Stimulants Meth and permanent behavioural changes?

[Foreigner]

This might have been asked a million times before and I did UTFSE, but I didn't get the precise answer I was looking for.

I used to date a guy who was a former meth user, but was sober when we dated. He was 30 when we met and did meth around ages 21 and 22. Our relationship went very well for a time but ended up failing because he seemed to have an underdeveloped sense of emotional responsibility. He would do things in our relationship that were blatantly unethical, but would not be held accountable for them. He wasn't a psychopath, he had a great deal of human empathy, but it was like he was emotionally stunted somehow. He couldn't understand why certain things were hurting me, and it wasn't just a matter of differences in values. He really couldn't track his own actions properly. It felt like I was dating someone in their early 20's rather than a 30 year old.

A couple years later one of my clients, who was a former meth user as well, told me that he believed that meth emotionally stunted him at the age he did it, which in his case was age 17. He was now 32. I have to admit, it seemed like his understanding of his own emotional problems was... basic. He had a hard time integrating new information and the suggestions I gave him, as well as any nuances.

So, is it my imagination, or does meth really "lock" people into the emotional age that they do it at? Or am I misreading something? I have this belief that the brain is adaptable and can heal over time, albeit into new configurations, but is it possible for something like meth to cause permanent damage that can't be overcome?

Does this happen with other addictions as well? If so, which ones? Are psychdelics part of that too?

I'm open to hearing personal experiences as well as the science behind this, if anyone knows.

 

[zephyr]

No it doesnt cause permanent damage.

Life as a drug user of any drug for any elongated period of time is likely to change you though.

I would have thought that heavy psychadelics use would change your behaviour more than anything else.

 

[RaoulDuke1147]

I heard that if you started using hard drugs at a young age then you remain said age psychologically. I can't remember where exactly I heard that but I know I heard it from multiple sources when I was younger.

 

[trunkofmycar]

Any drug will stunt your emotional/psychological growth once you become addicted to it. It's a hallmark of addiction and not exclusive to meth.

What you're describing does happen, though.

 

[ABetterWay]

He could have - and I'm by no means a professional, not is your post alone enough evidence to confirm this, nor is anything short of a good, decent professional opinion enough after in depth and face to face meetings to confirm this our anything of that nature - has, say, borderline personality disorder or something, perhaps, if of a specific subtype, more likely to use such drugs.

A lot of people do, consciously or subconsciously, attempt to self-medicate for a wide variety of issues that concern mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical health concerns.

Borderline was an example. Another example could be a physical or physiological issue causing certain behaviors in him either as symptoms of this, or as a result of his ability or lack of ability to cope well with this.

Or, it could just be that certain personality types - not necessarily just one type, but several, or certain personality traits tend to incline a person toward certain, similar behaviors.

Or, drugs have burnt out his nervous system, adrenal glands, and many many other things. Changed the wiring of his thought patterns. Neuroplasticity is amazing, and can often be exercised and rewired with some cool results in many circumstances ,

Or any other bunch of possibilities. In this particular case, and in many others.

Though. I will say during my short use, I developed the habit of tapping my last few small toes . I still do that. But I've developed little works at other times before. Who knows.

Peace.
=

 

[longjohnson8113]

Don't think so but it sounds possible. I "used" to do meth an still do from time to time no emotional stunting has ever accrued and I've done it since 14 . Idk guess people are different

 

[Onelove238]

Meth fucked my head up that's for sure , I act like an immature 8 year old. Got a great sense of humor.
Fucks your ADHD which I already had up,
Omg that bird was beautiful, I don't care what any one says , we all
Have carpet crawled ,
Stayed up for days, seen shit, heard shit.
So yeah it fucks ur head up.