Meth Addiction and Abuse in Orlando

Meth Abuse in Orlando

Meth addiction is a serious issue impacting communities across the United States. Though less prominent in Florida, in 2018, the Miami field division of the DEA reported that meth availability in the region is “moderate” and increasing. 

The consequences of this can be deadly. In the first half of 2020, meth was found in the systems of nearly 1,000 deceased Floridians. Meth was verified to have caused the deaths of 659 of those individuals. This number is 56% higher than in the previous year. While only eighteen of these deaths occurred in Orlando, the numbers have been on a steep rise since 2015. 

Not only is meth physically and psychologically harmful, but it also contributes the most to violent crime, and Orlando is no different. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has reported a sharp rise in meth-related arrests, which increased five-fold between 2012 and 2018. 

Understanding Meth Addiction

Meth is highly addictive. When someone smokes or injects meth, they get a nearly instantaneous and very powerful high. This feeling is believed to result from dopamine that floods the brain and creates feelings of pleasure and euphoria. 

Meth use can also lead to cycles of binging. Because the effects of meth are powerful but short-lived, someone might use the drug repeatedly in a relatively short period to maintain the same results. Using meth can lead to a physical dependence. If someone is dependent on meth and they stop using it suddenly, withdrawal symptoms can be severe. Withdrawal symptoms can include depression, extreme craving and psychosis. 

In addition, when meth takes it over and over again, a tolerance will build up, requiring more and more for the same effect. Eventually, a person may lose their capacity to feel pleasure without meth altogether.  

Common Signs of Meth Addiction

Methamphetamine addiction can lead to serious psychological and physical consequences, such as: 

• Aggression or violence
• Anxiety
• Memory loss
• Increased distractibility 
• Paranoia 
• Hallucinations
• Delusions (e.g., bugs crawling under the skin) 
• Skin sores
• Malnutrition 
• Insomnia
• Tooth decay and tooth loss
• Heart disease 
• Increased risk of transmitting infectious diseases including hepatitis and HIV/AIDS

When a person is using meth, they may exhibit: 

• Increased talkativeness
• Decreased appetite 
• A feeling of euphoria 

Additional signs of meth addiction include: 

• Poor hygiene 
• Social withdrawal 
• Problems at school or work 
• Paraphernalia including glass pipes, rolled up dollar bills or tourniquets

Continue reading at Signs, Symptoms & Side Effects of Meth Addiction → 

Why is Meth Addictive?

Dopamine is a brain chemical that is involved with motivation and reward. Meth causes a dopamine rush in the brain, which creates a strong behavioral pull to repeat taking the drug. Not everyone who uses meth will become addicted, and there are still many unknowns about the complex brain disorder that is addiction. Experts do know, however, that addiction has little to do with willpower or self-discipline. That said, if someone is addicted to meth, they may benefit from professional treatment.

FAQs

• What does meth look like?
  Meth is a white powder or pill with no smell but a strong and bitter taste. It easily dissolves in water and can be smoked, snorted, injected, or orally ingested. Crystal meth is a particular form of meth that’s often pale blue or white and looks like actual crystals or shiny fragments of glass.  
• What is meth made of?
  Meth is made using common ingredients such as pseudoephedrine, which is in many cold medicines. Due to its use in meth-making, there have been limits placed on purchasing medicines containing this ingredient. Along with pseudoephedrine, meth production can involve many other ingredients, some of which are harmful or hazardous chemicals, like fertilizer.