She promises the ultimate kick. No other drug releases as much of the “happiness hormone” dopamine in the brain’s reward center as methamphetamine, better known as crystal meth. In experiments, rats like to push a lever like crazy to get to the drug. But happiness only lasts for a short time and comes at a high price. After the soaring, the crash follows: restlessness, irritability and depressive moods take possession of them.
Long-term and heavy use of crystal meth can lead to psychosis and anxiety. The body is run down in record time, pictures of addicts sometimes look like something out of a horror film. Because the skin becomes inflamed and the teeth decay. Not to mention the risk of cerebral haemorrhage, kidney damage or nerve cell damage. For a long time there was hardly a promising therapeutic option. But now new approaches give hope to addicts.
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