Meth Addiction Treatment: Why It’s Needed and What You Can Expect
Throughout the U.S., people from all walks of life struggle with methamphetamine use. In a national survey from 2017, roughly 1.6 million people reported using meth in the past year, and the average age reported for first-time use was 23.3 years old (1). There are hundreds of thousands of people around the country who would benefit from meth addiction treatment.
The Addictiveness of Meth
Meth is a stimulant that exerts quick, powerful effects on the brain. These include a release of dopamine, which influences the reward centers of the brain and encourages repeated use.
Because the effects of feeling high don’t tend to last long with meth, people may dose themselves repeatedly in a relatively short amount of time to chase that strong and pleasurable feeling. The drug can be taken in multiple forms; people smoke it, snort it, inject it, or swallow it in pill form.
Addiction often develops rapidly. Over time, tolerance also builds, and people require larger doses to experience similar effects. Furthermore, the withdrawal process can be painful, dangerous, and lengthy. That’s why people who want to quit meth struggle to do so on their own. They would benefit from professional support.
The Importance of Quitting
Fighting an addiction to meth may be difficult, but it’s crucial for your physical and mental health.
Even the short-term effects of the drug can threaten health and quality of life. Meth causes a quick and irregular heartbeat and an increase in blood pressure. A decreased appetite and higher levels of wakefulness mean that people who use meth often neglect to eat nutritious food or get enough sleep; these lifestyle changes can take root right at the start of the drug use. The mental effects of the drug may encourage various high-risk behaviors. And there’s the risk of overdose, which is heightened when meth is laced with other substances, such as fentanyl. In recent years, the meth available in the U.S. has become more potent, more addictive, and more deadly. (2)
As for long-term effects, they’re numerous and crushing (3). Psychological problems that stem from meth use include anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations, along with a stronger likelihood of violent outbursts. Memory problems are among the cognitive effects. Serious weight loss, severe tooth decay, and cardiovascular problems, including strokes and heart attacks, are some of the other damaging effects.
What Can You Expect During Withdrawal From Meth?
The effects of withdrawal and the changes in the brain caused by habitual use make the struggle to quit meth especially difficult. Withdrawal symptoms include intense cravings, powerful headaches, fatigue, pain in the joints and muscles, shaking, digestive problems, hyperventilation, and an irregular heartbeat.
What tends to last longer than the physical effects are psychological issues. During withdrawal, people who have used meth often plunge into depression, feeling hopeless about their lives or unable to experience pleasure from activities they may have once found enjoyable. They may also suffer from anxiety and paranoia.
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How Can Meth Addiction Treatment Help?
Professional treatment for addiction has two main purposes. One of them is to support people through the withdrawal stage. The other is to help them rebuild their lives and come up with long-term strategies for avoiding relapse.
Meth Detox
Reputable treatment centers, like Desert Cove Recovery, offer programs to people going through withdrawal from meth use. Trained professionals will keep track of their health and provide them with individualized medical care, psychological care, and support.
As their appetite returns, and as their body begins to regain some strength, individuals will be provided with a safe, quiet environment to eat, sleep, and cope with their withdrawal symptoms. Along with high-quality therapy, medications for depression and other psychological problems may become a part of the treatment.
The strength, duration, and variety of withdrawal symptoms, the types of care needed, and the strategies for dealing with cravings won’t be the same for everyone. Our highly-rated rehabilitation center recognizes this fact and takes a personalized approach.
Counseling and Therapy
To ease the effects of withdrawal and help prevent relapse, it’s critical to address each individual’s mental and spiritual health. One-on-one therapy and group sessions can help people cope with depression, anxiety, and other psychological issues. They can also give people some of the tools and building blocks for a life filled with greater purpose, deeper and more loving relationships, and improved health.
Has your meth addiction masked some underlying problems that need to be healed? When you leave rehab, who will be a part of your support group, and what strategies will you use to avoid the drug and maintain a healthier life? These are critical questions that must be explored as part of your treatment.
No one should exit a treatment program without this kind of planning, healing, and support.
Receiving the Right Meth Addiction Treatment
Don’t hesitate to contact Desert Cove Recovery for compassionate and effective support. Many people struggle with the effects of meth and the addiction that drives continued use. By addressing your unique needs, our trusted staff will give you personalized assistance in a warm and safe environment.
Sources:
(1) https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-scope-methamphetamine-misuse-in-united-states
(2) https://www.thefix.com/meth-addiction-resurgence
(3) https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-are-long-term-effects-methamphetamine-misuse
