Full Treatment Customization At Healing Springs Ranch
Dont undergo someone elses rehab experience. Only a therapist who does a comprehensive assessment of your crystal meth problem can customize a treatment regimen. Not all modalities work for everyone. Instead, finding the right approach can make the difference between experiencing a breakthrough and struggling.
A Healing Springs Ranch, addiction experts believe in the personalized approach. They genuinely care about your ability to overcome an addiction. Moreover, they want you to get the most out of your treatment. For many guests, a stay at this facility is a personal growth opportunity.
If youre in the trap of an addiction to crystal meth, we can help. You dont have to continue to suffer. Reach out for help today by calling Healing Springs Ranch at now.
Fda Blasts Alkermes For Underselling The Risks Of Opioid Addiction Drug Vivitrol
Clinicians do not just rely on medications to treat addiction. Behavioral therapies like counseling are often involved as well. And with stimulants in particular, a practice called contingency management, which pays people or provides other rewards if they remain abstinent, has been shown to be effective.
Stefan Kertesz, an addiction medicine physician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was not involved in the new clinical trial, said he could imagine offering the medication combination to patients who expressed a desire to stop using meth, while also recommending therapies like contingency management.
This new trial suggests that for the people with methamphetamine use disorder who are beginning a very challenging process of recovery, a combination of medications can improve their chance of success, Kertesz wrote in an email. And that is promising.
Is It Possible To Stop Meth Use Without Rehab
Stopping meth is a challenge, and there are many risks. When quitting meth, there are usually two options: quitting alone or seeking the help of a medical professional or treatment center. The second option is usually safer and more effective.
Though its not impossible to stop using meth on your own, it is often more challenging. There are also medical risks to quitting meth without medical care, depending on the level and length of addiction. Another thing to consider is the support system you have at home. Are there people at home who can be your accountability partners as you recover? Consider your surroundings. Is there a chance youll relapse? If you choose to get off meth without rehab, consult with your doctor or a medical professional and ensure that you have the resources and support necessary to maintain sobriety while going through withdrawal symptoms.
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Cravings During Detox And Withdrawal Risks
Although withdrawal from crystal meth is not life-threatening, people going through withdrawal have an increased risk of suicide.10 Because of this, you should seek medically supervised detox so that you can receive the adequate care while quitting crystal meth. As with cravings, withdrawal depends on whether you tapered your use or quit cold turkey, how long you were addicted and whether you used other drugs. Once withdrawal symptoms are resolved, cravings may last for far longer due to the changes in brain chemistry.
- Romanticizing past crystal meth use.
- Loss of interest in enjoyable activities.
- Changes in attitude toward recovery or treatment.
- Reconnecting with friends who use crystal meth.
- Thinking you can use crystal meth once in a while without becoming addicted again.
One of the most important factors of relapse prevention is attitude. If you have a positive attitude and are truly devoted to remaining clean through a number of different avenues, you are much more likely to prevent relapse.
Finding Aftercare
Upon completion of your initial recovery program, its vital that you receive aftercare. This is ongoing treatment that can last for as long as you feel you need it. Aftercare will help to dramatically decrease your risk of relapse.
Different kinds of aftercare include:
Research on Preventing Relapse
This vaccine is still in development, but it has shown promising results.4
Overcoming Meth Addiction Can Be Achieved Through An Individualized And Holistic Healing Approach
Overcoming meth addiction can be one of the more difficult tasks for any certain individual to face. Meth use not only permanently alters the brain but it can also affect emotions and memory. Understanding what an addiction to crystal meth does to a person can help those around someone struggling from addiction not only support them but get them healthy.
Crystal meth addiction can be combated by a mixture of therapy and medication and doing so in a treatment center makes the whole process even less painful. Did you know that overcoming meth addiction comes in 5 stages?
Continue reading to learn what these 5 stages are and how addiction to crystal meth can change lives but also doesnt have to define a life.
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Medications That May Reduce Both Meth Use And Meth Cravings
Though more research is still needed to explore the benefits of pharmacological treatment for people who suffer from meth addiction, there have been promising results. The scientific community understands that theres a significant difference between craving meth and using it. Thats why theres a robust interest in finding a medication which can address both prongs of addition. There are two known medications which have been shown to be useful.
Bupropion is the active chemical ingredient present in two different name brand medications and helps reduce both the high from meth and the desire to take the drug. This is exceptionally promising, as it suggests it might offer a clinical treatment to combat the neurological brain chemistry component of addiction.11
Naltrexone is an FDA-approved medication that helps treat both alcoholism and opioid addiction. In the brain, it functions as an opioid receptor antagonist. That means that it blogs other drugs that would have an affect on opioid receptors, like meth. More research is needed, but it might also be useful in treating the desire to use meth, which is very good news for anyone suffering from this addiction.10
How Long Will Withdrawal Last
As a general rule of thumb, the longer a person has been on meth, the worse the withdrawal symptoms will be. The same applies to age, with older people typically experiencing worse symptoms than younger people.
The second phase is less intense and lasts for about another two to three weeks. Sometimes meth users experience withdrawal symptoms for months, known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome .
Other factors that can play a role in the duration and severity of meth withdrawal symptoms include:
- A person’s mental and physical health before and during meth use
- The quality of the meth the individual was using
- History of other drug use, including alcohol
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Come To Reality With Your Addiction And Decide To Take Action
In many cases, drug addiction happens as a result of trauma in your life. However, there are many other cases when it happens almost by accident. An example of this is athletes who get addicted to painkillers. Either way, the first step to coming out of an addiction is facing the truth.
It can be easy to tell yourself that you dont have a real problem or that its not causing any damage, but these lies actually deepen your addiction. Admitting that there is a problem and being willing to reach out for help is the first step to recovery. It takes courage and strength to admit this to yourself and to anyone else, so dont diminish the importance of this first step.
Here are a few more tips to help you come to terms with your addiction.
Reflect on How Drugs Impacted Your Life
Think about the first time you tried drugs and what you were feeling. Ask yourself these questions:
- Have I seen my family recently?
- Have I seen my friends recently?
- Does my drug use make me feel shame or guilt?
- Have I broken the law because of these habits?
- Have I tried to stop and failed?
- Are these habits taking my life in a direction that I want?
You cant outsmart your addiction. But these questions can help you think about the difference between the life that you want to have and the life that you will have because of drugs.
Think About the Positive Changes When You Quit
Side Effects Of Meth Addiction And Long
Long-term use of meth can cause significant damage to the brain and the cells that make dopamine as well as to the nerve cells containing serotonin. The Drug Enforcement Administration warns that chronic and prolonged meth exposure can damage as many as half of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain and potentially even more of the serotonin-containing nerve cells.
Individuals who use meth long-term can have severe cognitive and emotional issues, including:
- Aggressive behaviors
- Trouble with verbal learning and memory
- Violent outbursts
- Movement, motor, and coordination issues
- Mood disturbances
- Visual and auditory hallucinations
- Delusions
Skin sores and infections from picking, tooth decay and meth mouth, significant and unhealthy weight loss, and an increased risk for contracting an infectious or sexually transmitted disease are common side effects of methamphetamine addiction. People who regularly inject the drug may suffer from collapsed veins and a higher risk for contracting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis. Snorting meth can damage sinus cavities and nasal passages, and lead to chronic nosebleeds and/or a perpetual runny nose. Smoking meth may lead to respiratory damage and lung complications.
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Can You Die From Meth Withdrawal
Withdrawal symptoms are usually not fatal. Methamphetamine withdrawal can be a dangerous process for some, but this is primarily due to dehydration. As long as the person stays hydrated and eats a balanced diet, they can combat this, especially with medical help.
Medical detox is helpful for nutritional and hydration support. With trained eyes on your progress around the clock, you will be able to largely avoid any dangerous complications.
Statistics For Meth Addiction
While methamphetamine was once considered a rural drug due to the high availability of compounds needed to cook meth, studies have shown that methamphetamine abuse is now spreading to cities and white collar workers. Often touted as a club drug, many cities are now struggling to combat methamphetamine abuse. Current estimates are that there are 1.4 million people in the U.S. using and abusing methamphetamine that number is steadily climbing.
Internationally, the United Nations reports that methamphetamine is now the most abused hard drug in the world. Worldwide meth users now surpasses the combined total of cocaine and heroin abusers at 26 million individuals.
Causes & Risks
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How To Help Them
Your loved one listened to what you had to say, confirmed they were using meth, and then admitted they didnt know how to stop. What next?
First, its important to recognize you cant help them quit alone. But you can certainly connect them to helpful resources and continue to offer support as they work toward recovery.
The Difference Between Addiction And Dependence
Often the words addiction and dependence are misunderstood, or synonymously used. If there is some similarity, recognizing the vast gaps among the two is crucial. When anyone establishes a physical addiction for a drug, a dependency is established. When they avoid using the medication entirely, they will develop withdrawal symptoms.
On the side, an addiction arises after prolonged use of substances or alcohol has induced a shift in an individuals brain function. Addictions occur as uncontrollable cravings for drug consumption, including hurting oneself or others. The only way to surmount an illness is by medication.
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Why Is It So Hard To Break A Crystal Meth Addiction
Its hard to stop a crystal meth addiction because of whats going on chemically inside the brain. Research shows that the chronic neurologic effects are the result of its chemical structure and its toxicity to the human body. The acute effects of meth include an increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and elevated blood sugar levels. The long-term effects severely alter the way in which dopamine is released and processed throughout the body.1
Take Stock Of Any Behavioral Signs Too
Meth use can also lead to changes in mood and behavior. Again, the signs below can have other causes, including mental health issues like stress, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or psychosis.
Talking to your loved one lets them know you want to support them through whatevers causing these symptoms. Its often most helpful to focus on symptoms youve noticed personally and avoid making assumptions about the possible causes.
Someone using meth might have noticeable changes in behavior and emotions, including:
- increased activity, like hyperactivity or restlessness
- impulsive or unpredictable behavior
- anxious, nervous, or irritable behavior
- suspicion of others or other irrational beliefs
- seeing or hearing things that arent there
- going with little or no sleep for days at a time
Once the effects of meth fade, they may experience a low that involves:
- extreme exhaustion
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Comedowns Can Lead To Binges
It is important to understand the symptoms of a comedown from stimulant drugs like meth because many people who begin to abuse these drugs take more as the comedown symptoms begin to set in. This leads to binges, which can cause a deadly overdose or long-term harm to the brain and body.
Meth binges are called âtweaking.â Too often, to avoid the depression and physical weakness associated with a meth comedown, someone abusing the drug will take more, which increases the intensity of effects and side effects. This, in turn, increases the intensity of depression symptoms when the drug begins to wear off, leading the individual to take more meth.
Tweaking occurs when a person struggling with meth abuse does not sleep for 3-15 days, suffers from intense paranoia, and likely develops temporary psychosis. The original euphoria from meth does not occur after a few doses, but the person still struggles with high energy, overheating, dehydration, loss of appetite, physical pain and twinges, anxiety, irritability, and aggression.
Coming down, or crashing, after a binge, can lead to complete mental and physical exhaustion. A person may experience malnutrition from failing to eat and is likely to sleep for several days. Mental health side effects can feel very serious, and unfortunately, this intense depression can lead to the individual taking more meth when they wake up.
How To Fight And Beat Addiction On Your Own Without Rehab
Are you ready to fight and beat addiction?
Fortunately, your being here reading this suggests that youre ready to accept a life-change, which is a critical step on the way to recovery.
Of course, you may already have tried to overcome addiction in the past but have found it difficult to keep the momentum going.
If so, then youre understandably discouraged, but dont give up! No matter how many times you have tried before, its likely that you will achieve the change that youre seeking with the right approach and support, you can develop a more healthful and balanced lifestyle. In fact, youll soon see that recovery, even without rehab, is more common than not. Really! And well prove it to you throughout this guide.
In short, the way to beat addiction is to make your urge to use or to act on your addiction a secondary factor in your life by clarifying, recognizing, honoring and living by your most authentic values that make you who you are. Admittedly, this is easier said than done but the fundamental elements of recovery are well-understood. Thats why weve made this guide available to you.
This comprehensive guide is designed to help when you are ready to begin your fight with an addiction. Use it at your leisure we hope it brings you great value.
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Find A New Hobby Or Passion
When you do anything enjoyable, your brain releases a chemical called dopamine, and thats what makes you feel good. Dopamine is released when you do drugs, so when you stop giving your brain that supply, it will tell you that it needs dopamine.
The best way to overcome this is to find something newor maybe something oldthat you enjoy doing. It could be exercise, like walking, boxing, rock climbing, dancing, or a hobby like building things, painting, or making music. Building these new healthy, enjoyable habits will be key to dealing with drug addiction.
Getting Meth Addiction Help
Getting help for meth addiction can be a very stressful and exhausting process. Due to the intense addictive properties of the drug, it can take a lot of willingness from the user to finally reach out for help. Whether you or your loved one is seeking help in finding the right treatment facility, we are here to help.
Treatment for methamphetamine abuse or addiction depends upon several factors, including the age and gender of the patient, the length and severity of the patients drug problems, and the presence of any co-occurring disorders such as past trauma, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or other mental disorders.
Treatment for meth abuse or addiction may include the following therapies and techniques:
- Individual therapy
- Implementation of a 12-step program such as AA, NA or CMA
- Relapse-prevention instruction
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Relapse Prevention Training Can Help You Stay Abstinent
Meths damaging effects on brain cell structures can put those in recovery at risk for relapse indefinitely. Relapsing after a period of abstinence can bring on severe meth withdrawal symptoms and may lead to death. Ongoing relapse prevention training is a necessary part in helping addicts take control of their addiction.
Treatment Crystal Methamphetamine Addiction
In 2012, 1.2 million people in the U.S. reported using methamphetamine in the previous year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. With this rate of crystal meth use, there are doubtless many people in need of treatment. As with all drugs of abuse, seeking professional treatment from mental health and addiction specialists will lead to the highest chance of methamphetamine recovery success.
Unfortunately, there is no medication treatment currently available to help with crystal meth abuse. Because of this, treatment will take a different course. Crystal meth addiction treatment will focus on counseling and other therapeutic options like:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy.
- 12-step support programs.
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