Crystal meth

[AuntieM1957]

Just found out I've got a relative who's abusing crystal meth -

and I know nothing about the drug - or just how dangerous it can be?

Anyone out there know anything about it?

[WindRavenX]

1. it's one of the worst drugs

It seriously, seriously destroys you. Get your relative help NOW.

[Dookus]

2. It's probably

one of the most dangerous drugs out there. It's highly addictive, and can fuck up a body in a very short time.

Good luck to your relative.

[donco6]

3. No shit - it's a horrible scourge.

It's ruining my community. Users just stop doing anything but make meth. They get violent. Don't eat. Teeth fall out. It's way bad news.

[ret5hd]

4. it's a killer...

hide the silverware and keep the relative out of your house.

[bigwillq]

5. My friend got caught with a half ounce of meth

at the airport. He was 97 pounds when he went to jail for 8 months.
It's a bad, bad drug. Please, please get your relative help.

[AuntieM1957]

11. She doesn't want help

We had her at the emergency room & she managed to get away -
and hasn't been seen for 2 days. Because she is 19 the police won't help.

When we find her we want to get her into a rehab right away - but are afraid they won't take her because she's legally an adult.

As best we know, the usage started about 2 months ago - since then she's lost 25 pounds.

If anyone knows of any Texas laws that will allow someone to commit an adult against their will, please let me know.

Any and all prayers and good thoughts would be appreciated.

[bigwillq]

14. My thoughts will be with her.

With most drug cases, I feel that no one can really help a person. The addict needs to ask for help themselves. They need to admity to themselves that they have a problem and go get help.

But with Meth, I urge you and your other family members to do whatever they can to get her help, ASAP. Watch her like a hawk and get her the help.


I wish you and your family the best. I'm afraid there will be some bad times ahead. I hope all turns out for the best.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Tell her rehab or jail

That may change her mind. They will make her go cold turkey in jail. And they won't be as nice to her as rehab counselors.

[bigwillq]

18. Good idea!

My friend went cold turkey on meth in jail. Said it was the worst experience of his life.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Did it work?

I would think it would be a pretty crummy place to kick the habit. But if it sticks, it may be a good idea for lots of meth addicts.

[Bossy Monkey]

19. Call your city or county mental health center

As far as I know, everywhere in the US if a person is a threat to themself or others, they can be involuntarily committed. You have to have seen the person within the last 24 hours, at least here. Your local mental health center will know the law and the procedures. It's probably in the blue pages of your phone book under Community Mental Health Center. More on edit if I find more. Good luck.

[Langis]

6. Very very nasty drug

I had a roommate who did it for about 6 months. He was never really the same after, it completely changed him. He also racked up about 16,000$ of dept on credit cards to support his habit.

It's bad stuff.

[punpirate]

7. The adage about...

... crack was that the epidemic didn't last all that long because even the junkies knew it was really, really bad for them.

Goes double for meth.

[tjdee]

8. The withdrawal symptoms are worse than with cocaine and heroin.

Here's a fact sheet on meth.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/drugs/crystalmeth.html

Good luck to your relative. He/she is going to need it badly.

[Wickerman]

9. Get him some help - do him and society a favor

Meth is the scourge of the drug planet. Most of the time I just think its unfortunate when someone has an addiction to drugs and want to see them get help. However, I respect their right to do drugs if they desire. I don't with Meth. Its so addictive and dangerous I even support keeping the ingredients like Sudafed behind the counter.

With Meth not only is the user fucked up but so is everything around them. It is incfedibly toxic crap. I know in my County funding for Meth cleanup is stealing money from other services. I hate the stuff.

[sendero]

22. Well said..

... and reflect my opinion as well. I'm anything but anti-drug, but meth is the worst poison visited on the planet.

Had a good friend whose life was ruined by that crap, its been 16 years and he's just now getting his shit together.

Really, to the OP, if there is ANYTHING you can do to rescue this person, do it. It really is a death spiral paralleled only by heroin, maybe worse.

[Champ]

10. It's all around me

I can say if it is used on a regular basis STAY AWAY FROM THAT PERSON!!!! He could be the greatest person on the world but if he/she is on that shit his thinking and logic will be seriously f'd up. I swear to god I don't know how those people jump to the conclusions they jump to but sometimes it could get you killed. I almost got killed by a friend on a meth who thought I was trying to JUMP HIM!!! Just their way of thinking is out of this world, get him help NOW. It is EXTREMELY addictive and the feeling you get from using the drug is probaly one of the best highs if not the best. I've used it VERY briefly and I am extremely thankfull I did not get ahold by the addiction. ALL of my friends growing up have atleast tried the drug once and over half use it regularily. It is VERY dangerous just because of what it does to someone's reasoning.

on edit: It turned my best friend of 7 years into a fucking wife beater. Since using it his attitude and temper got increasingly worse, he became very untrustworthy and overall became a different person. It's sad but he will be addicted for a VERY long time.

[sundog]

12. nasty nasty shit

I have seen what happens to people - it's ain't pretty

[Goathead]

13. It is also called "Ice"

It is made from a concoction of chemicals that you can get over the counter. The main one being ephedrine, the primary ingredient in cold medicine. So, if you go to Wal-Mart at 2:30 am and there is some dude ahead of you in line who has got about 200 boxes of cold medicine you can be sure he doesn't have the flu. He's got a Meth lab in his basement. Drugstores have actually started screening for shit like that and I don't think they will sell you over a certain amount of cold medicine at any one time. These labs have also become horrible scourges on the environment, as those who make Meth aren't particularly concerned with where the dump their chemicals once they are done with them. It is considered toxic waste and so will your relative if you don't get them some help. Sorry to hear about that.

[Dukkha]

30. I just saw that on the news today

http://www.komotv.com/stories/29445.htm

Target stores are now watching for suspicious medicine purchases

[HeeBGBz]

15. Very bad

Meth users see things that aren't there and they are paranoia stricken. Not to mention the damage to brain and body.

[MissB]

16. Faces of meth

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/photos/gallery.ssf?cgi-bin/view_gallery.cgi/olive/view_gallery.ata?g_id=2927

Check out the "read the story" to the right of the page. You'll get an education for certain.

[driver8]

21. Rent the movie, "Salton Sea" with Val Kilmer...

It will give you a pretty good idea of what happens to people who abuse crystal meth.

[BearClaws]

23. I used it for a while.

Excellent high, Incredible energy, outrageous sex drive, Overall feeling of well being.
It doesn't impair your senses like alcohol or weed, it really heightens them... TEMPORARILY!
That is where it gets scary.
Then there is the vicious cycles of sleep and food deprivation.
I've never been addicted to any substance,I was very lucky that I could use it on occasion and back away.
I'd hate for my kid to use it.

[shesemsmom]

24. I know it will kill them

and it wont take long. I hope you can get them some help. Praying for your strength here.. good luck!!!!!!!!!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

25. my sister is hooked on it

i swear i don't even know her anymore. it's like she's dead and some evil lookalike is running around doing horrible things.

all i can say is-don't trust anyone on it, no matter how close you may have been to them. get a mental hygeine warrant and have them locked up and detoxed immediately. you're not doing them any favors by letting them run free and hooked

[BearClaws]

26. Well,

Not to defend drug use, but an addict is an addict, whether it is alcohol, drugs or whatever.
You don't use it once and become a monster, that is like the old reefer madness propaganda.
It can be real bad though (like alcohol) when you develop a dependency.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

31. i used to think that

and was all for drug legalization-til i saw the effects of meth. it literarlly changes you. anyone who's been in the situation will know what i mean

[Nevernose]

34. It kills your soul. Period.

Alcoholism doesn't even come close.

[psychopomp]

39. I'll second that -- it's a soul-sucker

I actually lived in a house of users/dealers once right after finishing university. I really did not know it was that type of place when I moved in and wasn't really anti-drug anyway but I soon realized how messed up crystal/crank really are. I was just a smoker and didn't see the point of getting high and cutting up magazines for six hours or moving furniture from one part of the room to the other and back again ad infinitum.

I came to see these people as rats...their furitive movements, disregard for hygene and and shallow eyes made them seem less than human.

[theliberalavenger]

27. Two Users' Stories (mine and somebody elses)

One addict and somebody who used it a whole lot more than I should have 10 to 15 years ago...

http://liberalavenger.com/2005/03/crystal-methamphetamine-ghost-of-tom.html

[Dukkha]

28. i know it all to well

I watched it eat people alive. I haven't touched it in 7 years but I still feel the effects. Once early morning I could feel my heart pounding through my chest and had trouble breathing It was then I decided it was time to quit.

[Nevernose]

29. It's essentially synthetic cocaine, and more addictive than crack

A similar effect on the brain, but a longer high, at least in earlier stages of addiction. Research has also shown that later in addiction, meth is more addictive than crack.

[Nevernose]

32. Also, it's a fate worse than death, no exagerration

It's been quite a while for me. I finally decided to stop when I realized that I would rather be dead than be an addict. It's not something I would wish on my worst enemy, and even now, all these years later, there's not an hour that goes by that I do not thank God(s) for the strength to quit. I don't know -- words just can't describe what it was like.

Do whatever it takes to help your relative, anyhting, and don't ever give up on them (but don't give them any money or your house keys, either ;) ).

[theliberalavenger]

33. No, it's not [synthetic cocaine nor mor addictive than crack]

It is neither "essentially synthetic cocaine" nor is it more addictive than crack.

That being said, it is terribly dangerous and addictive and should be avoided at all costs.

[Nevernose]

35. Yes, it is.

There's really no way to argue with you on this (I'm not on GD ;) nor do I have the desire right now to poke through the Internets), but the effects are frighteningly similar, except for duration. The duration is one of the more appelaing things about it, and the effect on brain chemistry is why so many cocaine addicts use crystal as a form of methadone. While this last sentence would seem to argue your point instead of mine, what I'm discussing overall is steady, prolonged usage.

Meth is also not as addictive as crack in the early stages, in this point you're absolutely correct. In fact, in the early stages, it's not very addictive at all. One can use meth several times and not see any overwhelming physical or pschological addictivness; the later stages, however, are indeed more addictive than crack cocaine.

[NorthernSpy]

37. methamphetamine is not synthetic cocaine

Methamphetamine and cocaine are chemically unrelated. They are both strong CNS stimulants, but they have different modes of action: cocaine briefly inhibits the reputake of dopamine, and methamphetamine triggers an enormous catecholamine release (noradrenalin and dopamine).

Methamphetamine is the more potent drug, and its duration of action is far longer than that of cocaine. Use of either drug can cause serious, even fatal harm to the cardiovascular system, and can promote psychosis and violent behavior.

[norml]

36. You get all the effects of sleep deprivation, while feeling wide awake

You will experience confusion, irritability, paranoia, rage, and hallucinations, all while feeling totally on top of things. Running out of meth, or crashing, will result in deep suicidal homicidal depression. On the plus side, you can work three jobs, go out drinking afterwords, lose lots of weight, and still manage to get them, before they get you, because you're wise to them, before you die. Invented by the Nazis, meth is the perfect compliment to any psychopathic multi-day killing spree. Can you hear that speeding semi trailer truck coming up from behind you? Sorry, there is no truck behind you, it's just the meth.

[Swamp Rat]

38. Edit: I just saw this kink posted above

Crystal meth is not even a drug - it is poison. The epidemic has only begun.



"The Faces of Meth"

Using jailhouse photos, King is creating a slideshow of before/after pictures that reveals in full, unflattering color how methamphetamine ravages its users over years, months and even weeks.


http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/photos/gallery.ssf?cgi-bin/view_gallery.cgi/olive/view_gallery.ata?g_id=2927