Methamphetamine continues to be a major concern in the US, regardless of the numerous measures done by the government to curb its manufacture, distribution, and use. Authorities are looking at demand as being the main driver for the massive manufacture and sales and sales of meth. As such, numerous studies have been done on how meth affects the brain, in efforts to find a way to curb the demand for the substance.
Methamphetamine Statistics
According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2021 there were at least 32,856 methamphetamine overdose-related deaths, which is an increase of more than 33% from the 24,576 methamphetamine overdose-related deaths recorded in 2020.
These figures detailing the staggering number of deaths related to meth overdose are made even worse by the fact that currently, there are no medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that could be used in the treatment of meth use disorder or even for reversing an overdose.
In 2020, methamphetamine and opioids were the most common substances recorded from emergency room overdose cases. This was across all racial and ethnic groups in the US, with meth figuring in at least 52% of all reported drug overdose cases.
What Does Meth Do to the Brain?
There have been many questions as to how meth affects the brain, leading a person to become addicted to it even with only a single exposure to it. The truth of the matter is that meth affects a person so profoundly, even with only a single use, because it does not only affect the brain but the entire central nervous system as well.
A study commissioned by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) shows that the use of methamphetamine triggers the release of a massive amount of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine, as well as other neurotransmitters, which all work to produce a potent euphoric effect. Alongside the euphoria, there is also an increase in energy and vitality, which in turn leads to high levels of confidence and good feelings about the self.
These effects are worth noting as a huge number of Americans suffer from depression, fatigue, self-doubt, and low self-esteem. All of these issues are immediately resolved when one takes methamphetamine, which is why this substance is the drug of choice for many people. Many who used meth also admitted that it gave them incredible clarity of thought and focus, allowing them to be more attentive, productive, and generally perform better in whatever activities they might be participating in.
All of these seemingly positive and highly desirable effects, however, do come with serious consequences.
The introduction of a substance that drastically alters how the reward system of the body works is sure to produce problems. The release of the chemicals that produce euphoria and feelings of wellness is tied into several trigger mechanisms that the brain needs to process so that it releases the chemicals when these trigger mechanisms are met. Using meth bypasses these trigger mechanisms, destroying the entire concept of achievement and the feelings that come with it since meth duplicates these feelings in an instant.
Chronic use of meth completely derails the entire rewards process as defined by the brain, since a person could get an instant feeling of the reward just by taking meth, and could also keep on getting this rewarding feeling by continually taking the substance.
The introduction of a substance that drastically alters how the reward system of the body works is sure to produce problems. The release of the chemicals that produce euphoria and feelings of wellness is tied into several trigger mechanisms that the brain needs to process so that it releases the chemicals when these trigger mechanisms are met. Using meth bypasses these trigger mechanisms, destroying the entire concept of achievement and the feelings that come with it since meth duplicates these feelings in an instant.
Chronic use of meth completely derails the entire rewards process as defined by the brain, since a person could get an instant feeling of the reward just by taking meth, and could also keep on getting this rewarding feeling by continually taking the substance.
Anyone who has ever won anything through hard work and effort would know how rewarding the process really is. This sense of achievement is what pushes many to try to do more and become better at what they do. Being introduced to something that removes the work and allows a person to go straight to the sense of achievement, however, is not just taking the easy way out, so to speak, but also removes a person’s inclination to engage in any kind of effort to achieve anything.
Anyone who has ever won anything through hard work and effort would know how rewarding the process really is. This sense of achievement is what pushes many to try to do more and become better at what they do. Being introduced to something that removes the work and allows a person to go straight to the sense of achievement, however, is not just taking the easy way out, so to speak, but also removes a person’s inclination to engage in any kind of effort to achieve anything.
Being hooked on a substance for the feeling it gives is one thing, but being hooked on something because it makes you think you could not do anything without it is something else. There are many people who got hooked on meth from as early as their school days. Being a long-time meth user practically removes any sense the person might have of being able to do anything without it.
Just prior to the eventual brain damage caused by chronic meth use, the substance allows a person to listen better, focus more intently, and think with such clarity that they believe they could do anything. The manufactured confidence also comes with a heavy dependence because meth users know that they will not have any “edge” without the substance.
Being hooked on a substance for the feeling it gives is one thing, but being hooked on something because it makes you think you could not do anything without it is something else. There are many people who got hooked on meth from as early as their school days. Being a long-time meth user practically removes any sense the person might have of being able to do anything without it.
Just prior to the eventual brain damage caused by chronic meth use, the substance allows a person to listen better, focus more intently, and think with such clarity that they believe they could do anything. The manufactured confidence also comes with a heavy dependence because meth users know that they will not have any “edge” without the substance.
Methamphetamine use leads to brain damage. This is a finding that came out of the continued study on the effect of the substance on the central nervous system. Nerves found within the central nervous system are known as neurons, while nerves outside of the central nervous system are simply termed as nerves. Methamphetamine has been found to lead to increased neuron death.
The central nervous system has a limited ability to regenerate neurons, and there are certain conditions that make neuron regeneration practically impossible. One of these conditions is meth use. The brain damage that a meth user eventually gets is the result of neuronal death, degrading the ability of the central nervous system to send and receive signals, and also in many cognitive functions. Brain damage affects many functions of the body:
- Formation of new memories
- Retention of new memories
- Psychomotor functions
- Attentiveness
- Ability to perceive an object in space
- Ability to engage in reasoning
- Problem-solving
Methamphetamine use leads to brain damage. This is a finding that came out of the continued study on the effect of the substance on the central nervous system. Nerves found within the central nervous system are known as neurons, while nerves outside of the central nervous system are simply termed as nerves. Methamphetamine has been found to lead to increased neuron death.
The central nervous system has a limited ability to regenerate neurons, and there are certain conditions that make neuron regeneration practically impossible. One of these conditions is meth use. The brain damage that a meth user eventually gets is the result of neuronal death, degrading the ability of the central nervous system to send and receive signals, and also in many cognitive functions. Brain damage affects many functions of the body:
- Formation of new memories
- Retention of new memories
- Psychomotor functions
- Attentiveness
- Ability to perceive an object in space
- Ability to engage in reasoning
- Problem-solving