Rural Crime & Justice Center
A University Center of Excellence
Minot, North Dakota
Cycle of Abuse
1. Rush
• The initial intense response the abuser feels
when smoking or injecting methamphetamine.
• Those who snort or swallow the drug do
not experience this.
Cycle of Abuse
S Alex Stalcup
The New Leaf Project
Cycle of Abuse
2. The High
• The rush is followed by the high, sometimes
called “the shoulder.”
• The abuser often feels aggressively smarter and
becomes argumentative, often interrupting other
people and finishing their sentences.
• The high can last from 4-16 hours.
Cycle of Abuse
S Alex Stalcup
The New Leaf Project
Cycle of Abuse
Low-Intensity Methamphetamine Abuse
• A user who is not psychologically addicted, but
uses methamphetamine on a casual basis by
swallowing or snorting.
• Uses it in the same way many people use
caffeine or nicotine.
• These people frequently hold jobs, raise families,
and otherwise function normally.
Cycle of Abuse
3. The Binge
• Maintains the high by smoking or injecting more.
• Begins to experience addictive euphoric rushes.
• Becomes mentally and physically hyperactive.
• The binge can last 3-15 days.
• Each time the abuser smokes or injects more, a
smaller euphoric rush is experienced until, finally,
there is no rush or high.
Cycle of Abuse
S Alex Stalcup
The New Leaf Project
Cycle of Abuse
High-Intensity Methamphetamine Abuse
• Psychologically addicted, often called “speed
freaks.”
• Their existence focuses on preventing the crash,
and they seek that elusive, perfect rush, like they
had when they first started smoking or injecting
methamphetamine.
• Tweaking begins to occur.
Cycle of Abuse
4. Tweaking
• Tweaking occurs at the end of the binge when
nothing will take away the feeling of emptiness
and dysphoria, including taking more
methamphetamine.
• Tweaking is very uncomfortable, and the abuser
often takes a depressant to ease the bad feelings.
• The most popular depressant is alcohol, with
heroin a close second.
Cycle of Abuse
S Alex Stalcup
The New Leaf Project
Cycle of Abuse
Tweakers
• Most dangerous state
• No sleep in 3-15 days
Approaching a Tweaker
• Keep a social distance
• Do not shine bright lights at him/her
• Slow your speech
• Lower the pitch of your voice
• Slow your movements
• Keep your hands visible
• Keep the “tweaker” talking
United States DEA
Cycle of Abuse
5. Crash
• The crash means an incredible amount of
sleep.
• The body uses the crash to recover from
the strain caused by extended use.
Cycle of Abuse
S Alex Stalcup
The New Leaf Project
Cycle of Abuse
6. Withdrawal
Withdrawal symptoms vary depending on length
and intensity of abuse. Symptoms can include:
• Sleepiness
• Fatigue
• Increased appetite
• Slowed thinking
• Boredom
• Depressed mood
• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Mood instability
• Craving to use
Source: S Alex Stalcup New Leaf Project
Binge and Crash
5-30
minutes
6-12 hours
or more
3-15 days
Indefinite length of time
1-3 days
Indefinite length of time
Source: http://www.ouc.bc.ca/psyc/path/parent-teacher-info.html
Any Questions?