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Bath Salt Abuse
What Are Bath Salts?
Before fully understanding the depths of addiction, it’s important to address what bath salts are. Bath salts is the name for a class of drugs known as synthetic cathinones, including methylone, mephedrone, and methylenedioxypryovarlerone (MDPV). These manufactured substances are chemically like cathinone, a stimulant derived from the khat plant. However, while natural cathinone is relatively mild, these synthetic variations can be significantly stronger and have dangerous side effects.
The term “bath salts” derives from the substances sometimes being sold disguised as true bath salts, due to their granular or crystalline appearance. They are also sometimes marketed as “phone screen cleaner,” “jewelry cleaner,” or “plant food.” Baths salts are sold under several street names, including Ivory Wave, Purple Wave, Vanilla Sky, White Lightning, Cloud Nine, and Bliss.
Are Bath Salts Addictive?
Bath salts are classified as stimulants. The psychoactive chemical compounds in bath salts may produce effects like those experienced from cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA (Ecstasy) use. They can be swallowed, snorted, smoked or injected and may be purchased from convenience stores, local drug dealers or the internet.
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What Causes Bath Salt Addiction?
Repeated substance use causes drug addiction, which are lasting changes to the way the brain functions and operates. In fact, all misused substances alter the areas of the brain responsible for self-control, judgement, emotional regulation, motivation, memory and learning by hijacking the brain’s natural reward pathways. Although misused substances – including bath salts – act on different pathways in the brain, they all necessitate increasingly higher doses to produce a high or simply allow the individual to feel normal. Other issues like mental health disorders, multiple addictions and ancillary health problems may complicate drug addiction.
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Why Do People Use Bath Salts?
Because many substances act on the brain’s pleasure pathways, the individual experiences intense euphoria followed by related emotional highs. People might choose to misuse bath salts for a variety of reasons, including:
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Social​
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Stress
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Psychological triggers
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Peer pressure
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Physical Effects of Bath Salt Abuse
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Dilated pupils
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Increased blood pressure and heart rate
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Increased sex drive
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Reduced need for eating or sleep
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Increased temperature or chills
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Chest pain
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Kidney pain
Psychological Effects of Bath Salt Abuse
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Euphoria
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Alertness
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Delusions or confusions
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Lowered inhibition and increased sociability
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Agitated or aggressive behavior
