Addiction to Methamphetamine/ Amphetamine
The bible insist that God wants people to cherish and take care of their bodies. The bible
says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy spirit within you, whom you
have from God You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price. So, glorify God in
your body” (ESV, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The drug methamphetamine/amphetamine (MA/A) is
a very harmful substance that causes a variety of health issues within the body and mind. The
abuse of Methamphetamines/amphetamines affects so many people in the world today and
continues to get abused more as time progresses. This study explores the effects this drug has on
an individual as well as the recovery process. This paper will describe the studies examined; the
participants involved in the studies as well as the overall findings.
What is Methamphetamine/Amphetamine
To begin, methamphetamine as mentioned in the article, Methamphetamine dependence
in Australia–why is ‘ice’ (crystal meth) so addictive? is a highly addictive stimulant. This
stimulant drug is said to have a high association with relapse and once addicted it is extremely
difficult to stop the use. Methampetamines/amphetamine is a manufactured drug that is a white,
bitter tasting, and odorless. This is a water-soluble powder or crystal-like substance (Scott,
2023). MA/A is a drug that targets the dopaminergic pathways in the brain which leads to
arousal, memory consolidation and cognitive processing, higher sexual drive and influences the
pain perception of an individual.
A qualitative research study was conducted on the recovery of Methamphetamines, also
known as crystal meth. In the study, Sustained Recovery from Crystal Meth Use: A Consensual
Qualitative Research Study, it talks about what crystal meth is, the health effects it causes,
relapse, and recovery. This study mentions that over 14.7 million people have admitted to the use
of methamphetamines, this is not including people who have not freely admitted their drug use
(Coleman et al., 2021). According to the article methamphetamines has numerous effects on the
individual partaking in the drug. Methamphetamine is said to create risk for heart disease, cause
aggression, and psychotic behaviors. This drug is also said to cause mental health issues like
depression. In the article it mentions that people who are under the influence of
methamphetamines count for more suicide attempts than the general population.
History
Next, MA/A has been around for quite some time. The substance methamphetamine was
first used for its medical properties in the late 1800’s. The drug was used for things like asthma
and to help children who were diagnosed with attention deficit disorders (Fang et al., 2023). Not
only was MA/A used for medical purposes, but the drug was also later used in the Second World
War. Due to its ability to keep people awake for long periods of time MA/A would cause the
soldiers to have increased alertness and better performance. The soldiers would work more
efficiently for longer periods of time. Although methamphetamine does seem to have a history
with having some medical properties it is now amongst one of the most addictive illegal
substances today.
Recovery
As mentioned previously MA/A is an extremely difficult drug to stop using. While
researching the paper Pharmacotherapy for Methamphetamine/amphetamine Use Disorder—a
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Freeman et al., 2019) it refers to
Methamphetamine/amphetamine addiction as being a major public health problem. This study’s
primary purpose was to research different drugs that could cure MA/A use disorder. The study
conducted included adults who struggled with previous MA/A disorder. Seventeen different
drugs were tested (antidepressants, antipsychotics, psychostimulants, anticonvulsants, and opioid
antagonists). The study showed low strength evidence that these drugs could help reduce MA/A
use disorder with antidepressants having no affect on the substance abuse disorder and
anticonvulsants, antipsychotics (aripiprazole), opioid antagonists (naltrexone), varenicline and
atomoxetine provided either low-strength or insufficient evidence of no effect on the outcomes.
The findings of the study insisted that medications do not have a significant benefit when trying
to stop MA/A use. Although there is no cure all drug to stop the addictive behaviors of MA/A
there are different treatment programs (Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Celebrate
Recovery) that have been successful in helping addicts to stay in recovery.
In the article, Sustained Recovery from Crystal Meth Use: A Consensual Qualitative
Research Study it explains that the knowledge of the process of abstinence is limited (Coleman
et al., 2021). The study goes on to say that 68% of methamphetamine users are likely to relapse
within 12 weeks of recovery while 61% are likely to relapse within a year. The study also
suggests that with a substance like methamphetamine it is not a short-term recovery process but
rather a process that should be recognized for the need of long-term care.
While researching this topic it is evident that this substance is extremely harmful to
physical and mental health. It is also evident that recovery from this substance needs to be
handled carefully as a lot of people do not get to see recovery from methamphetamines. While
researching this topic it suggest this drug to be highly addictive and harmful to the person
partaking of it.
Reference Page
Axelsson, M., & Snell, T. L. (2021). Breaking the ice: Narratives of recovery from crystal
methamphetamine. Australian Psychologist, 56(1), 81-
92. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2021.1893600
Chan, B., Freeman, M., Kondo, K., Ayers, C., Montgomery, J., Paynter, R., & Kansagara, D.
(2019). Pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine/amphetamine use disorder—a systematic
review and meta‐analysis. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 114(12), 2122-
2136. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14755
Coleman, J., Ajetomobi, R. I., Huttman, V., & Zeligman, M. (2021). Sustained recovery from
crystal meth use: A consensual qualitative research study. Journal of Addictions &
Offender Counseling, 42(2), 113-128. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaoc.12097
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com
Fang, S., Huang, C., Huang, S., & Shao, Y. (2023). Associations and relative risks of pulmonary
hypertension and lung diseases in individuals with methamphetamine use
disorder. Pulmonology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pulmoe.2023.01.003
Scott, R. (2023). Methamphetamine dependence in australia-why is 'ice' (crystal meth) so
addictive? Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1-
34. https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2023.2206870
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