Impact of ICE on Mental Health: Definition, Significance, and Contemporary Care

Running head: ICE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Ice and Mental health
Name of the student
University name
Author’s note

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ICE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Table of Contents
Definition of ICE use and mental health....................................................................................2
Significance of ICE on mental health........................................................................................2
Contemporary care of the customer...........................................................................................3
References..................................................................................................................................5

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ICE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Definition of ICE use and mental health
ICE is also known as crystal methamphetamine and belongs to the amphetamine
family of drugs. It can take many forms such as a colourless rock or white to brown
colourless powder and could be smoked, injected, swallowed or snorted. It produced an
intense effect that makes the users feel confident and more energetic (Chalmers, Lancaster, &
Hughes, 2016). It works as stimulant which speeds up the process of messages going to and
from the brain. However, long term use of crystal methamphetamine has been associated with
a number of complications such as anxiety, depression and violent behaviour (Usher, Clough,
Woods & Robertson, 2015). The study conducted over here investigates the impact of the
drug upon the mental health and emotional health of people.
Significance of ICE on mental health
There has been rampant use of ICE within the population of Australia. In the year
2016, National drug strategy household survey reported that almost 1.3 million users over the
age of 14 have been using methamphetamine. Out of which, 1.4% reported use of the same
within the past 12 months, where as much as 57% reported using crystal methamphetamine
(Netfront., 2018). As per the Australian statistics, 10.6% Australian people would use ICE
once every month. The ICE dependence has triggered incidents of psychosis. ICE
dramatically increases the level of hormone dopamine by almost 1000 times (Netfront.,
2018). When the ICE is directly snorted it results in an immediate high in the consumers,
where one starts feeling euphoric. The effect of the drug may last between 4 and 12 hours,
whereas the drug could be detected in the blood and urine for almost 72 hours (Chalmers,
Lancaster & Hughes, 2016). The more number of times the drug is used, the more the
addiction grows. In many cases, abstinence from the drug has been reported with agitated
behaviour, mental hallucinations, restlessness etc.