Health officials warn that teenagers who abuse the drug Methamphetamine are exposed to even greater risks than young adults.
Methamphetamine is dangerous to anyone who becomes addicted to the drug.
Health officials warn that use of the powerful, man-made form of amphetamine can result in psychosis, premature aging, overdose, extreme paranoia and bodily disfiguration. However, it seems that teenagers who abuse the drug are exposed to even greater risks.
Young adults and children who have used methamphetamine have been found to experience more changes to the brain. “It’s particularly unfortunate that meth appears to damage that part of the brain, which is still developing in young people and is critical for cognitive ability,” explained the lead author of the study that appeared in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Scientists and doctors have known for quite some time that methamphetamine changes the brain chemistry and the actual landscape of the brain; however they just recently began to understand the devastating effects the drug has on children. It appears that methamphetamine does the most damage to the frontal cortex of the brain.
This is the part that is responsible for decision making, memory and organization. Because other studies have shown that teenager’s brains are still developing, methamphetamine use during this time is especially dangerous and harmful. The developing brain never gets a chance to reach maturity; instead, methamphetamine destroys vital areas of a growing child’s brain. The study was conducted on children in South Korea. Researchers completed MRI brain scans of 51 teens and 54 adults, all of which were chronic methamphetamine abusers.
When researchers were able to compare the scans taken on the participants who abused meth to those that had never used the drug, it was clear that the children in the study had far worse damage. Researchers also noted that children addicts tend to use less methamphetamine than adult addicts, which would suggest that the drug is so potent and powerful that even small doses can destroy a developing brain. Researchers on the study hope that these results will highlight the importance of keeping children off drugs and help push those who are already using methamphetamine to seek help.
There is some hope through neural plasticity research in other studies that much of this damage can be repaired if caught quickly enough. This is just one of many reasons why Gulf Breeze Recovery uses a multi-faceted approach that includes physical and mental healing techniques.
Both Haley and her Mom went through hell and back with methamphetamine but they are stronger than ever now. Watch their inspiring testimonial of what happened and how a non 12 step holistic drug rehab cut through the madness and got to the core of the problem with the THRIVE® Total Health Recovery program at Gulf Breeze Recovery
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