9781422282557

12 STIMULANTS: METH, COCAINE, AND AMPHETAMINES

Heavy users like Sam will get their drugs wherever they can.

past, and meth held her feelings of depression at bay. She had also struggled with her weight, and drugs helped her to lose weight quickly. She became more sociable. Life was good—or so it seemed. Reality soon set in, however. And when that happened, Sam’s life spiraled out of control. Sam changed. Her appearance became more ragged. Her weight dropped from 145 to 100 pounds and she started losing her hair. Her school work suffered and she often showed up late for class. She started fighting with family and friends. Her parents tried grounding her, but she just snuck out her bedroom window and continued to use drugs. Sam’s drug use put a strain on her family—her mother was already exhausted by muscular dystrophy, and her dad started to drink heavily. At one point, the meth supply ran low, so Sam used amphetamines and smoked pot instead. A few months later, the meth was back, and Sam was back using it.