This Is Your Brain on Meth: A 'Forest Fire' of Damage

NY Times ^ | July 20, 2004 | SANDRA BLAKESLEE

[neverdem]

I wonder if similar differences are seen with chronic cocaine abuse.

[neverdem]

PING

[The Libertarian Dude]

Finally... an article about drug use that isn't hyperbole.

[Pikachu_Dad]

I wonder if the same effects are seen with Adderall and Ritalin.

[dix]

Read later.Thanks for the post.

[1rudeboy]

Anyone who's seen Cops knows that meth-users are not your garden-variety cretins.

[neverdem]

Excellent question, BTTT

[octobersky]

Yet another reason to just say no. Too bad some who abuse drugs think they are invincible or know they are not and just don't care.

[Larry381]

Here's hoping they don't do a study of former heroin users.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

buddy of mine in the Navy went from normal to meth user to booted out of the Navy to selling his ass on the street to men to pay for Heroin/meth/crack all in 8 months.


Don't do that sh!+

[Oztrich Boy]

Yet another reason to just say no

Who needs a reason. Drug use is against the Law, should that not be the sufficient and the only reason for any behavioural decision?

[agitator]

This is your brain on Moveon.org

[goldstategop]

I would think so too. People tell me I look surprisingly young for my age. Maybe its genetics but I suspect a good diet and not abusing alcohol or drugs is part of the picture too. Be good to yourself and you'll live a very long life. And with age comes increased wisdom. Our lives are a gift from God and when we remember that we'll be happier.

[Friend of thunder]

Drug use is against the Law, should that not be the sufficient and the only reason for any behavioural decision?

Depends on the law.

[Mr. Mojo]

Penny Wood, 1998

Penny Wood, 2002

[martin_fierro]

[GSlob]

I would like to point out that there is one more aspect to the problem: many of us know and can name a few so harmful and dangerous people that severe brain damage in them would be a godsend to the nation and maybe even to mankind as a whole. (I am not sure that there would be a unanimity about their names, but a measure of general agreement seems possible).
Thus the question properly becomes: damage to WHOSE brain?

[martin_fierro]

[Mr. Mojo]

I wonder if she thought a change of hair color would do the trick.

[sc2_ct]

Meth is one seriously nasty drug. It's easy and cheap to get/make, very easy to get hooked, and harder to quit than anything I know of. When I was a stupid teenager I played with crystal meth and really managed to screw myself up. Thankfully I managed to pull out of it, but my cousin is still hooked on the stuff years later. It is really a tragic situation, since even if you do quit, meth makes permanent changes to the mapping of the pleasure centers of your brain, and you can never feel "happy" the same way again.