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Whether you want to look younger or just want to make sure you don’t age prematurely, below is a list of some common as well as lesser known ways to shed the years.

• Apply a Retin-A or EGF-based product.
• Always apply a moisturizer to your face (but does not contain mineral oil)
• Use sunscreen (SPF 15+) 365 days a year AND wear a wide-brimmed hat
• Try to keep yourself from squinting, puckering, or making other faces that can cause wrinkling over the years.
• Stay out of the sun
• When you get out off the shower, pat your face to dry it - don’t rub or scrub it!
• Wear sunglasses when outside to prevent squinting which leads to wrinkles
• Avoid smoking and cigarette smoke
• Try not to sleep face-down
• Exfoliate your face at least twice a month
• Run a humidifier when you sleep
• Lose extra pounds and keep them off (This could be one of the biggest factors!)
• Get plenty of sleep every night, even on the weekends
• Keep allergies under control
• Be sure to get plenty of vitamins A, E, and C, preferably through vegetable and fruit juicing for best absorption
• Eat fish several times a week
• Avoid alcohol
• Massage your face thoroughly every week to increase circulation to the area
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
• Don’t chew on your lips
• Don’t forget to apply SPF-factor lip balm
• Drink lots of water. Not other drinks. Water.
• Avoid stress
• Use very mild soaps
• Consider taking acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha-lipoic together

You can find this code in a lot of places, but a lot of sites stick in a link or graphic pointing to their lame website. And who wants that graffiti on their Myspace page anyway? This code doesn’t have any of that garbage in it.

Simply copy the code below and paste it anywhere in the “About Me” section of your profile. You should just see a thin blank line where the friends section usually is. Your comments will still show up.

There are of course ways to still view your friends and your top friends. But for the average Myspace user, they won’t know how do that.

If you are looking to hide your Myspace comments, look here.

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You found this article probably because you were online searching for information on a specific conspiracy theory, or even just looking for general conspiracy information. Maybe trying to find new conspiracy theories in which to subscribe?
If you were to find information contrary to what you already believe, would you read it and consider it with an open mind? Or would you dismiss it and believe the writer was crazy or misinformed.

Do you believe in many conspiracy theories?

Before you click the back button on your browser to go see what else Google can come up with to validate your opinion, think for yourself for a change and read on.

Most people searching the net for information on conspiracy theories are not looking for the whole truth, but merely whatever “facts” will validate their existing opinion. This is on both sides of the fence, the believers and non-believers. It just stands, however, that believers are much more zealous in their pursuit of their version of the truth, therefore spend more of their resources in their investigation.

Anyone who has ever argued religion or politics knows how frustrating it can be. Both sides are absolutely certain of their beliefs. In politics there is a little room for multiple opinions to actually be valid. However in the case of religious debate, someone must be wrong. Either there is a god or there isn’t. Believers are unwavering in their certainty of God’s existence. Non-believers are just as adamant. And neither can prove their case.
Conspiracy has become a sort of religion to many. Believers seek information to bolster their views and disregard anything they find to contradict these views. All dissenting opinions are from the misinformed, unenlightened, or even part of the conspiracy’s cover-up. Believers feel it is their duty to enlighten the masses to this secret to which they are privy.

Just remember that the world doesn’t always have to have grandiose explanations for everything.

If you believe in big government cover-ups, you probably don’t follow the news very closely. Every administration has insiders and whistle blowers who go to the Washington Post or NY Times with the first bit of juicy gossip they can find. Look how badly Nixon’s cover-up of Watergate went. Oftentimes you’ll hear a reporter say, “Anonymous sources at the White House tell us…” Every time a president gives a speech, the press already knows what he’ll say, even if the transcript hasn’t been released beforehand. If a conspiracy on the scale of some of the ones being promoted did exist, there would certainly be “anonymous sources” directing the media toward these truths.

And if you think the government is controlling the media, then how did you ever hear about the conspiracies to begin with? Wouldn’t they have suppressed Art Bell, Alex Jones, and other pro-conspiracy media figures, too? You can’t have it both ways. I have to laugh when a radio talk show host discusses how the government controls the media - when he is using the media to promote his conspiracy theories!

Those that promote conspiracies are akin to evangelists. They have an agenda. Think of the big conspiracy theorists. They make their livings promoting their skewed version of the truth. They have absolutely no reason to admit they’re wrong, even in the face of indisputable evidence. They make money by confusing you, presenting half-truths, propagating urban myths, and hiding or dismissing opposing views and evidence.

That is the real conspiracy.

Further Reading/Related Posts:
A satirical Coke conspiracy
The Real Conspiracy Behind the Revelation of the Method

There are various forms of impotence, which is now usually referred to as erectile dysfunction, or just “E.D.”. This article will examine one variant of E.D., which is sometimes known as psychological impotence. And within this variant are even more splinters of causes, and “performance anxiety” is the focus here. This article does not cover any other physical or physiological forms of E.D.
A layman’s (nice pun!) definition of performance anxiety is basically… a guy worries about how well he’ll do in the sack to the point that he ends up unable to perform at all.

The earliest moments a man knows that sex is a possibility is when the anxiety can begin. It could be kissing on the couch, or even a suggestive hint by his date during dinner. It could even be days in advance. But at some point the man knows that sex is a possibility, and that’s when the slow torment begins.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, questions and fears begin to swirl.

Will I be able to get it up? If I do, will I be able to maintain and finish?
What will she think if it happens?
Will I be as good as other guys she’s been with?
Did I satisfy myself too recently and my sex drive isn’t as strong as it could be?
Has it been too long since my last orgasm, and I’ll finish too fast?

By the time the moment has arrived, the man with performance anxiety may have actually worried himself out of the ability to perform. If he does manage to focus on the moment and achieve an erection at the right time, he now has a new set of worries.

Once sex has begun, he begins to focus on how he is performing, and whether or not his partner is pleased. As sex goes on, the anxiety continues to shift…

Am I about to come? Almost there? Nope.
Uh oh, I hope I don’t lose my erection before I finish.
Could this be the moment? Not that time either.
Am I gonna run out of steam before we’re done?
I really hope I don’t lose this erection.
What if she comes before I do, and then I have to wait for her to say I can start up again?

The parade of thoughts can be more than a distraction, and guess what? He often eventually loses his erection, and it’s no wonder why. He spent so much time and energy focusing on if he would perform properly and if - or when - he might achieve orgasm that he was unable to simply enjoy the moment and let it happen.

Viagra, Cialis, etc. do work for many different types of ED. In the case of performance anxiety it often takes some of the pressure off and allows the man to enjoy it.

Will I lose my erection? Nah - you popped a Cialis earlier. We’re good.

Knowing that you have enhanced sexual function can go a long way to setting your mind at ease. Remember that these drugs improve function and not libido. They’ll allow you to keep your erection longer, but won’t get you one in the first place. Actually that’s only technically true… Knowing that you have enhanced function behind you can actually help you relax and get aroused easier. So while it doesn’t technically enhance libido, the peace of mind can help improve it.

There are also endless herbal supplements that have various unproven libido enhancing effects. Let met tell you about one bad story with one of those…

I was going out on a date with a lady I had been seeing, and I knew sex was likely to happen. So earlier that day I went to the store and picked up a bottle of libido enhancer, hoping for at least the placebo effect to kick in. On the back of the bottle it listed what seemed like about two dozen different supposed libido-enhancing herbs, many of which I had read about online. So I bought it and went home and popped a couple, then got ready for my date.

Later that night, the mood was right and I had a good feeling about where things were going. But… I started feeling very intense gas pains. Yup - those damn pills gave me gas! I was sure the pains could be relived if I could let the gas out… but there was no way I was about to unload right in front of this girl! So I held the gas in, and the pains got worse.

So in the end, the libido enhancer did remove all chances of me suffering from performance anxiety… because I couldn’t even get close to performing with those gas pains. I had to tell her I wasn’t feeling well in order to avoid having sex at all.

My luck.

Aside from drugs, there are other methods.

A simple solution is to have your partner agree that if you are unable to continue performing via intercourse, that she will stimulate and “finish” you some other way to help you achieve an orgasm. This at least removes to the pressure of “what if I don’t finish” from the equation. That alone can be huge.
It’s hard (another pun) for a woman to grasp why a man can’t maintain an erection for intercourse, yet he can easily get it up for a hand job.

The answer my dear ladies is that there is no pressure.

A man is typically the one doing the performing during intercourse, but it is a woman who is performing during a hand or blow job. A man can lay back and simply enjoy it with no pressure. And more important: Even if he gets soft for a moment, she can continue. That’s not the case with intercourse.

You could also take a couple of shots of Jager (my preference), or other alcohol. A few drinks will relax you enough to get all of those rogue thoughts of performance out of your head. But a few too many could also destroy your ability to function at all sexually. I seemed to have my best luck with about two shots of Jager and two beers.

Most guys don’t admit they have performance issues until they have to. You’re better off telling it to your prospective partner upfront. The honesty is a big plus, and at least you won’t have to start explaining why “it’s not you” after your boner mysteriously vanishes one minute before her orgasm. That’s never good.
If your partner knows you have this problem, most likely she will totally understand. In fact she might even benefit. If things don’t work out on your end, go down on her like never before! She will seriously not care about your anxiety if you know what you’re doing in that department. If she doesn’t understand, then your problem may have actually done you a huge favor and weeded out someone who is unable to understand or cope.

It’s important for your partner to know a few things about performance anxiety, particularly how to respond to it.

No matter how badly you perform, it should never matter to her. Relax and see if she can get you back up with her hand. If she is able to, try again. If it keeps going away but you feel a need for a release, she should help you achieve this. At least you’ll still feel a sexual connection, completion, and you’ll finish the encounter satisfied. The worst things a woman can do are to pressure the man or assume his inability to perform is related to her somehow. This will only make him feel worse.

For those of us who prefer to have fewer partners and longer relationships, performance anxiety tends to disappear over time. Often it’s the newness of a relationship that brings out the most anxiety. After some time has been spent with the same person, the anxiety often gets much better and a somewhat-normal sex life can often be achieved.

Related Posts:
When You Feel Overwhelmed

Every blogger eventually hits a wall and runs out of ideas. You know there are endless great postings inside you, but what do you have to offer that people might be interested in?Those are actually two questions.

What do you have to offer?
What do people want to read?

If you have something to offer, people will want to read it. No matter what the focus of your blog is, you should never limit your scope. Provided your posts are properly categorized, most readers won’t mind some tangents, and many will probably appreciate it. A few off-topic posts help enrich even the most focused blogs. If your readers are interested in what you have to say about one topic, most of them will want to read your thoughts on other topics as well.

Everyone has something to offer. My interests are wildly varied, which is exactly how my blog reads. There’s something for everyone on here, and that’s precisely what I want. I do have a central focus of personal improvement and awareness, but I never hesitate crossing over into wide tangents.

It wasn’t always so easy. When I blogged for a different site a couple years ago, I had numerous instances of writers block. “What do I write about today?” became my dreaded mantra.

One day I recalled the 1993 Michael Keaton movie My Life. It’s the tale of a man who discovers he’s dying not long before his son is born. Knowing he’ll miss out on his son’s life, he begins video taping himself giving his son advice about things he knows his son would ask at different stages in life. From how to shake hands to shaving to dribbling a basketball, he’s determined to share his unique wisdom.

No that wasn’t one of my wild tangents. This is actually a good way to approach your blog for ideas. What kinds of things would your child (or nephew, friend, grandchild, etc.) ask over the years? Think of the advice you’ve sought out. Think of the advice you’ve given. What are some areas you feel you have more experience than most people? Do you have a unique way of doing things? What do you have to offer?

Such introspections are what yielded some of my more personal and popular posts, such as Warcraft Addiction, Myspace Addiction, Signs You Live With A Meth User, How to Shave Your Head, If Your Zune Won’t Turn On, and 7 Steps to Debt Reduction.

Each of these posts came from personal experience. At some point I addressed these issues, I learned about them, and I dealt with them. I didn’t have to research these topics when writing these posts because I lived them. My experiences have allowed me to impart a unique perspective on these topics.

In the big picture, everything is related in some way. If your site is about gadgets, don’t you feel that your unique experiences in life can help to enrich these posts? Don’t be afraid to enhance your posts with personal anecdotes.

The blogosphere is being inundated with copy-cat articles, repostings, and relentless clutter. The best way to give your blog a unique voice is by injecting it with your own experiences and perspective.

Further reading
Visitor Grid Concept
Blog Ideas

Getting out of debt is a topic dear to my heart. As a younger man I used my credit cards without caution, even when I had the cash on hand to pay for things. Why pay now when you can pay later? I think of the Foghat song, “Live Now, Pay Later.”
Well… later eventually comes.

Fast forward about 10 years and suddenly I found myself tens of thousands of dollars in debt, barely able to even make the minimum payments on my cards. The worst part was that even when I did make the minimum payments, my overall debt still went up every month, even without charging anything new. The finance charges (and occasional late fees) outpaced the miniscule minimum payments.

Getting out of debt will take time, let’s get that straight. But it will go much faster if you have a plan. Paying a little more than the minimum every month on each of your debts will do next to nothing. Focusing your resources on one at a time and in the proper order will optimize your debt reduction, and get you out of debt years sooner.

Step 1 - Evaluate Your Debt
Take a look at the most recent bill from each creditor and write down the name of the creditor, minimum payment, and the interest rate you’re paying on each card. We don’t care as much about balances as we do about interest rates (APR).

Step 2 - Sort Debts by APR
List your debts from highest APR to lowest. So if you only had two cards, one with an APR of 24% and one with 17%, the one with 24% is going to be the one you’re going to pay off first.

Step 3 - Monthly Budget
Write down all of your expenses (including the debts you’re going to reduce). Don’t hold back. Be generous and honest. What do you spend on groceries, gas, utilities, etc.? It’s crucial that you come up with an accurate number. Don’t write down entertainment or optional expenses.

Step 4 - What’s Left Over
Subtract the total expenses from Step 4 from the amount of money you make every month. This is how much money you have left over every month.

If you find that you’re spending more per month than you make, you have a big problem, and debt reduction is impossible. You will have to look closely at your expenses and see where you might be able to cut back. Do you need the $100 cable TV package? Can you get a cheaper Internet package? Can you cancel your gym membership and workout at home? You get the picture. If you’re in that situation, you may have to really dig deep to even make it to even every month.

But let’s say you have $200 leftover every month. $200 really isn’t very much. You might easily blow that $200 dining out or bowling or getting your nails done, etc., and barely even notice. People find ways to spend their “extra” money.

But with thousands in debt, is it really extra?

You’re probably paying hundreds of dollars a month to credit card companies for stuff you may have bought years ago and may not even have any longer.

Extra money?

There’s no such thing when you’re in debt.

Step 5 - Applying the Surplus
You’re now going to take whatever portion of your monthly surplus that you can spare, and apply it to the debt with the highest interest rate. We want that debt paid off first. The more we pay the balance down, the lower the finance charge will be and the less you’re putting out in interest every month. So let’s say you want to spend $100 of your monthly surplus. You will pay $100 over the minimum on the 24% APR debt listed above. You will continue to pay that amount every month. If, for example, that card has a minimum payment of $50, you will pay $150 every month - even when the minimum begins to decline. You will continue to pay only the minimum on the 17% debt. You will do this until the first card is paid off. At first you won’t notice much of a difference. Eventually, though, you’ll start to notice the minimum payment AND the balance dropping quickly on card #1. This, my friend, is called progress. Once you start to notice a difference, I promise you’ll be fired up about debt reduction.

Step 6 - Moving to the Next Debt
Once that first debt is paid off, we are going to take that $150 we were paying every month and apply it to debt #2. So if debt #2 had a minimum of $35 a month, we will now pay $185 per month on it until it’s paid off. This card will seem to be paid off much faster, because we’re now attacking it with a huge chunk of cash every month. And the best thing is that you haven’t touched your monthly budget at all. You’re still putting out the exact same amount you were at the beginning.

Step 7 - Applying One-time Windfalls
If you come into any additional money, such as tax returns, Christmas bonuses, gifts, etc., these are great times to apply large one-time payments to your debt. Paying $1000 now could save you many thousands over time. Don’t think of what you could do with that extra money now, but how much you’ll have to pay if you don’t apply it to your debt.

Paying off your debt in this way, even if you have a dozen credit cards, will quickly start to snowball. The first cards will take some time, but the later ones will go very quickly. Even if you have a small amount to work with every month, don’t be discouraged.

Don’t be afraid to call your creditors and ask for an interest rate reduction. It’s worth a try, and the worst that can happen is that they’ll say no. I also suggest closing all of your credit card accounts except one. And the one you keep should be only for emergency. Maybe even leave it at home in a drawer so you’re not tempted to use it while out.

Be patient and consistent and your debt will eventually disappear. I personally used the plan above and was able to climb out of tens of thousands in debt. The feeling of accomplishment is akin to overcoming addiction or losing weight. It’s an achievement you will be proud of for the rest of your life.

Related articles:
How to make money online
If You Feel Overwhelmed

Can’t see the forest for the trees? Spent countless hours looking for a simple and free weight loss plan? Here is a brief summary of a sensible plan that will ensure weight loss if you follow it, and still provide enough nutrition and calories to keep you satisfied and energetic.

How much to eat
Find out how many calories you need in a day. Unfortunately this is different for everyone, so it will take some time for you to discover the actual number. Use my chart as a starting guide, but eventually you’ll have to tweak the numbers to fit you. It’s OK to take an educated guess and go with it for a week or two, then re-evaluate. After you’ve determined how many calories you need in a day to maintain your weight, you then need to keep that number higher than the amount of calories you consume minus the calories you burn every day. I suggest a moderate decrease in food and a moderate increase in exercise to make up the difference. Let’s say you need 2000 calories a day to maintain your weight. If you want to lose a pound a week (which is optimal and healthy), you need to burn off 500 calories a day. This 500 deficiency would be best achieved by exercising off 250 calories via exercise and also eating 250 calories less than you need.

You can certainly set loftier goals than that, but remember that the more you exercise, the more you will need to eat.

How often to eat
Once you have determined how many calories you will be taking in every day, you will then divide that number by how many meals you plan to eat per day, between 4 and 6 meals a day. The answer you get will be the amount of calories you will try to consume per meal. Eating more meals throughout the day keeps your body burning fuel on a regular basis. This helps increase your metabolism as well. I’ve known people to lose weight merely by making this change in habit.

What to eat
Try to eat a well-balanced meal when possible. No matter what you eat, be sure to eat lots of fruits and vegetables (especially raw, uncooked ones), and if possible try replacing or supplementing occasional meals with juice fresh from a juicer. Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet will make you feel better, help you lose weight, have more energy, and even help you look better. Avoid “hidden” calories such as soft drinks, mayonnaise, breaded foods, etc. Stay away from greasy foods, breaded foods, and non-lean meats.

Exercise
Exercise as many days as you can, and as many ways as you can. Lift weights, walk, play sports, jump rope, go bowling, play with your kids or grandkids, take a stroll through the mall - do whatever it takes to keep yourself moving. A little bit every day can add up to huge gains over time. Fitness and weight loss aren’t sprints, they’re marathons. Just stick to it and over time you’ll see results. Don’t forget to eat a high-protein meal immediately after exercising.

Additional Tips

• Choose a larger quantity of low-calorie foods and you will never be hungry.
• Only cut carbs when it’s refined sugar (not the natural sugar in fruit!) and only cut fat when it’s saturated or transfat.
• Planning is the key. If you can plan out your meals for a week, you will probably succeed!
• Keep your mind focused on weight loss throughout the day.
• Tell others about your weight loss goals, and ask them for their support! You won’t feel alone in your quest.
• Rid your cabinets of almost all junk food, except for one or two small treats as a reward to yourself.
• Remember you are not eliminating anything. You are simply making smarter choices.

Below is a chart to show how many calories the average, low-activity person should need per day to maintain their weight. To reduce your weight, you will need to reduce your calories.

Everyone is different and these numbers should only be used as a guide. If you are a more active or muscular person, you will need to increase your calories.

Have you ever been pushed into a fight? Has someone ever just pushed your buttons to the point that you couldn’t help but fight with them? Most of us have. Well, I know I have. But if you stop and think about it, that’s really a sign of weakness on our part, and a symbol of control on the other person’s part - even if that other person is a child. We’re letting someone else control our emotions and our actions. And even though many of us think we’re strong people, when it comes to confrontation, all bets are off. I have news for you… if you allow someone to make you mad just by the things they say to you, at that moment you’re the weaker person. Words are just words, and I can’t believe people let them hurt so much. If a person wants to be mean and hurtful by the things they say, the worst thing you can do is let those words affect you. What they’re really doing is fishing for ways to get you to react the way they want… or they could be just unable to control their own anger. But that doesn’t mean you should lose control of your anger, too. I’ve told many people that I only saw my mother get really angry a few times my entire life. As a kid, no matter how much I screamed and yelled at her, she would never lose her cool or let me get to her. She remained calm, let me say what I had to say, and dealt with it in her own manner. Looking back, I applaud her for her self-control. Too many parents don’t exercise such restraint.

Remember: If you allow someone to push you into a shouting match, you’ve just handed them the keys to your self control…

Let me put it to you this way… What if I were to bring in your arch enemy - a person that really gets under your skin… and I was going to let this guy scream and yell at you for 10 minutes… And if you didn’t lose your temper during that time, I’d give you a million dollars. Could you do it? Of course you could! Even if your family and friends were there and this guy was lying through his teeth and you weren’t able to respond? Sure! You’d be able to find the self control to get the prize. You might even find the humor in this guy’s words while you kept calm. Well, if you can exercise that kind of self control for money, why not for yourself. Your happiness? Isn’t that worth something too?

I should mention that I’m certainly not talking about physical violence, as that’s a different story altogether. If someone is physically abusing you, you must get out of that situation and seek help immediately. But the issue at hand here is a verbal confrontation - between husbands and wives, co-workers, or friends. The kinds of arguments that normally civil people engage in.

Don’t allow someone to take the keys to your self-control, your emotions, your feelings. The next time you’re confronted with a verbal assault, don’t get defensive and don’t yell back. Keep calm and tell yourself, “I’m not going to let this person control me!” The angrier that person gets, the more reserved and calm you must get. Eventually that person will give up because he couldn’t crack your shell. If you don’t crack, you win. You will exit with your dignity and a stronger person because of it.

I originally wrote a similar article detailing my 15-year life with a meth user. I have yet to post it. While I still plan to post that at some point, I found it too difficult to publish at this point. If you’ve lived with a meth user, you know how emotionally, physically, and mentally draining it can be. So for the time being, I will compromise with myself and post a more objective description of meth use.I’ve read other sites, and sometimes I get the idea these “experts” have never lived with a meth user through the worst of it. I don’t write this with the expertise of a doctor who has studied patients and run tests.

I lived with a user. For well over a decade. I was married into a family of them. I saw her family and friends all doing it. Through my ordeal I learned to hate the drug, but I also became quite familiar with the signs and the cycle that follows meth use. I may not be an expert at treating it, but I am definitely an expert at spotting it.

If you feel like someone you love may be using meth, I will describe what you might be seeing.

One common denominator of meth use is secrecy. If you’re not a fellow user or supplier, you won’t be privy to the truth of their world. They’ll lie to your face and assume you believe everything they say. Users hide their addictions, deny it, and sometimes even ridicule others for doing it (perhaps to throw us off the scent?).

Just before using, you might sense something is going on. You’ll see unusual behavior, such as disappearing into another room to take a call, going into the bathroom for 20 minutes, running a sudden “errand” that would normally wait (such as running out for milk at 1am when you still have half a gallon in the fridge). You might also see certain “friends” show up for very brief visits, sometimes not even getting out of their car.

If you haven’t been able to translate the above issues - wow you’re slow! No, just kidding. Haha.. They simply mean the meth user is looking for some drugs.

The Deal
A meth user will often go on the hunt for their drug. They’ll disappear to make phone calls, or even drive to their dealer’s house if the can’t contact him. Those are the “errands” they usually run. Or sometimes their dealer might even show up, either having been called or maybe just making a courtesy call to see if the user needs anything.

How thoughtful.

Using
After the deal, the meth user will then go do the deed. It could be in the bathroom or in their car in a nearby field. They might also do it somewhere that is more “meth friendly” than around you, such as at another user’s house. The actual use is very brief - only a few moments.

You might see remnants of the use, such as straws, pieces of tin foil, small bags or pieces of plastic wrap, razor blades, lighters - you get the idea. These things are all standard meth-related items. If the user snorted it, he could be touching his nose often because of the sensation/irritation of sucking it up his nose.

Hey we’re just getting started. This is where you enter the picture and start to see things.

The High
After doing meth, the user will display some very obvious and animated signs. The pupils will be dilated. To me that was always the tip-off. Dilated eyes, even in a bright room, were always immediate and obvious. The skin is warm to the touch and heart is pounding. You will see a mood that is a little bit too happy. And lots of energy. Meth users often get little or no sleep for days after using. They will also display exaggerated or semi-uncontrolled mannerisms, such as constant cleaning, preening, talking, etc., along with uncontrolled twitching or facial tics. During the high, the meth user often lacks an appetite and may go an entire day eating virtually nothing. It’s not uncommon to see them overly productive, such as cleaning or doing repetitive tasks, even in the middle of the night. They might pick at their hair or skin repeatedly. Almost obsessively. When they do sleep, it might be agitated and filled with movement, sweating, talking, laughing, or gibberish. The user may exhibit a heightened sexual arousal. You may even notice that the person has an unusual odor.

So why do meth users want to be this way? They don’t. Those are only the things being externalized. Inside, they are experiencing a sense of euphoria, confidence, and well-being that is far beyond what they feel when sober. They live for the high, and deal with everything else.

Those of us on the outside can’t imagine how it becomes worth it. But it does.

The Plateau
There is a brief period between the high and the crash in which the user begins to shift behavior patters. I call this the Plateau. The high is coming to and end and the user begins to display new symptoms. He begins to slow down. He might still be animated, but in a less energetic state. If he can’t get more meth, he will start to head quickly into the crash.

The Crash (aka “Coming Down”)
When a meth user has exhausted his supply and what he ingested has worked its way through his system, we have the crash. A crashing user might spend several days in bed. He might be asleep the entire time, or is awake but lethargic. He might only getting up to use the restroom or have a quick snack. The worst part of the crash is that it’s typically accompanied by a very agitated and foul demeanor. The user can get violent and display psychotic traits and huge mood swings. Lethargic, irrational, angry, moody, and confused - these are all signs of the crash.

From my perspective, this was by far the worst part. Whereas the user is mostly irritating during the high, he is more likely to focus his crashing ire directly at you. You will likely get sucked into absurd arguments or even find yourself dodging violent behavior.

It can last a few days. A few days of hell.

The Recovery
As the crash wears off, the meth user begins to revert back to his pre-high self. He might even exhibit better than normal behavior.

And just when you think life is back to normal, the cycle soon repeats and the roller coaster ride begins again. It is exhausting and frustrating for the loved ones enduring it.

Though I’ve focused on the short-term signs of meth use, I should point out that there are long-term signs of meth use as well. Weight loss, tooth decay, poor hygiene, increased acne, dry skin, hair loss, mental illness, memory loss, paranoia, depression, and psychosis are all possible. Not all of these are necessarily reversible.

If you suspect someone you love is using meth, you need to get help. If you can’t get help, you need to get out.

Though I am no expert, if you would like to contact me directly about this, feel free to comment or email me at waffles@wafflesatnoon.com.

For other articles on addiction, see Overcoming Myspace Addiction and Overcoming Addiction to the World of Warcraft.