As one drug addiction counselor says, “I know of no other drug with such an allure for women.” The attraction to meth is insidious. It seems to offer many of the effects women seek in what they see as an acceptable package, making it more attractive to middle and working class women, a group not normally associated with drug use.
Coupled with the almost instant sense of high, meth increases alertness and boosts self-confidence. Because it’s a stimulant it gives women energy to handle multiple tasks and fosters an unrealistic sense of self. Plus, because it speeds metabolism and dampens appetite, it helps women control weight.
Another appeal is that meth is not as expensive as heroin or cocaine, making it easier to come by. The fact that it is easy to make, easy to take causes many women to fool themselves into thinking of meth as a less “hard core” drug. In fact, methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that may start out by boosting energy but ends by destroying lives and relationships.
Meth use is a rapidly growing problem in many areas of the country. Among women entering prison in Iowa in the first quarter of 2002, 43 percent said meth was their drug of choice, up from 25 percent for the same period in 2000.
Known as ice, speed, chalk, crystal, go, crank and glass, meth can be smoked, sniffed, injected or ingested. When smoked or inhaled it creates an immediate high, similar to that of crack. The rush is caused by a massive, short-term release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is involved in memory, mood and motor coordination. Studies show that repeated use of meth damages the ends of dopamine nerve cells and, although some cells may recover after drug use is stopped, recovery may not restore full brain capacity.
Acting as a stimulant to the central nervous system, meth heightens emotion and increases alertness. It is often associated with violent, paranoid and overly emotional behavior that raises the likelihood of aggression.
Meth users may go on binges lasting for three or four days during which they do not sleep. Some users become very talkative and may repeat simple stereotyped actions. Others experience hallucinations and delusions and may become moody and violent. As with most drugs, tolerance gradually develops and increasingly large doses are needed to get high. Binges usually end with sleep, often followed by a period of depression. Habitual users typically find they become restless and anxious and have a reduced capacity to feel pleasure.
Women who abuse meth tend to be of childbearing age. Although many women may begin using the drug as a means of coping with the pressures of parenthood, drug use by mothers poses a serious threat to the well being of children both before and after birth. Studies show that infants born to mothers who use meth while pregnant are smaller than babies born to mothers who do not use the drug.
Meth use by the mother puts children of all ages at risk from neglect and abandonment. In Knox County Indiana, for example, about half of all children in the foster care system are there because their parents made, sold or used methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine is cheap, easy to use and offers a quick high. Yet women need to know that meth is a powerfully addictive stimulant and is considered one of the most difficult addictions to break. Any sense of power and control will soon disappear to be replaced by depression, craving and, for those facing legal action, a terrible new reality.
By: Kerri Musselman, Pharm.D.
