GABA & Methamphetamine Addiction

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If you are visiting this site, you are probably concerned about your use of methamphetamine (crank, ice, tweak, speed, glass and chalk). If you are worried about what is happening to you, important first steps in changing your behavior are understanding:

What are signs that you are addicted
What has happened in your brain that causes
you to keep using meth
What can you do to change things

The aim of this site is to help you answer the first two questions. Importantly, the objective is not to provide detailed information about treatment plans—your doctor will help you get the medication and counseling that are right for you -, but rather to help you understand the signs of meth addiction and what is known about changes in your brain that may underlie feelings and behaviors that are common in addiction and withdrawal from methamphetamine.

WHAT IS AND WHAT ISN'T ADDICTION?
If you are concerned about methamphetamine addiction, it is important that you understand what it is and what it is not.

What is Addiction?
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease. It results in compulsive meth seeking and use, despite the fact that this activity has harmful behavioral consequences. Addiction is a brain disease. Repeated administration of drugs in vulnerable individuals can wreak havoc on the brain's chemistry, structure, and function; and one can easily differentiate the brains of stimulant abusers from those of normal individuals (Figures 1-3). These changes in the brain can lead to harmful behaviors in patients who abuse methamphetamine (Brower, 2006; NIDA, 2007).

Figure 1. Changes in the brain with long-term meth abuse.

These are Single Proton Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) images of the underside (left), front (middle), and right side (right) of the brain from a patient who has abused methamphetamine. The darker (purple) areas and holes show areas of reduced function relative to the brains from normal individuals.



	Meth Studies
	A New Prescription for Addiction: The Gracer Comprehensive Method for Treating Addiction to Meth

	The book presents a comprehensive look at addiction, its scope, biology, diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Gracer's approach is expansive and covers all aspects of the addiction problem.

	Meth Facts
	n-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-2-amine Methamphetamine (methylamphetamine or desoxyephedrine), popularly shortened to meth and also nicknamed "ice," is a psychostimulant and sympathomimetic drug. "Crystal meth" refers to the crystalline, smokeable form of the drug and is not used for the drug in pill or powdered form. Methamphetamine enters the brain and triggers a cascading release of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. Since it stimulates the mesolimbic reward pathway, causing euphoria and excitement, it is prone to abuse and addiction. Read more...

References A-G | References K-Z

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