An Australian man who died in custody this week after being Tasered was reportedly battling an addiction to Ice and had been on a bender.   2.1% of Australians aged 14 years and over have used meth/amphetamines in the past 12 months and of these, nearly 51% report Crystal or Ice as their main form of drug used.

What is Ice?

Ice is a stimulant drug, which means it speeds up the messages travelling between the brain and the body. It is a type of methamphetamine, which is generally stronger, more addictive and has more harmful side effects than the powder form known as speed. Ice usually comes as small chunky clear crystals that look like ice. It can also come as white or brownish crystal-like powder with a strong smell and bitter taste (this depends on the purification process).

Should parents be worried?

Well, my children have families of their own and my grandchildren are entering their teen years and I’m very worried that they will be tempted or coerced into something as simple as smoking a cigarette. Cigarettes were considered “dreadful, addictive drugs” when I was a lass but how times have changed. We are now faced with children as young as 13 and 14, being offered  a “smoke” of crystal meth and smoking it is a stepping stone to injecting it and suddenly a person who has been on it for a week-end is getting hooked.  It’s as addictive as that. Crystal meth is a major epidemic because it is so cheap and there is this cross over with smoking it as people don’t realise that smoking it is much more addictive than snorting it.  In the old days, people had a line of speed for recreational use and then returned to their normal lives. Now, people start off using Ice as a recreational user and end up in rehab with a psychosis within a very short period of time. There are many names for Ice and a lot of people call it ‘shared’ instead of ice as it is less stigmatised because Ice is known as a dirty drug. Other names include crystal meth, shabu, crystal and glass. This doesn’t lessen the fact that Ice is highly addictive. It gives people a grandiose feeling that they are powerful and indestructible. You can see how this changes the mind-set of someone who has very low self-esteem/self-worth as suddenly they have the confidence to speak out. There is no safe level of Ice use and the effects of Ice can last around 6 hours, but it might be hard to sleep for a few days after using this drug. It then becomes a vicious cycle. Ice affects everyone differently, but visual effects to look for in users are:
  • Repeatedly scratching and picking at their skin
  • Enlarged pupils and a dry mouth (check out the corners of their mouth)
  • Teeth grinding and excessive sweating
  • Palpitations and shallow breathing
  • Reduced appetite
  • Increased sex drive
  • Anger and aggression not normally seen in the young drug user
  • Next time you see them, they are having delusions, paranoia and hallucinations which are auditory and visual, as well as acute anxiety and suicidal ideation. This is when they can become very violent and dangerous.

How do people use it?

Ice is generally smoked or injected and the effects can be felt in 3 to 7 seconds. It is sometimes swallowed leaving up to 15 to 30 minutes to feel the effects, or snorted which enhances the effect within 3 to 5 minutes.  People who regularly use Ice can quickly become dependent on the drug. They may feel they need Ice to go about their normal activities like working, studying and socialising, or just to get through the day. Ice is very hard to get off as it has such a strong psychological addiction component. Withdrawals include difficulty sleeping, exhaustion, headaches, hallucinations, confusion, irritability and agitation along with anxiety, depression and paranoia. With an estimated 26 million users of varying forms of the drug globally, (and they are only the ones we know about), it is being called “the world’s most dangerous drug”.  We have a widespread use of the drug creating a newlevel of violence and turning unstable people into dangerous criminals. Crystal methamphetamine addiction is recognised as one of the drivers of violence in our community and for recidivist offending. Last month the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) released its report into illicit drugs which indicated the number of Ice seizures was up more than 300% in one year.  How does that make you feel?  As a parent and grandparent, I am very worried about our kids and grandkids’ future. Now we’re back to my favourite topic, the Dopamine Neurotransmitter. Methamphetamine increases the level of Dopamine, the brain’s natural pleasure chemical, to ten times its normal levels. Very little else can increase Dopamine like methamphetamine.  The Dopamine Neurotransmitter is the centre for satisfaction and reward………….. Why do we overeat, drink alcohol and use drugs?  To feel better! Over time, the brain stops being able to produce enough Dopamine on its own. It then needs more and more to reach that state of satisfaction and reward. When a person stops using methamphetamine, they may start to feel depressed because their Dopamine system has been worn out from over-producing Dopamine. This is part of the withdrawal process: when the brain misses having the drug in its system. Symptoms of methamphetamine withdrawal include intense craving, anxiety, flat mood, decreased energy and motivation and problems sleeping.

How are we currently treating Ice addicts?

The search for a drug to treat methamphetamine dependence has been ongoing for the past twenty years. More than 18 different drugs have been trialled but none have been approved for methamphetamine treatment. There is a drug currently being tested in the United States that shows promise but it is still in its early stages of development.  Naltrexone is another drug with possibilities.  I would suggest speaking with your doctor about referring you and your sibling to a specialist who understands addictions and the use of Naltrexone. Currently, the main treatment for methamphetamine dependence is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).  I prefer Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and use this in my counselling practice.  However, methamphetamine users are often reluctant to seek treatment. The lack of an effective pharmaceutical therapy is considered a significant barrier to getting methamphetamine users into treatment. In the future, the solution to dealing with the Ice problem will not be simple, or short-term. It will need to be a sustained, long-term strategy, utilising education, harm-reduction strategies, healthcare responses and aggressive law enforcement strategies. I can only help the family and friends of Ice users by recommending supplements, DBT and learning how to emotionally detach from their addicted Ice user family member or friend. I recommend that family and friends stay calm and wait for the opportunity for intervention. That’s another plan I use for substance abusers and need to talk to the family and friend of the substance abuser to learn about intervention.   You could also contact your local doctor or hospital and obtain a referral for counselling or hospitalisation, depending on the severity of your young drug addicted family member. You need to look after your own physical, emotional and mental health in order to cope with what is going on within the family.  As well as 100% vigilance over your offspring, you need to take care of your nutrition and dietary supplements. I recommend Tyrosine Mood Food, necessary for the manufacture of dopamine and noradrenaline, which are required for concentration, alertness, memory and a happy, stable mood. Tyrosine is required for the manufacture of adrenalin in the adrenal glands and you, as a parent or friend of an Ice user, may be suffering with adrenal exhaustion.  The state of your liver has a big impact on your state of mind so that those with a fatty liver may find themselves irritable and moody with a poor memory and difficulty keeping up with life’s demands. You could be using food for comfort in an effort to cope with your addicted family member. Depression and poor sleep may be associated with a fatty liver and these things resolve when we improve the liver function.  I recommend Livatone Plus, a more powerful formula that can support liver function. L-Glutamine is an amino acid and has been shown to improve brain function resulting in improved sleep, decreased anxiety and a reduced craving for sugar.  Vegetable juice has been successfully used to clear out fatty livers too. Juicing, along with the above supplements, B-vitamins and Vitamin C, may be a real long-term help. Glutamine can be found in our Ultimate Gut Health Powder. Dr. Cabot has a great juice book that’s easy to follow and has recipes to help rejuvenate a fatty liver. Raw Juices Can Save Your Life by Dr. Sandra Cabot. Magnesium Ultra Potent can be taken before bed to assist with a deep and restful sleep. It also helps to reduce stress.  Magnesium is also known as the “great relaxer”. Dr. Cabot’s book, Help for Depression and Anxiety is an excellent read for people struggling with severe anxiety and depression.