Sunday, March 24, 2024

How To Kick Meth Addiction

Comedowns Can Lead To Binges

20 Questions with a Crystal Meth Addict (Q& A)

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.

Relapse Prevention In Recovery

Preventing and managing episodes of relapse is another essential part of the recovery process. Rates of relapse are high among those who are recovering from painkiller addiction and other substance use disorders, but peer support and long-term treatment are two of the most influential tools that help people stay sober.

First, people in recovery must have a relapse prevention plan that addresses their triggers, risk factors, and also outlines a plan of action to follow if they do relapse.

If a relapse happens, it does not mean that treatment failed or that the person is not in recovery anymore. It simply means that the person needs to take another look at the ways they deal with stress, high-risk environments, and other events, emotions, and occurrences that make them want to use drugs or alcohol again.

Structured peer support can also provide much-needed assistance and accountability in early recovery. These programs also help clients connect with other sober and like-minded individuals. Examples of recovery care services and programs include:

Crystal Meth Withdrawal Symptoms Timeline

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition , crystal meth withdrawal symptoms can begin anywhere from a few hours to a few days after the most recent dose. 3

Theres no telling exactly how long these symptoms will last. It all depends on:

  • Your bodys physiology and your general level of health.
  • How often you used crystal meth.
  • The length of your addiction.
  • The amount of crystal meth you abused.

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Naltrexone And Bupropion For Meth Addiction Recovery

Weve covered the history of naltrexone for treating substance use disorders, but bupropion has its own recovery applications. While it is an antidepressant and thus usually used in cases of chronic depression or anxiety, bupropion has also proven effective as a tool in helping people quit smoking nicotine. And as new evidence shows, its ability to balance brain chemistry may significantly help people receiving treatment at meth rehab centers.

In the study referenced above, 403 adult volunteers were examined between the years 2017 and 2019. For each volunteer, they underwent study for two six-week periods. During each stage, volunteers who received treatment were administered an injection of naltrexone once every three weeks and took extended-release bupropion every day. To compare the effectiveness of this new treatment, a control group was given placebo shots and pills to take every day during the same period.

This study was conducted double blind, meaning that not even the researchers knew who had taken the real medication and who took the placebos. Steps like this help ensure that researcher bias does not taint the results, and they make the findings of this study all the more exciting.

What Are The Available Treatment Options For Meth Addiction

They hate drugs, yet no doubt they can

Meth addiction can cause severe side effects on the psychological, physical, and behavioural well-being of a person. It does not only affect the individual but also his or her family and friends. For anyone seeking help to combat meth addiction or help a loved one who is known to abuse meth, there are treatment options available.

Treatment of meth addiction basically starts with medical detox. During this time, the substance is being weaned out slowly from the persons body. With medical detox, the person recovering from addiction is under the supervision and care of medical professionals. This ensures that the client remains comfortable and safe for the whole duration of the detox process.

After the medical detox is completed, the next step is to encourage the client to undergo behavioural therapy. This includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT, the Matrix Model, as well as contingency management interventions. These have been known to effectively assist the client in recovering from meth addiction.

Also Check: How To Beat Opiate Addiction On Your Own

What Does Meth Feel Like

As a stimulant, meth increases activity in certain areas of the brain, and functions of the central nervous system are heightened as a result. For example, heart rate, body temperature, respiration, and blood pressure all rise under the influence of meth. Energy, attention, focus, pleasure, and excitement are enhanced as well, as chemical messengers in the brain, such as dopamine, are increased by the interaction of meth. Elevated levels of dopamine cause the intense high that is associated with meth, and the desire to recreate this feeling makes the drug extremely addictive.

When someone is taking meth, they are alert and energized, and can stay awake for long periods of time. When meth wears off, however, a significant crash generally occurs, leaving individuals feeling fatigued, lethargic, hungry, depressed, and anxious. As a result, meth is commonly taken in a binge pattern, often called a run, where small amounts of meth are taken every few hours for a couple days to prolong the high. This pattern of abuse can more quickly lead to drug dependence and addiction.

Help End Someones Meth Addiction Today

We hope that this post has helped you to better understand the signs and symptoms of meth addiction, as well as the long and short-term consequences of using meth.

More than anything, now, you have a stronger grasp on how to help the meth addict in your life.

Staging an intervention and encouraging them to seek treatment can be emotionally challenging, but we know youll do whatever you can to help them get control of their life again.

We want to be able to help.

We provide all the resources that you need to understand treatment options.

Get in touch with us today for a confidential assessment, and to learn more about the treatment programs available.

Verify Your Insurance

We will perform a professional review of your insurance policy as you beginning the treatment-seeking process. Learn about your options today:

Read Also: How To Know If You Have An Addiction

Treatment For Withdrawal Symptoms

Each facility of The Recovery Village is staffed with a team of experienced professionals who understand the risks associated with meth withdrawal. Although not everyone experiences the same symptoms in the same way, there is typically some discomfort associated with the detox process. The good news is, our team offers treatment options to provide relief from the meth withdrawal symptoms.

What To Do If Someone You Love Is Abusing Meth

How HARD Was QUITTING Crystal Methamphetamine Addiction (What is Crystal Meth Like? – The TRUTH)

If someone you love is abusing meth, and cannot or will not stop on their own, it may be time to seek professional help. If they are in denial about their harmful behavior, you may want to set up an intervention with an addiction specialist and gather their close friends and family members. This person may also be aware they are addicted but are unable to stop despite trying to ween back their dosage. In this case, it would be helpful for you to support them in their recovery, by finding them a nearby addiction treatment center with medical professionals who can assist in their detox, treatment, and recovery.

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Top 10 Hardest Addictions To Kick

Different drugs, whether prescription medications or illegal substances can all elicit a wide range of sensations for its users. From relaxed, calming moods, to high energy and feelings of euphoria, most drugs can create a false sense of security. Users may feel empowered with these substances, which can quickly lead them to overuse, abuse, or even addiction. But are there substances that are more prone to abuse and addiction? In this article, were discussing some of the most common drugs and the hardest addictions to kick.

Mood regulation, memory, willpower, and decision-making processes can be severely impacted by these common drugs. And once drug dependency is formed, it can be incredibly difficult or impossible to safely refrain from continued use.

If you or someone you know is struggling with misuse, overuse, or addiction of any substance including alcohol and prescription medications, its important to contact a professional that can offer compassionate support and effective methodology for safely detoxing. AspenRidge Recovery in Colorado treats a wide range of addictions and offers a dual-diagnosis approach to help clients through the traumatic experiences that may have contributed to the addiction.

Contact us directly at for more information on recovery centers in: Lakewood , Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and Online Treatment options.

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.

Read Also: How To Help Someone Addicted To Meth

Consult With A Medical Professional

After youve read as much as you can about meth addiction, it would also be helpful to you if you can talk to a medical professional. Ideally, it can be a psychiatrist specializing in addiction. You can talk to the specialist and ask all of the questions that you may still have.

The specialist can help you understand further why its difficult for a person with meth addiction to quit or to even accept and confront that there is a problem. The psychiatrist can also guide you on how you can effectively approach your loved one.

What Support Is There To Help Me Stop Using Methamphetamine

Meth devilishly hard to kick for addicts:

If you decide to cut back or stop after using methamphetamine often, you are likely to experience withdrawal symptoms. Its a good idea to get some help when you do. Counselling and support from a health professional, whnau/family and friends is the best approach to help you to stop methamphetamine use.

  • Tell your partner, close friends or family members so they can support you to make the change.
  • Contact one of the specialised services that know about how to stop using methamphetamine, such as MethHelp, the Alcohol and Drug Helpline or one of the other support services listed on this page.
  • Talk to your doctor. If depression or anxiety is the underlying cause for your drug use, they may prescribe medication for that or to help you sleep during your withdrawal stage. If you have been using other drugs, eg, alcohol or benzodiazepines, tell your doctor as you may need specialist help .
  • See a counsellor or therapist to talk to about your methamphetamine use and any other problems in your life that may have led you into using methamphetamine.

Read Also: How To Help Teenager With Drug Addiction

As Stimulant Overdoses Soar California Looks To A Proven Behavioral Intervention

The need is urgent, explains Dr. Kelly Pfeifer, deputy director of behavioral health at the California Department of Health Care Services. In 2020, more Californians died from meth and cocaine overdoses than from fentanyl overdoses, and stimulant abuse is wreaking havoc on California’s jails and courts, foster care, and hospitals.

“Which are obviously not only devastating to the person and the family, but very expensive for our health care system,” Pfeifer says.

Why Do People Use Crack

Cocaine is quite expensive and not readily available to every average junky on the street. So, crack serves as a cheaper alternative. In addition, its lower cost makes it more accessible for users in the lower socioeconomic demographic. These people cannot afford to purchase the actual cocaine, so they settle for the less expensive and more readily available option in crack cocaine.

However, its also plausible that the more intense effect of crack can be the reason many users prefer it. As such, its not surprising to find individuals who can afford regular cocaine also using crack. Generally, those who desire a more intense, faster high will opt for crack cocaine.

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Why Does This Make A Difference To Females

Neuroplasticity acts to affect changes related to cognitive abilities, motor tasking, learning, memory, and more as children develop into adulthood.

In females, the activity of this neuroplasticity is complex and sex-specific. Changes happen in different areas of the brain than males, at different times, and in differing degrees.

For example, take changes that affect mood. Studies have shown that during puberty, females experience an increase in incidence of depression, caused by changes to the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis , which is a persons central stress response system. In females, there is an increased response of the HPA axis with advancing puberty, while in males, the response is decreased, possibly associated with increased testosterone levels. Schizophrenia is another disorder whose incidence rises markedly during adolescence and whose presentation shows significant sex differences.4

Some researchers suspect that use of meth causes an actual shrinking of gray matter, which can lead to developmental issues and rocky recovery from later life stressors. Most agree that methamphetamine use causes permanent damage to the neural network, effectively interrupting messages transmitted by the brains neurons.

How Not To Help

Step 3: Trust in God – Sharons Story about Crystal Meth Addiction Recovery
  • Approach your loved one when youre angry. This will only cause him or her to become defensive and push you away.
  • Blame your loved one for his or her crystal meth addiction.
  • Degrade your loved one this will compound the shame he or she is already feeling.
  • Have a heart-to-heart when he or she is high they may not take the issue seriously, or remember the conversation at all.

When approaching your loved one, make sure you express concern and care, while encouraging treatment. Reassure him or her that you will be there every step of the way and provide support no matter what.

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Which Treatment Options Are Available For Meth Addiction

Inpatient treatment is always the best option for addicts, especially long-term users who will have more severe withdrawal symptoms. Inpatient treatment allows for close medical oversight, in a safe environment that can prevent triggers, and relapse from occurring. Alongside inpatient treatment, patients can also be involved in therapy programs to help address the underlying causes of their addiction, such problems with their mental health.

The most effective methods of therapy treatment that have been found to assist those with meth addiction include behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy methods. Each of these methods of treatment involves helping the patient to combine new thoughts with their behaviors and vice versa to control their outbursts, cravings, and decisions. Contingency management interventions are also acceptable methods of treating methamphetamine addiction for some patients. The following methods are some of the most commonly used in centers for the treatment of meth addiction:

Helping Someone Quit Drugs

Watching someone you care about use drugs is stressful. Their behaviour can be erratic and talking to them about their problem is challenging.

Here are some tips on how you can help:

  • Learn about the effects of drugs this will help you understand why quitting can be hard.
  • Show that you care without judging being calm and respectful may encourage them to be open and honest with you.
  • Be positive and encouraging rather than negative and nagging remember relapses may happen, but they dont mean the person cant try again, and succeed.
  • Offer practical support sometimes just being there is enough, but you can offer to go with them to parties or join them for a walk or run.

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How Treatment Helps

While there are no drugs that have been proven effective in removing meth from the body, drugs targeting withdrawal symptoms could help with getting through detox and maintaining long term sobriety.

Treating meth withdrawal symptoms might include medications like Modafinil, a narcolepsy drug that helps regulate sleep, according to the National Institutes of Health. âIn fact, Modafinil ‘s moderate stimulant effects…may aid with the cravings and erratic sleep cycles associated with withdrawal,â Vikram Tarugu, MD, CEO of Detox of South Florida, says.

Modafinil has also shown promise in alleviating the cognitive effects of meth use, such as memory loss and difficulty processing ideas. A study from The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse found the drug could help with meth addiction treatment when combined with therapy.

Bupropion, commonly referred to by the brand name Wellbutrin, is an antidepressant that has also helped people quit smoking. Long-term meth use can cause a dopamine deficiency. Bupropion could help with meth withdrawal by regulating dopamine, the brain chemical messenger that stimulates pleasure and focus.

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