Crystal meth is short for crystal methamphetamine, and this stimulant has already reached epidemic proportions in many places. After all, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime roughly estimated the world has hit a whopping 500 metric tons annually in terms of amphetamine-type stimulant production, resulting in 24.7 million abusers globally. To understand the situation more clearly, the U.S. government reported in 2008 that about 13 million people aged 12 or older had tried methamphetamine, with around 529,000 identified as regular users. It remains uncertain whether more recent data show a decline in these numbers or indicate a continuing increase.
People widely abuse this drug in the Czech Republic, where crystal meth is commonly known as Pervitin.
Over there, tiny and secluded secret laboratories would complement a far lower number of larger laboratories to produce crystal meth. Producers direct most crystal meth toward domestic consumption, while they export a smaller portion to parts of Europe and Canada. Apart from the Czech Republic, the likes of Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, and Latvia have also reported that amphetamine as well as meth addiction make up anywhere from 20 percent all the way to 60 percent of people who seek out drug abuse treatment at meth rehab centers.
In Southeast Asia, meth addiction is also a serious issue, where the drug commonly appears in the form of small pills. In Thailand, the people in the Land of Smiles tend to refer to it as ‘Yaba’, while over in the Philippines and Malaysia, it is commonly called ‘shabu’ or ‘syabu’. This just goes to show how widespread the crystal meth addiction epidemic can be, and it does not discriminate against the abuser’s socioeconomic background.
Meth side effects can be particularly crippling to the abuser, even more so after many years of usage.
Since crystal meth can dissolve in water or alcohol easily, far higher levels of meth will make their way to the abuser’s brain, which is what makes it so potent. From there, it remains longer in the body, having more serious negative effects on the body’s central nervous system.
Several notable physical side effects include tooth decay without having to gorge on large amounts of sugar while having poor dental hygiene practices – meth practically does a brutal number on the abuser’s teeth. As the body experiences an upsurge in dangerous chemicals from meth intake, hair loss is another common side effect. The ladies might want to avoid meth at all costs if they would like to maintain their crowning glory.
Heavy meth addiction can severely affect the central nervous system and cause symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations, repetitive motor activity, memory loss, sudden, violent, or unprovoked aggressive behavior, depression, and mood swings.
WisHope Recovery is a tranquil place of peace, where those who acknowledge that they are struggling with crystal meth addiction issues are more than welcome to give its meth rehab program a try. We do know that concerned family members and friends would like to see the abuser return to a normal life and ditch dependency on the drug after the telltale signs of drug addiction start to show.
Our experience in offering treatment for crystal meth addiction places us in good standing to ensure that we can walk side by side with our patients as they go through this particularly challenging and painful moment in their lives.