Hi KSM, I’m so sorry you are dealing with the effects meth has had on your daughter. It is baffling, isn’t it?
I have had a little experience with my 21 year old son using it, however it was not his drug of choice (that was pot). He mainly used it when pot wasn’t available and I don’t think he was addicted to it. He says he did it about 10 times. (that is 10 times too many!) Nevertheless, it did noticeably change his personality making him very angry, contentious and threatening, paranoid, and eventually after he was jailed, he had a psychotic break.
Before the break he was delusional with sort of a God complex where he felt like he had powers that were making certain things happen. This behavior took place back in December. It took a couple of months and he is on mood stabilizing medication, but he no longer is talking such nonsense. (Or at least as much as I can determine from talking to him on the phone).
From what I have read and heard, the effects of meth on a person depend on how long they’ve used it, and the quantity they were doing, as well as how (snort, smoke, inject). Apparently, today’s meth is much more potent than the meth of the past and the effects are stronger with anger, violence, etc. and addiction can happen much quicker. The effects can be temporary, permanent or intermittent where the person can go in and out of psychosis over time.
I don’t know how long your daughter has been using meth but since it is such a strong stimulant and she is no longer using it, I’m not surprised that she is in sort of a ’come down’ mode, where she lacks energy to do anything. After all she has been way overstimulated for a while now. It could take months for the effects to wear off and to determine whether or not she will have any permanent mental illness.
I don’t mean to sound all doom and gloom, but meth is such a powerful drug that affects people differently. The effects of the new meth are still being studied.
This is the one drug I tried so hard to educate my son about and urge him never to try it. I warned him all kinds of toxic chemicals you would never want in your body are used to make it, including drain cleaner, but apparently my advice fell on deaf ears. The result is after maybe a year’s “casual” use, he committed a crime while under its influence. He is now a convicted felon who spent the last four months in jail and is on probation for three years. And until I am able to spend more time with him, I really won’t know the full effects of his meth use.
Hugs to you and I hope your daughter fully recovers.
