Spotlight on: Methamphetamine Addiction
We’ve all hear the stories about what happens to people who have a methamphetamine addiction; and usually the news is not good. There are a couple of popular videos on Youtube that show the "changing faces" of people who are addicted to methamphetamines (aka: "meth"). A lot of times, their faces will change, becoming more sullen, and skeletal. They will sometimes develop severe cases of acne and lose their teeth all because they are addicted to this drug. The bad thing about meth is that the ingredients to make it are all things that one can purchase in a store. If you remember, for a while, the problem with meth addiction was so bad that drug stores and supermarkets in the United States were actually restricting consumers from buying too much of one medication at a given time. Part of the appeal of what draws people to first use meth is that it is a psychostimulant, meaning that it raises dopamine "feel good" levels in your body. However, these feelings don’t last very long and should be compared to the longer lasting, sometimes permanent effects of the drug on the abuser’s physical and mental well-being.