Meth, or locally known as shabu, is the drug of choice for millions of Filipinos who have substance abuse disorder, or addiction. Shabu, after all, is such an attraction. It delivers a powerful euphoria, a high, immediately after using it. For those who are working, the attraction is furthered by shabu’s promise of increased focus and energy, decreased desire for sleep, and low appetite.
What they didn’t realize is that shabu takes a big toll on their bodies and minds, and many of its devastating effects can soon be seen right on their faces.
Let’s take a look at what shabu does to your body.
What Shabu Does to the Brain
- Taking shabu, whether by smoking, snorting or injecting, causes a surge of dopamine in the pleasure center of the brain. This flood of pleasure is what causes a sense of euphoria that gets many people hooked on the drug.
- The pleasure doesn’t last long, however. Overtime, shabu destroys the dopamine receptors in the brain, so you have to take more and more of the drug to feel the same pleasure you wanted. These receptors don’t really get revived, and continued drug use destroys them for good so people lose the ability to feel pleasure even after they stopped using.
- Chronic, continued use can also cause to drug-induced psychosis as well as other behavioral problems, such as anxiety, aggression, paranoia, delusion, and hallucinations.
Shabu changes the brain’s chemistry, rewiring it in ways that can be damaging for you. While some of the brain tissues can regrow over time, the process can take years of sobriety. However, your brain will never be the same. Many of those who have abstained from shabu for years even show severe memory impairment, difficulty in focusing, motor coordination, and many other symptoms similar to those who are suffering from Parkinson’s Disease.
KARINGAL/3OCT2016 At Camp Karingal in Quezon City, a reporter takes a smartphone snapshot of model Krista Miller, who arrested on Sept 30, with six others for selling illegal drugs. MB PHOTO/FEDERICO CRUZ
Aside from dopamine, shabu also causes a flood of adrenaline, which causes high levels of anxiety, wakefulness, focus, and aggression. Some long-term users even experience “tweaking,” which is a hyperactive and obsessive behavior.
Some can also experience hallucinations and delusions. They may also feel as if there are bugs crawling under their skin, causing them to constantly pick on them, causing sores known as “meth marks.”
Visible, Physical Signs of Shabu Abuse
- Abusing meth can cause destruction of tissues and blood vessels.
- The body also loses the ability to heal and repair itself, so wounds and sores take so much longer to heal.
- Those who use shabu appear so much older than they really are.
- Poor diet, lack of sleep, teeth grinding, meth marks, and poor hygiene causes tooth decay and tooth loss, causing what is popularly known as “meth mouth.”
- Meth mouth happens when long-term shabu users have broken, blackened, discolored, and rotting teeth.
Shabu and Sex
- Shabu users have increased libido, impaired judgment and decreased inhibitions, causing them to engage in promiscuity and risky sexual behaviors.
- Shooting up drugs in your veins such as meth can also put people at greater risk of infection and diseases such as Hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS.
Shabu’s Other Effects on the Body
- Increased body temperature leading to brain damage
- Increased heart rate leading to cardiac arrest
- Weakened immune system
- Liver damage
- Convulsions
- Stroke
- Death
If you’ve been using shabu repeatedly for many years now, you may have already felt some of the negative physical effects of the drugs. Don’t wait until these negative effects become even more complicated and your body undergoes irreversible damage. Call or text us for treatment at 09175098826 (Manila) and 09177046659 (Cebu).
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