nd elevated body temperature; Gracer (2007) states that these and the pleasurable effects are associated with the release of very high levels of dopamine.
Unfortunately, while the immediate short-term effects are attractive, the drug will eventually exact a heavy toll on both the mind and the body. The next section of this paper examines both the physical and the psychological/emotional effects that accompany the repeated use of methamphetamine.
Fleming (2006) notes that one of the first effects of methamphetamine usage is physical addiction, where addiction is defined as a chronic disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking behavior as well as use of the drug. Regarding the physical nature of addiction, Rose and Grant (2008) state that methamphetamine is associated with both functional and molecular changes in the brain. In addition to addiction, these changes are associated with insomnia and a number of other debilitating physical conditions.
Part of what is said to lead to the addiction is the fact that the body grows increasingly tolerant of the drug and needs more to produce the pleasurable effects (Gracer, 2007). If the addict tries to stop taking the drug, several uncomfortable symptoms (both physical and psychological) can occur, including depression, fatigue, anxiety, and an extremely intense craving for the drug (Gracer, 2007).
Rose and Grant (2008) also discuss the dopamine system and its response to repeated usage of meth. Specifically, the authors report that brain-imagining studies show an alteration in the dopamine system, an alteration that reduces motor speed and impairs verbal learning. Further, repeated usage seems to be associated with extreme structural and functional neurological changes, especially those taking place in the parts
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