KCI The Anti_Meth Site

Can meth change someone into a monster?

lynne	Can meth change someone into a monster? I have read so many posts about addicts and their actions and I just wonder: can meth change someone who is really nice, educated, kind hearted, caring, loving and responsible into a monster? In other words: if mother Teresa took meth would she also have become some sex depraved whore who used and took advantage of people or is there something mean or bad about someone anyway and the meth makes it a whole lot worse? I wonder if my ex who seemed to be nice while away from meth changed because of a return to heavy use.
Replies...
Bent But Not Broken1	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? IMO, meth changes the person. Many "bad" folks on meth become good in recovery. Many good folks become 'bad' on meth. Those "bad" folks do recover! every single day! Don't lose hope. It's an equal opportunity destroyer. The only way out is to quit and work recovery. (Somehow, I don't see Mother Teresa ever going the meth route so this one I'm not going to elaborate on any further.)
danimal 55	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? Curious... Just what IS a "scumbag"? And who qualifies to determine who is and who isn't one? & BTW "they" = US
Penel0pe	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? I did some really bad things that I probably would not have done if I hadn't have been using meth. Today, part of my recovery means I make amends to people I have harmed whenever possible unless to do so would do more harm than good. That being said, "Scumbag" isn't a label that I like, even though I am sure it may have fit me quite well from time to time. I'm also sure you have your own personal reasons for choosing such a word. As Danimal said, "They = Us," and most of "Us" here are "Scumbags" who are in recovery... and trying really hard to be productive members of society.
Sfj	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? Here's my two cents. If you were to give Mother Theresa, or someone like her, substantial doses of meth over a period of time, she would begin to change her behavior. At first, she would probably be a bundle of nerves, and energy that is way too much to comprehend. She would certainly get thinner, exhibit extreme insomnia, and lack focus on many things while becoming overly focused on other things. Hitler used meth for example. He'd focus intently on some things while ignoring others. Mother Theresa would become extremely confident, to the point of arrogance, she would hate being told she was wrong, and wouldn't like to be told what to do by anyone. Within a few weeks, or months at most, the molecular structure, the cells in her brain and central nervous system would begin to go through a serious biological change. This is very important to consider. It is not an overnight change and it can't be reversed overnight. At this point, because she is, after all, Mother Theresa, she would still have her fundamental goodness, her love of humanity and her commitment to doing the will of God. But her behavior and ability to function would start to change against her will. She has become dependent upon the chemical methamphetamine in order to act, behave, and function in a somewhat ?normal? manner. If her system is suddenly deprived of her regular allotment of the chemical she now needs, she will get very irritable, tired, fatigued, and quite likely, anger will become more and more a part of her affect. Her demeanor will automatically become glum, dour, and gloomy. If she continues to be deprived of the drug she now needs, she will continue to get more angry, more depressed, and more and more desperate in her cravings to get what she needs. Eventually, she might, quite likely, resort to behaviors, and activities that violate her core values of honesty, decency, love and compassion. Especially if violating those values lead her to getting what she so desperately needs to restore a new level of homeostasis, or equilibrium. I could go on and on, but, let me know if any of this makes sense, before I continue. FWIW, I consider a scumbag to be a selfish, rude, dishonest, despicable, loathsome, ill-behaved, depraved, sicko - just like I was when strung out on meth. "Scumbag - A person with no sense of propriety, decency or discretion."
danimal 55	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? Yet another term that should be at the bottom of the ocean, particularly when addicts show up here looking for compassion and understanding.
Bent But Not Broken1	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? and no offense.....just like the "W" word, "scumbags" is a negative label I refuse to accept just because I used meth. All of us still have souls and we still bleed real blood and we still feel real pain-when using and during recovery. I do understand anger and the need to vent, and am not diminishing your need or your pain/hurt/anger/confusion, not at all. I'd rather have sticks and stones physically hurting me than labels/words. What we say has power to heal or hurt. After seeing the "W" word again, just a gentle reminder that what we say affects how we feel and how we view the world, or at least it has the potential to. gratefully working Celebrate Recovery~
Sfj	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? Ok, it looks like again, we are getting away from the question of the original post on this thread, "or does meth make them that way? " and squabbling over terminology. Would you like me to delete the portion of my post that defines the "s" word?
SOS 1988	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? so you don't believe meth would do that to you? you think that'd we'd do all these f@cked up things cuz we're scumbags? if you have such a hard time believing do it yourself; you'd become a strung out scum bag like the rest of us were...... At one time in my life i was optimistic, very very kind hearted, empathetic, and relatively friendly.....When i was strung out i fantasized about committing homicide and suicide, I lied, I stole, and I used; with only one thing in mind...staving off/alleviating withdrawal and come down....and yes meth hurts bad enough for anyone to do almost anything.....it's an emotional sickness...and yes i think if it came down to it mother Teresa would take more $%^&'s than a porn star for the first two months all i felt was, "this is so f@cking horrible I want to die, and take someone with me." It's gotten quite a bit better but i still feel pretty bad sometimes....the whole experience makes you something you're not......its f2cking horrible
forget suzette	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? depends on the scumbag
brenda kays	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? My husband went through an extreme period of emotional pain when he began to get clean and thought about the things he had done to family, friends, and strangers in order to satisfy his drug need - As he explained it to me - He was not able to feel his conscious while using and his mind could rationalize and justify all of his actions - Once clean his sense of conscious returned - I think someone who has no morals, values, or ethics to begin with aren't going to be better people when they clean up but I also believe there are wonderful people who lose themselves to this drug and can return with time. Look back at who the person was before using and that should give you a good indicator or who they can become again
NoMore 4Me	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? I know alcohol emphasizes a person's characteristics. I thought Sfj's definition made sense. Seems like many emotions based on definitions. We define ourselves. Sounds like you have a relationship with someone YOU consider a scumbag. My question is.. Why would you stay in a situation like that?? Is there enough love to see this through?? Are you informed on Meth addiction, or addictions of any sort??? Coping skills hon. Ya need some coping skills if this is the person you intend to walk through this to the end. KNOW that addictions change a person. Scumbag? You should NOT categorize people, it seems to bring out the defensives in most. In my scumbag days, I did some stuff I'd never do now. I lacked coping skills back then. I lived in an illusion of my drugs. I didn't care enough to change. NOW, in recovery I continually look at myself and sometimes those around me. I see positive changes. BEFORE, I looked at everyone else and sometimes myself. Nothing changed, unless it got worst. Anyway, hope you come to some terms with your 'scumbag'. Sorry to hear things are rough.
teqa peq	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? SJF I loved your analogy. I know I strayed from my morals and values when in my addiction and of course having the mind of an addict I could make excuses and justify it. To bad the only one I was fooling was myself.
silly veronica	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? And here comes Silly V's confusion. In one breath, I hear a lot of people say, "Meth gets too much credit" (SFJ, I've heard you say it many times), along with other things that the behavior of meth addicts has something to do with their core being - that a lot of them were jerks before, so even without the meth, they're still jerks (I'm not name calling anyone ... just pointing out what I've read in the last year+). Pretty much most of the posts above are different than that ... what has changed? It looks like now most are saying it WAS the drug that caused them to do this or that (even you SFJ). What changed? Or is it, again ... just different for everyone.
luve piphany	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? Regardless of all the other... Of course Meth makes people become "other" than themselves! We wouldn't have a single problem with all of those wonderfully productive dope addicts if they didn't become people we don't know and don't like...especially the ones that do hard jobs that we don't want to do...makes me think more on the illegal workers doing those jobs that I wouldn't do....I always tried to pay the Mexican crew members fairly and maybe even just a bit more than promised because they worked so hard...finding out they were illegal with made up social security #'s made me think very poorly of them....(thieves-creeps-criminals did come to mind) but they had worked very HARD and done a fairly good job and wow could they cook up wonders from very little. They were doing something out of absolute need for money and food. Meth addicts do things out of absolute need for the drug they are owned by. I know I got off track, but I guess it just goes to show that judging without walking in one's shoes and forgetting that meth addicts are very very very sick is useless. They do change. Mother Theresa would probably be sent straight to re-hab and we wouldn't ever see the effects. Hence, meth addicts had issues before they ever picked up that kept them separate from those they love in some way-built armor around their souls so that Meth could take them away and hold them in bondage. Meth is illegal-gotta do a lot of things illegal to live with meth...if you really think about it. Committing illegal act one brings shame and from there on...the change begins And Meth DOES change and hurt the BRAIN Seems like I live my life trying NOT to become what I would call a "scumbag" If I did meth, I imagine that I would definitely think of myself as a scumbag and once I thought of myself as one...I would BE the best scumbag I could be. Meth addicts that I know and love, tend to do everything they want to do the best they can-Meth is scum-evil....I think I probably know some of the best past Meth addicts right here. They blessedly make the best recovering meth addicts. I personally, have found that I have made the mistake of not giving meth enough credit. That is coming from one looking on....
Lisa	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? I guess I wasn't your average meth abuser. I never did anything on meth I wouldn't do without meth. My personality didn't go through changes. I didn't lie, cheat, steal or abandon my family. The one person who knew me before, during and after my active addiction agrees....the only thing he's ever noticed while I was high was that I had more energy and could accomplish more and I "tweaked" on arts and crafts. I've always been somewhat obsessed with being the best mother I could be, and when I used, I was SuperMom. Meth took what was already there and magnified it a hundred-fold. So, judging from my own experience, I'd say meth exacerbates traits and characteristics that already lie within the user. If you're mean, meth will make you meaner. If you're angry, meth will make you angrier, if you're a workaholic, meth will make you more so, etc. I know I'm in the minority here...I used heavily for six years and never got to the point that some people get to in six months or a year of using. I was lucky. So, I guess I should clarify my last post...FOR ME, TO ME and IN REGARD TO ME, meth did not change who I was or what I did or how I acted. It did, however, forever alter my ability to feel happy. It robbed me of all my dopamine, and that's a huge price to pay for some extra energy.
notold ash	Re: Can meth change someone into a monster? I dunno but I think the whole idea of lowered inhibitions says it all. IMO Lowered inhibitions greatly increases the the chance to bring out any tendencies you have. Some people act on them some are more discipline. With that being said I think it goes both ways.