The case of Sebastian R. is not an isolated one. People who use various psychoactive substances such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, marijuana or ecstasy (MDMA) are not fully aware of the consequences they may cause.
At our PTPP counselling centre in Bolesławiec, we receive people with such problems and notice that many believe they know a great deal about these substances. Theoretically, they are well-read and know how they work, but they are unaware of other aspects.
The substances sold are often contaminated and contain other chemical substances that create what is known as a phase, a “high,” bouts of euphoria, and a feeling of bliss and omnipotence. These additives can significantly enhance the drug’s effects and cause additional devastation in the body.
Methamphetamine itself (also known in street slang as piko, ryż, kryształ, futro, puder, or śnieżek) is a derivative of amphetamine with a very strong stimulating effect on the human body. The stimulation occurs on both the psychological and physical levels. We notice that it is one of the most popular drugs sold in our city. We can state that it is displacing marijuana, which was previously more popular. Today, there is also a trend of mixing these substances together and smoking them. Methamphetamine is also one of the most toxic and body-destroying drugs. It strains the heart and the entire circulatory system, may cause a heart attack or stroke, damages the brain, can cause delusions and suicidal thoughts, and significantly accelerates the ageing process.
We have already met many people who developed what is known as methamphetamine psychosis—a permanent mental illness caused by this substance.
There is a fairly high probability that, by taking “meth,” Sebastian R. may have experienced precisely such a state, which led to an outburst of aggression and the subsequent consequences associated with it.
Methamphetamine addiction is very difficult to treat, and the substance almost always leads to permanent changes in the nervous system.
The text was prepared by the President of the Main Board of the Polish Psychopedagogical Society, psychopedagogue, PTPP psychotherapist, coach, mediator and hypnotherapist Dawid Karol Kołodziej