Mephedrone Addiction

Few drugs have exploded onto the scene in quite the way that mephedrone did around 2009-2010. Mephedrone was cheap and easily available and, for almost a year following its emergence, was essentially legal. All of this led to mephedrone quickly becoming the UK’s go-to party drug. It wasn’t long, however, before the true nature of mephedrone was understood, with various health risks, personal problems and mephedrone addiction all becoming alarmingly evident. While now banned in the UK, mephedrone addiction is still available through illegal means, with mephedrone addiction a major concern for anyone who uses this dangerous drug.

What is mephedrone?

Mephedrone is a type of drug that belongs to a group of stimulant chemicals called cathinones. Cathinones are synthetic (manufactured) versions of a natural substance found in the khat plant, which grows in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Along with drugs like Spice and Benzo-Fury, Mephedrone is often described as a legal high because it was previously legal to buy in the UK. However, since 2010, cathinone use, supply, production and importation have all been banned.

Mephedrone usually comes in the form of a white powder or pills. It goes by various street names but is often called “Meow Meow” or “MCAT.” People often snort the powder, swallow the pills or sometimes mix the powder with liquid and drink it. It can also be dissolved in water and injected which is particularly dangerous.

What does mephedrone do?

When someone takes mephedrone, they often feel very happy, energetic and sociable, with effects sometimes described as being like a mixture of cocaine and MDMA. However, these feelings don’t last long, which causes users to keep taking mephedrone over and over again, sometimes for many days without sleep.

While it might seem fun at first, mephedrone can be really harmful with serious mephedrone side effects like:

• Fast heartbeat and high blood pressure
• Sweating and overheating
• Anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations
• Nosebleeds and damage to the nose
• Mephedrone overdose (particularly with large doses or when mixed with other substances)
• Mephedrone addiction

What is mephedrone addiction?

Mephedrone addiction means that your body and mind start to rely on the drug and it becomes very hard to stop using it. Because mephedrone can make you feel good very quickly but with short-lasting effects, people often take more and more to keep feeling high. This can lead to a cycle where you need to use the drug more frequently and in larger amounts to achieve the same effects, which is known as tolerance.

As you then use more and more, your body can get used to having mephedrone, leading to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms if you stop using it. These mephedrone withdrawal symptoms can include fatigue, depression, anxiety and intense cravings, which cause continued use.

You can also develop a mental and emotional dependency and begin to feel like you need mephedrone to cope with everyday life. This psychological dependence can be just as strong as the physical one, making it very challenging to quit.

Am I addicted to mephedrone?

If you are feeling like mephedrone is starting to take over your life, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Have you started needing more mephedrone than before to get the same buzz?
• Do you crave mephedrone when you haven’t taken it or feel really tired, sad or anxious?
• Have you tried to set limits on how much mephedrone to take but ended up using more than you intended?
• Are you missing school, work or important activities because you’re using mephedrone or recovering from it?
• Are you doing dangerous things while on mephedrone, like driving or having unsafe sex?
• Are you constantly thinking about using mephedrone or planning how to get more?
• Are you pulling away from friends and family or skipping out on social events to use mephedrone?
• Are you arguing with family or friends about your mephedrone use?
• Do you feel like you can’t have fun, relax or deal with stress without mephedrone?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, they could be signs of mephedrone addiction.

What can lead to a mephedrone addiction?

Understanding why some people are more likely to get addicted to mephedrone can help you take steps to protect yourself. Here are some of the factors which can increase your chances:

Your genetics

Your genes can make you more likely to get addicted to drugs including mephedrone. If you know that addiction runs in your family, then you need to be especially careful with any substance use.

Easily available mephedrone

If mephedrone is easy to get, then you might be more likely to use it. For example, if your friends are using mephedrone or you know people who sell it then the chances of experimentation and mephedrone addiction increase.

Using mephedrone as a coping method

If you’re dealing with a lot of stress, anxiety or other tough emotions, you might use mephedrone to feel better. Using drugs to cope can quickly lead to addiction.

Mental health

If you have mental health issues like depression or anxiety, you might be more likely to use drugs like mephedrone to try to feel better and become reliant on it.

Age and curiosity

Young people often try new things out of curiosity. You might try mephedrone to see what it’s like, but this can sometimes lead to addiction if you keep using it.

Lack of knowledge

Not knowing how dangerous mephedrone can be might make you more likely to try it. This is often the case with “legal highs”, where people underestimate their risks.

The dangers of mephedrone addiction

When mephedrone use was at its highest levels in 2009-2010, it took the authorities some time to understand its dangers. Today, we are much more aware of the serious risks associated with mephedrone and the harm it can cause to both your health and your life in general. These include:

Mephedrone overdose

Taking too much mephedrone at once or mixing it with other drugs can lead to an overdose, which is extremely dangerous. Symptoms of mephedrone overdose include severe agitation, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, seizures, coma and death.

Other physical dangers

Using mephedrone a lot can cause serious heart problems, including heart attacks. Snorting mephedrone can damage your nose, and injecting can damage your veins and cause infections.

Mental health issues

Mephedrone addiction can lead to serious problems like anxiety, depression and paranoia.

It can also make it hard for you to think clearly, focus and remember things.

Life impacts

Drug addiction can cause fights and breakups with your friends and family and can leave you isolated from anyone who could help you. You could also face prison, either for possessing or supplying mephedrone, which is illegal or for committing crimes to fund an expensive mephedrone addiction.

Treatment for mephedrone addiction

While mephedrone addiction can be a life-threatening condition, there is effective treatment available. This involves three important stages:

1. Mephedrone detox

Mephedrone detox is the first step where you stop using mephedrone with medical guidance so your body can clear out the drug safely. During detox, you will likely experience mephedrone withdrawal symptoms like tiredness, depression, anxiety and cravings but your doctors will help you through them.

2. Mephedrone rehab treatment

Mephedrone rehab treatment follows drug detox and helps you understand your addiction and develop skills to stay off mephedrone. During rehab, you will have therapy sessions to talk about your experiences and learn coping strategies that will help you stay clean both during treatment and beyond.

3. Aftercare

Aftercare is the ongoing support you receive after completing rehab to help you stay drug-free. It includes regular therapy sessions and guidance in implementing all of the skills and strategies you learned during drug rehab.

Get help for mephedrone addiction today

If you are struggling with mephedrone addiction, Oasis Bradford has everything you need to get better. We provide detox, rehab treatment and ongoing aftercare so you never have to struggle alone again. Get in touch with Oasis Bradford today, and together, we can plot a course to a whole new life.

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