Meth Addiction Stories

Methamphetamine, or meth, is a prescription stimulant. The Drug Enforcement Administration lists it as a schedule II controlled substance, along with prescription opioids and cocaine. It has a high potential for abuse and a serious risk of dependence.

Doctors rarely prescribe methamphetamine, but it may be legitimately used for ADHD or weight loss in special situations. The risks of side effects, health consequences, overdose, and abuse and addiction mostly outweigh the benefits if other medications help a patient.

Meth can cause a substance use disorder when misused. Many people get it illicitly, from illegal laboratories manufacturing a crystallized form known as crystal meth. As a stimulant, meth increases brain activity, leading to wakefulness and a sensation of having more energy. It increases heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure, and elevates body temperature.

It also produces a sense of euphoria. Most people abuse meth for this reason, to get high. Some may use it to stay awake or focused. Misuse is very risky because it can cause health problems, an overdose, or addiction. Meth addiction is treatable, but it is challenging and requires ongoing care.

My boyfriend and I used drugs sometimes. I never took it very seriously, but he always seemed to be more dedicated to getting high. That should have been my first warning sign. I wasn’t willing to chase the high too far; it was just for fun. He got obsessed.

When we tried meth for the first time, I thought it was okay, but I knew it could be a problem and didn’t want to get in too deep. I started to realize my boyfriend did get in too deep when he went from using it for a pick-me-up before a party to needing it daily.

He spent a lot of our money, without asking me, on drugs. He talked about it constantly. He started to lose weight. The anxiety he always struggled with got worse. One day he couldn’t get any meth. He got crazy. He couldn’t sleep or concentrate. His eyes got all red and itchy, and he was very jumpy. Then he started accusing me of hiding drugs from him and wanting him to get sick.

This was when I realized he was going through withdrawal. Unfortunately, he had to hit an even worse rock bottom than that day to admit to needing help, but he did get treatment.

I had been a recreational drug user for a few years. I smoked weed, used a little cocaine or Adderall to stay up for partying, and once in a while I got high on opioids. I never wanted to go too far, just enough to party and have fun.

One night at a party, I couldn’t get my hands on any uppers and was getting sleepy. A friend offered me some meth. I hesitated but didn’t want to leave the party. That was the start of my path to addiction. The rush was so much better than with other drugs I had tried. I wanted to do it again. I thought I could handle it.

And for a while I did. My life went on as usual. The addiction to meth snuck up on me, or at least that’s how it felt at the time. Now I know I made bad choices and ignored warning signs. Like when my boyfriend moved out because he was tired of seeing me get high and be useless for the rest of the day.

I lost my job, but I had decent savings so I was fine for a while. At that point, my life became about meth. I only hung out with people who wanted to get high; I woke up anticipating the next high; I went to bed high, and I woke up miserable.

It was that ex who finally pushed me to get treatment. I had a really hard time admitting I had a problem, but when he listed all the things going wrong in my life, I couldn’t deny that it was because of drugs. I got treatment and I’m rebuilding my life now, not to mention some important relationships.

I don’t enjoy reliving this event, but I tell the story of my son’s overdose hoping it will help others prevent a tragedy. He didn’t die, thank goodness, but he came close. I never realized how dangerous meth could be. I knew he was causing long-lasting damage to his health, but I didn’t know that meth could kill so suddenly. I thought it was a less serious drug than others like heroin.

He was using in his bedroom, which I didn’t know, but now I am so grateful he was at home. His skin flushed and turned red. He said he was really hot and couldn’t breathe. When I touched him, he was burning and his heart was racing. It was very scary. He started to act paranoid too, and I wondered if he was having a psychotic episode.

I called 911, and an ambulance arrived to treat him and take him to the hospital. They gave him oxygen and fluids, and then all I could do was wait. I was so thankful that he pulled through. The staff couldn’t do much more to help him, and only because he didn’t take too much did he survive. I got my son into treatment after a day in the hospital. He has struggled since, but he has also avoided relapse. He has a second chance.