What 14 Years Of Doing Meth Does To A Person

Knowing what we know about it, it seems strange that anyone would want to do crystal meth. Yet, a look at how the brain reacts to a dose of the drug reveals exactly what compels users to stay in its clutches.

As with any drug — including alcohol and nicotine — meth triggers the release of the pleasure chemical dopamine, resulting in an energized, euphoric feeling. The problem with meth is that it releases 12 times as much dopamine as you get from other pleasurable activities like eating or sex, which means the resulting rush is unlike anything the user has ever experienced. Yet, as they say, what goes up must come down because once the drug wears off, the user experiences an equally intense depression. So the user takes it again because it's the only way they can make that horrible feeling go away, thus beginning a very addictive cycle.

If that cycle isn't broken, the drug puts them through hell. It raises a person's body temperature to dangerous levels, so they risk death every time they take it. Meth can also make someone extremely paranoid, their moods erratic and their behavior unpredictable to the point that they can become a danger to themselves and others.

Yet, one of the most haunting stories a user can tell about their journey is written all over their face. That stark progression as addiction drags on shows itself very well in the case of 32-year-old Matthew Medlin. We're going to look at how he's changed over the last 14 years.

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1. Here we see 18-year-old Medlin after his first arrest in 2002.

His chiseled good looks, which is comprised of his tan, high cheekbones, and piercing gaze, have beencompared to those of a model.

2. Five years later, he's already starting to age prematurely.

Meth is known to have this effect as it dulls the skin and introduces the sores you're starting to see on Medlin. Many users tend to make these sores worse by obsessively picking at them.

3. By 2013, we find Medlin sporting some odd face tattoos.

Below the crude teardrop ink, you may notice his sunken cheeks. Meth tends to cause a loss of appetite so Medlin has likely lost a lot of weight by this point.

4. Medlin would be arrested three times that year.

This photo seems similar to the previous one aside from his racoon-style haircut.

5. Medlin's life of crime caught up with him later that year when this bizarre photo was taken.

He seems to have drawn thick lines in black paint on his face but they wouldn't be there for long because he was heading off to jail. He was convicted on charges of sexual abuse, burglary, and assault.

6. Six days before his 2014 release, Medlin escaped prison.

Amazingly, he was able to scale the prison's razor fence in broad daylight without being caught.

7. However, his escape only lasted 10 hours before he was spotted.

He was arrested at a Jack in the Box location and charged with second-degree escape.

8. By 2015, Medlin had grown his hair to about shoulder-length.

While the drugs and his life of crime had clearly taken their toll, he appeared healthier last year than he does now.

9. Before Medlin's most recent arrest, he was reported climbing on trains in Portland, Oregon.

He would later tell officers he had been awake for 26 hours. It's not uncommon for meth users to stay up for days or even weeks at a time due to the drug's stimulating effects.

10. When police approached, Medlin armed himself with rocks and pieces of metal.

He then jumped in a train car, beginning a four-hour standoff with police that continued through a thunderstorm and a hailstorm. Medlin became agitated as he injected himself with more meth, so police tased him and shot him with non-lethal bullets.

11. But if he had to go back to prison, it wasn't for long

Most of his charges from the incident were misdemeanors and it seems he's since been released. There's no word on how he's doing now.

12. Still, his journey isn't over yet.

Meth is one of the hardest addictions to kick, but it is possible with professional treatment.

You can see Medlin's last arrest photo on the next page, but you can also see someone who survived the drug's clutches.

13. This is what Medlin looked like after that arrest.

The half-lidded eyes show him in a daze and one of his earlier sores seems to have become much worse over time.

14. Yet, Shanna White was in a similar place nine years ago.

At that point, she had spent eight years on crystal meth, but the love of her family inspired her to make a change.

15. After spending six years clean and sober, she offered this message of hope.

On Facebook, she wrote, "Today I celebrate my life! 6yrs clean from the grips of meth addiction!

If you are still in the midst of this ugly nightmare please know there is hope.

You too can beat this and have a beautiful life. It is NEVER too late. Forgive yourself and know that you are worthy!"

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