Using Meth at All Costs - Nationwide Rehab Network

Drug addiction is a disease that plagues the cities, states, and countries that we proudly call home. Meth addiction is one of the many variations that inflicts suffering on the users and their families, friends, and loved ones.  However, learning about why someone might not be able to stop using meth, and knowing what you can do to help, could save their life.

If you or someone you know is suffering from addiction, we can help. So, please do not hesitate to reach out to our experts at 405-583-4390. Never feel shamed for reaching out for help to heal from this disease.

Content

Meth addiction is a problem all across America. But in order to understand it, we need to take a closer look at this disease. Continue reading below to learn about how and why someone might have an addiction to meth.

Why is it so Hard to Quit Meth?
Why Do People Use Meth?
Side Effects of Using Meth
Treatments for Drug Addiction
Getting the Help You Deserve

Why is it so Hard to Quit Meth?

Meth Appearance

This drug often comes in the form of an odorless powder. Likewise, it is most commonly used by:

Smoking with a pipe
Crushing and snorting it into the nose
Injecting it with a syringe
Taking a pill

Schedule II Stimulant

Meth classifies as a Schedule II stimulant. This ranking makes it available only through a nonrefillable prescription. This is because meth is sometimes used to treat those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, due to the stimulant being highly addictive, it is rarely prescribed.

Furthermore, meth addiction is difficult to quit because as the user continues to take their dosage of meth, then their self-control maintenance begins to diminish to the point where it does not exist anymore. However, that is also the primary reason why meth withdrawal is hard to get through. Also, why staying clean can seem impossible.

For instance, meth addicts can experience changes in:

Judgment
Making decisions
Learning
Memory
Controlling behavior

Symptoms of Meth Withdrawals

The symptoms of meth withdrawal vary for each person. However, specific symptoms of withdrawal are common to most users of the drug. For example, symptoms can include:

Anxiety
Fatigue
Depression
Psychosis
Decreased appetite
Cravings

In addition, the duration and intensity of symptoms will be different depending on dosage and how long a person has been using the drug. A person’s age can also contribute. For instance, compared to younger addicts, older users will experience stronger symptoms due to their age.

If you, or someone you know, are suffering due to an addiction, call us today. Our specialists will work with you in order to get you onto the track of a healthier and happier life.

Why Do People Use it?

There are varying reasons why people choose to use meth. For example, this can be:

Soothing stress
Avoiding depression
Calming nerves
Helping with anxiety

However, despite the different reasons people choose to use meth, the most common and primary sense is to feel good. Using meth releases dopamine, a chemical that plays a role in how we feel pleasure. Users experience a high due to the brain stimulating the release of dopamine. The high can make users feel powerful and confident. This feeling can happen naturally. However, meth gives it to you artificially, immediately, and at a higher level.

In addition, after inhaling, injecting, snorting, or swallowing meth, the user’s dopamine reserve becomes depleted. Meth users may experience fatigue and irritability for a few days until the dopamine fills up again. This contributes to the drug’s high abuse potential. Because users may not experience pleasure, they easily slip into depression when they denied the drug.

In short, constant meth use damages the dopamine nerves, making the user’s highs never as good as the first one. Therefore, to reach the same level as they did before, addicts require a significantly higher methamphetamine dosage with each use. All of this triggers the temptation to get more drugs.

Side Effects of Using Meth

When going through a meth addiction, a user may experience an array of different side effects. For instance, the most common ones are:

Physical

Every addict experiences physical symptoms differently. However, the most common usually are:

Meth Mouth – this is extreme tooth decay due to lack of hygiene
Weight Loss

Mental

Drug addiction can affect anyone. Some of the more common mental side effects, for example, could be:

Easily Sidetracked
Loss of Memory
Aggressive Behavior
Mood Swings

For those who use drugs for a longer time, for example, some of the long-term effects can include:

Rapid heart rate
Irregular heartbeats
High blood pressure
Seizures
Anxiety
Intense itching
Delusions
Hallucinations
Paranoia
Insomnia
Confusion
Addiction
In most severe cases, death

You do not need to suffer the side effects of addiction alone. Call our experts today, and then you can get started on a treatment path that is right for you.

Treatments for Drug Addiction

For addicts recovery may seem impossible or too far out of reach. However, this is not always the case. There are many forms of treatments that can help reduce the symptoms of meth withdrawal. 

Medications

Various medications can help those who are undergoing different stages of methamphetamine withdrawals to stay in treatment and avoid relapse. For instance, the best types of treatment can be:

Withdrawal Treatment: As previously stated, when patients first begin to stop using drugs, they become vulnerable to various physical and emotional symptoms. But certain treatments can help reduce those symptoms. This will make it easier for the patient to stop using the drug. 
Stick to Medication: Some medications are used to help the brain adjust to the absence of the drug. Such a drastic change to the brain can cause significant damage both physically and mentally. Because of the change, these medications work slowly to help prevent any drug cravings and exert a calming effect on the body’s systems.
Avoid Relapse:  Stress is associated with increased drug use. This creates a risk of relapse, as does being around people or situations that prompted drug use in the past. In addition, avoiding or managing these triggers has proven to help.

Behavioral Therapies

Though medications do help reduce the symptoms of drug withdrawal, the most effective form of treatment for drug addiction can be behavioral therapies. However, they not only help treat addiction, but they also alter the patient’s attitude and behavioral responses.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This form of therapy helps the patient recognize their triggers so that they may better avoid and cope with them.
Contingency Management Interventions. A treatment method that mimics a reward system, specifically, a positive reinforcement. This form of treatment functions by providing the patient with incentives and privileges when they take their prescribed medications. Also, when they attend their counseling sessions and remain drug-free.  
Motivational Enhancement Therapy. Much like a game plan, motivational enhancement therapy utilizes a plan of action that is tailored to the patient to help them understand the course of their treatment.
Family Therapy. This method of therapy is especially effective with young people because it addresses the harmful effects of drug use on both the user and their family, emphasizing that the user’s choices affect those around them. 
Twelve-Step Facilitation (TSF). TSF is a strictly individualized form of therapy taking place over three months. The reason for this is to better prepare the patient to engage with a 12-step support program, for example, Alcoholics Anonymous.

Getting the Help You Deserve

To summarize, meth is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant drug that significantly affects the brain and central nervous system. 

The first step in solving any problem is to recognize that there is one. As much of a cliché as that may be, it is also a core truth of addiction recovery. If you or someone you love is suffering from drug addiction, then please reach out to us. Our experts are trained to answer any questions you have about addiction and help you find the right course of treatment, so call us today!

Written by Makeila Hofer

START YOUR PATH TO HEALING AND SOBRIETY TODAY!

GIVE US A CALL AT 405-583-4390!

We here to help with your guidance and questions.

If you have any questions about drug and alcohol treatment, give us a call. Our trained professionals are standing by to answer your questions and help you get the help you need.

Sources

Addiction meth

About

admin

I Can’t Live Without Meth