Speed Drug Addiction: How to Help Someone
Speed drug addiction is insidious. It can destroy lives and relationships, and is among the most difficult of chemical substances to get off of once you’re hooked on it. Speed is any drug that speeds you up, kind of like caffeine on steroids. You’ll feel euphoric and almost like you can do anything. You probably won’t sleep for days if you’re on something that’s long-lasting, like crystal meth. Other speed drugs are cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and crack cocaine. It has a variety of street names, as well, including crank, ice, and glass.
While a person may become addicted on the first use due to the euphoric feelings, those feelings soon turn to irritability, aggressiveness, auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions of grandeur once the drug starts to wear off (or if you take too much). People who take speed are difficult to be around at all times.
It may be difficult to convince someone who has an addiction to speed that there is a problem, because of the deep feeling of well-being that an initial dose brings. The person may simply tell you that he or she is doing what they need to do to get more energy, to stay alert for school or work, or to be more creative. You may be told in insistent terms that the abuser can stop whenever she wants. However, it’s just not true. Once in the grips of speed, it’s difficult to get out. It’s no wonder that the popular singer Fergie, from The Black-Eyed Peas, called getting off meth the most difficult break-up she ever went through.
After several months or years of speed drug addiction and abuse, there will be some long-term health effects that will become apparent. Kidney and lung disorders, disorganization, repetitive behavior, insomnia, hallucinations, withdrawal from social life, reduced immunity, lack of patience, and even violent behavior. Sores will start to develop on the person’s face. If left untreated, an addiction to speed will usually result in death, either from overdose or from the damage to a person’s health it can cause. If you or someone you love has an addiction to a speed drug, it’s essential you get them help right away. They CAN break the addiction, with proper motivation and treatment, so make sure they get it.