Letters from Crystal Meth Users

• Feb
  17

  Learning to Eat Right to Become Dopamine Efficient

  It was while visiting this website that I first came to terms with the fact that I have a problem with meth. Since that day, I have spent just about every spare moment drilling down into the chemical science and physiology behind this drug, as I have a background in science and medicine and actually found all of this just as scientifically fascinating for me as it was horrific and sobering.

  I wanted to find out as much as I possibly could about how it stimulates the brain, the specifics of its damage potential and the chemical and physiological specifics of the abuse cycle defined on this site. I even spent some time looking for any typical "mental health profile" that might be common of people who are most easily drawn into the cycle.

  The more I researched, the bigger this problem seemed to become, not only for me as an individual, but for society as a whole. I spent many hours (yes, some of them while on meth) digging down into the dark decay, the diseased guts of this evil thing. What I found is that meth abuse seems to be a side effect of a much greater problem; the human condition. Many people who wind up addicted to meth seem to have suffered from anxiety and depression disorders their whole lives. Disorders that interfered with their ability to be happy and productive in society. When they first tried meth, what they thought they had found was a solution to all of their problems, perhaps a lifetime of them.

  As you know, meth specifically addresses the neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine. Deficiencies of these neurotransmitters can cause people to feel anxious, unmotivated, depressed and possibly even threatened or paranoid (I'm sure everyone here is familiar with this emotional cocktail).

  Breaking the addictive cycle is hard because once you've used meth enough; there is nothing else (immediately) that can stimulate your dopamine terminals to normal levels of activity. The result is that nothing in life seems pleasurable or rewarding in any way except for meth. Therefore, quickly clamoring back to the drug is not only tempting, but in some cases, impossible to resist.

  Having encapsulated the problem as much as possible (as above) I began looking for anything that would specifically address these problems; not only in meth addicts but in people who suffered from natural dopamine/norepinephrine deficiencies.

  This was a huge eye opener for me. I'm sure everyone here knows that many world military powers have experimented (and possibly still are using) amphetamine and methamphetamine in their defense programs. If you're a user, there is no need to explain the deceptively appealing benefits of such programs. Doctors have (and still do) prescribe methamphetamine to sufferers of ADD. Makes a lot of sense. Dopamine and especially norepinephrine have been connected to focus and concentration abilities. Upon digging further into the world of ADD sufferers and prescription drugs like Ritalin, I found a group of people who sounded horribly familiar. I kid you not, I could take some of their letters and posts out of context and you would swear they were talking about their methamphetamine abuse cycles. That's because Ritalin works much the same way as meth, and again, some ADD sufferers are prescribed straight-up meth by their docs. Parents talk about their ADD children showing immediate and stellar scholastic improvement on Ritalin and other drugs, usually followed by a decline within 6 to 9 months (causing them to up dosages), eventually leading to a complete melt down to the point of severe depression and nervous fits within a few years. Sound familiar?

  Then I moved on, noting that chemicals which work on the brain using "amphetamine" chemistry are immediately beneficial, but ultimately destructive.

  I found myself back where I started: the dopamine and norepinephrine problem. More research into the natural physiology of these neurotransmitters led me to find a few specific precursors that our bodies require to keep us balanced. Often, we are deficient in these (amino acid) precursors or other essential nutrients because most of us just aren't eating right. On top of that, our stressful lifestyles cause us to routinely deplete what little dopamine we are able to store up. It's really a 21st century, man-made plague--a trap we've all gotten ourselves into. Crappy nutrition + stressful life = dopamine shock.

  Unfortunately, a few of us find meth as an escape. Ha!

  So let me distill all of this for you. I found something that is working for me. It's (greatly!) helping me to curve off my meth use by helping me to naturally build up my neurotransmitter levels. The result is, my cravings and withdrawal symptoms are being substantially reduced, and I CAN'T WAIT until I kick the habit completely and get to live life as a normal DOPAMINE EFFICIENT being!

  These are my personal recommendations. You can find these dietary supplements by searching the net. Nutrition stores everywhere have them, and it's safe and legal.

  1. L-Tyrosine
     This is an amino acid that is a direct precursor to dopamine and ultimately, norepinephrine. Once it crosses the blood-brain barrier, it is converted into L-Dopa, then dopamine and then (some) to norepinephrine. Most "normal" individuals supplement their diets with about 700mg of this daily for a multitude of reasons. I'm finding that about 1200mg is comfortable for me and is really curving the feelings that have classically led me back to meth. Nothing I read indicated that this NATURAL NUTRITION SUPPLIMENT could be harmful or addictive in any way, but I recommend using the recommended dosages of whatever product you choose (liquid or powdered forms are best) for a week or so before you decide to up your supplements.
  2. Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6 and Magnesium
     I found that there is a general feeling in the medical community that these nutrients may be needed by the brain to perform the synthesis I described above. Make sure you're getting your daily recommended allowances of these.

  I'll close by saying that this discovery is really starting to turn things around for me, and I wanted to share it with everyone here because you are all responsible for opening my eyes and helping me to take the initiative to find a way out. I would rather not reveal my personal details or any specifics about my medical background, but I hope that since I am recommending safe and legal natural supplements and do not stand to make any sort of profit by these recommendations that the webmaster(s) here will take the time to evaluate some of my research and hopefully share this with this community as something that could possibly help!

  Thank you for your help and your time. Peace be with you all.
  
  E. S. from Dallas

  Please Note: The above is merely one person's opinion and is not meant to be representative of the views of this website or of the medical community.

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  Posted on February 17th, 2011

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