The purpose of this report is to show the effect of methamphetamine on the brain and how it effects social relationships.

This report will explore the effect methamphetamine has on a person’s brain, the chemical properties of the drug, how the drug is used and it will the go on to explain the effect it has on social relationships.

Social relationships are extremely important in any person’s life. They need them to help deal with the daily stress of life and to help them be happier.

Methamphetamine which is more popularly known by its street name ice, effects the brain because its ability to realise dopamine very quickly in the reward sections of the brain produces the euphoric “rush” that many takers of methamphetamine would experience.



Background

The drug methamphetamine, is a stimulant drug which means it speeds up the body and brains activity. Methamphetamine also affects the reward pathway of the brain because it is the most severely addictive drug out there. The effect of methamphetamine usually lasts around 12 hours.

The Molecular formula of methamphetamine is C10H15N while its molecular weight is 149.237 grams per mole.

The base of methamphetamine is a colourless substance, insoluble in water. The most common salt is hydrochloride which is a white or off white powder or as crystals, which is soluble in both water and ethanol.

(figure 1) methamphetamine chemical structure Retrieved from http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/methamphetamine



Methamphetamines chemical structure shows that it has a secondary amine functional group while it also has a benzene ring. 

Ice is usually smoked through a glass pipe, snorted, swallowed or injected. Smoking methamphetamine is the most common way to use the drug, it enters the bloodstream through your lungs, but injecting it has the fastest effect as it goes straight to the user’s bloodstream. Once the drug has hit the bloodstream it gets transferred around the body through the blood flow until it gets to the brain, where a user might start experiencing the hallucinations.  Methamphetamine is a part of the phenethylamine group, which also includes a wide variety of substances that may be hallucinogens, stimulants or entactogens. 

(figure 2) chemical pathway of methamphetamine Retrieved from https://www.google.com.au

Discussion

People that use methamphetamine often, have a very high chance to get addicted to the drug. Symptoms related to long term methamphetamine abuse include: anxiety, insomnia, confusion, mood disturbances, violent behaviour and also show a number of psychotic features. Taking methamphetamine even in small amounts can result in lots of effects on your health, such as a loss of appetite, increased physical activity, increased wakefulness, an irregular heartbeat and rapid heartbeat, increased body temperature and increased blood pressure. Long term use of methamphetamine results in a lot of negative consequences such as very rapid and extreme weight loss, chronic dental problems and skin rashes and sores caused by scratching.  Long term users can also have damaged blood vessels which can cause strokes and bleeding in the brain.

It is impossible for a person that is addicted to methamphetamine take care of their relationships. 
When a user abuses methamphetamine it doesn’t take long to notice significant changes in them, from there mental state to their appearance. When methamphetamine wears off a user, their personality will usually not return for days, making it hard to be social with a user. Methamphetamine can cause hallucinations, erratic behaviour, irritability and paranoia. 

A methamphetamine user becomes dependant on the drug which means they are no longer dependent on relationships and they start to choose the drug over the important people in their life. 

To keep getting methamphetamines pleasurable effect, the users have to start taking it in higher doses or more often which will have devastating effects on the brain. When a user starts taking the drug in higher doses, it is also possible that it could lead to an overdose. Constant methamphetamine users may have difficulty feeling any pleasure other than the pleasure given by the drug, which will lead to further abuse and addiction. 

Methamphetamine also makes the user a very aggressive person, the user doesn’t have control or power over what their actions or what they do. The user might show aggressive behaviour which they will sometimes take out on the people around them, which will obviously put a strain on their relationships. 

Conclusion 

This report has shown the devastating effects methamphetamine can have on the brain and also the social relationships. Methamphetamine is one of the most dangerous and illegal drugs out there. It can potentially destroy all of the relationships and friendships a user has with people. It has disastrous effects on the body and brain and it some severe cases it can even lead to death through an overdose. It doesn’t take long at all to start noticing visible effects on a user. 

Public Education Piece

My public education piece is a Presentation to advise the general public of the information learned during this research assignment.

References 

http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/methamphetamine