependent on meth to feel normal levels of pleasure and enjoyment. This also means they will require larger amounts of meth to feel more pleasure and euphoria, locking them into a cycle of taking more of the substance until they cannot function without it. 

While meth does not have powerful withdrawal symptoms like opioids do, stopping taking the drug suddenly after extended use cause mental health issues.

Physical symptoms

Methamphetamine abuse can lead to a variety of physical health risks as well as uncomfortable and unsightly conditions that can have lasting damage. common health conditions recorded from meth abuse include:

Heart problems

One of the leading causes of death from meth outside of overdose is cardiovascular disease and other heart conditions.^[4] Other cardiovascular conditions associated with meth abuse include:

• high blood pressure
• acute and chronic myocardial toxicity
• coronary artery disease
• sudden cardiac death
• Cardiac arrhythmias
• stroke

Tooth decay

Due to the high amounts of toxic substances found in meth, smoking it (as with crystal meth) can cause the user's teeth to rot, a condition commonly known as meth mouth. Other correlations between meth abuse and poor oral hygiene include higher bacteria due to a lack of saliva, teeth clenching (known as gurning), and a decreased level of maintaining oral hygiene.

Skin problems

One of the more well-observed symptoms of meth abuse is "meth face" which refers to the scabs, scars, and lesions meth users often develop on their heads and faces. Meth users tend to itch and pick at their skin, often as a result of cravings and dehydration, which can cause open wounds which become infected. These skin blemishes can become incredibly uncomfortable and will often lead to pertinent scarring. Deterioration of the facial skin may be exacerbated by extreme weight loss another common symptom of meth use.

Behavioral symptoms

Psychological symptoms

Those with a pre-existing mental health disorder will often find that meth abuse causes their condition to become worse, or that they will use meth as a way of self-medicating existing conditions. having mental health issues and substance use disorder, known as co-occurring disorders, is common. According to SAMHSA's 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 9.2 million adults in the United States have a co-occurring disorder.^[5]

Common mental disorders that co-occur with a meth use disorder include:

• Anxiety disorders
• depressive disorders
• bipolar disorder
• attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• antisocial personality disorder
• Psychosis

There is also a greater risk of suicidal ideation with meth addiction and abuse.

Parkinson’s disease

Methamphetamine has a neurotoxic effect on the brain and can cause permanent damage to neurotransmitters. It can also lead to more prominent brain damage that has been linked to an increased likelihood of Parkinson's disease.

A 2018 study found that meth abuse moderately increased the risk of Parkinson's as well as premature onset.^[6] The researchers suggested that more study is needed to see if there are other risk factors that influence the likelihood of developing the condition but the evidence is unnerving nonetheless. Some neurobiological effects may be partially reversible, but it is important to address meth use early to prevent conditions from worsening.