Victory Over Addiction

Crystal Meth
Tik
FACTS:
STREET NAMES:
Ice, Meth, Crystal, Tik
APPEARANCE:
Resembles glass fragments or shiny white
rocks of various sizes.
PARAPHERNALIA:
Straws, light bulbs and glass pipes.
SMELL:
Odorless
METHOD OF USE:
Swallowed, snorted, injected or smoked.
EFFECTS:
Dilated pupils, loss of appetite, anxiety,
aggression and insomnia.
LONG TERM EFFECTS:
Depression, paranoia, psychosis, irreversible
brain damage. Memory loss and mood
disturbances. Severe dental problems.
Methamphetamine is a powerful
stimulant that affects the central
nervous system. Also known as TIK, meth,
chalk, ice, and crystal, among many
other terms, it takes the form of a white,
odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder
that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.
Methamphetamine was developed early
in the 20th century from its parent drug,
amphetamine, and was used originally in
nasal decongestants and bronchial
inhalers. Like amphetamine,
methamphetamine causes increased
activity and talkativeness, decreased
appetite, and a pleasurable sense of
well-being or euphoria. However,
methamphetamine differs from
amphetamine in that, at comparable
doses, much greater amounts of the
drug gets into the brain, making it a more
potent stimulant. It also has longer-lasting
and more harmful effects on the central
nervous system. These characteristics
make it a drug with high potential for
widespread abuse.
The pleasure received from TIK can
mostly be attributed the high release of
the neurotransmitter dopamine. This also
enables the user to stay awake for days.
The initial high can last between 4 and 16
hours that often makes the user feel
aggressively smarter becoming
argumentative. The delusional effect can
cause the user to become intensely
focused on insignificant objects and
tasks, like cleaning the same windowsill
for several hours. A TIK abuser is most
dangerous when he goes thru a phase
called “Tweaking”.This is where the drug
no longer provides a rush or a high.
Unable to relieve the intense feeling of
emptiness and craving, the user can
completely loose his/her sense of identity.
During this time he can become
extremely hostile and a danger to
himself and those around him.
The user can also go thru a crash where
the body can no longer cope with the
drug effects overwhelming it. Even the
most violent user can become almost
lifeless during this time.
During withdrawal the user can become
depressed and loose his ability to
experience pleasure. This often makes
the user become suicidal. This is why
statistically 93% of users return to the
drug after trying to quit on their own.
Victory Over Addiction - 15