What is methamphetamine, and meth addiction treatment
It’s a potent and highly addictive stimulant that affects your central nervous system. Also known as Crystal Meth, Ice, Glass, Blue, along with many other names, is a white, odorless crystal or powder, with a very bitter taste that is easily dissolved in water or alcohol. Meth can be consumed in many different ways but is typically smoked and injected straight into the bloodstream.
Methamphetamine is known to give you a considerable dump of dopamine, which floods the body with the feeling of pleasure and euphoria. This feeling is incredibly addicting, highly sought after, and the user will typically do anything to get their hands on it.
Dangers of Meth addiction?
Short term Side effects consist of:
● A false sense of extreme energy. The user will often push his or her body way harder than its build or intended to be pushed, with little to no sleep at all. Thus once the drugs start to wear off, the user experiences a severe “crash” or physical and mental breakdowns and withdrawal symptoms after the drugs have thoroughly worn off.
● Meth can decreases your natural feeling of hunger, causing users to experience extreme weight loss.
Adverse side effects of meth can also include:
- Insomnia.
- Increased attention and decreased fatigue
- Increased respiration
- Rapid/irregular heart rate
- Hyperthermia
- Hyperactivity.
- High body temperature.
- Nausea.
- Euphoria and rush
- Increased activity and wakefulness
- Increased aggressiveness
- Delusions of power.
- Irritability.
- Decreased appetite.
Long term side effects consist of:
● Long-term meth use can cause irreversible, life-threatening damage to your physical health as well as your mental health. It will increase your heart rate and blood pressure, Damage your blood vessels in your brain that can lead to strokes or even an irregular heartbeat, which can cause cardiovascular collapse and death; Also can damage your kidneys and lungs beyond repair.
● Users typically suffer from memory loss and lose the ability to think and grasp abstract thoughts creatively. Those who recover from long-term use usually have significant gaps in their memory and suffer substantial mood swings.
Adverse side effects of long-term use can also include:
● High blood pressure or heart rate.
● Decreased appetite.
● A heightened sense of paranoia.
● Confusion.
● Hallucinations
● Anxiety and paranoia
● Damage to your central nervous system.
● Sometimes it can cause convulsions that lead to death.
How do I start the process of Meth addiction treatment, and why should I do medical detox?
Leading a drug and alcohol-free life is a life-long process. The first step is to complete Medical detoxification. This allows you to come off the drugs or alcohol safely, closely monitored at all times by medical nurses, doctors, and therapists. This is by far the best way to start your recovery process; without it, the withdrawal symptoms are agonizing.
Symptoms include
● Anxiety.
● Muscle, Joint, and Bone Pain.
● Fatigue and Sleepiness.
● Depression.
● Psychosis
● Meth Cravings
● Increased Appetite
What does detox and Meth treatment entail?
Meth addiction treatment often requires the use of medication and different types of behavioral therapies. Medications can help to reduce Meth withdrawal symptoms while behavioral therapies can help stabilize and prepare them for meth withdrawal treatment.
The NLM states there are a number of detox medications for opiates, including:
Methadone – is a powerful agonist that can be prescribed for short periods of time. This medication will allow you to live still your daily life, such as going to work or school. This drug is usually the best solution for opiate treatment for someone who has been addicted to opiates for multiple years.
Buprenorphine – An opioid agonist-antagonist that creates a ceiling effect that helps prevent and protect users from overdosing or abusing opiates. This medication typically works best for users with less severe dependence that those in need of Methadone but still need to stay clean and away from opiate abuse.
Clonidine – An anti-hypertensive drug that can help treat opioid withdrawal symptoms. This drug is usually most useful for people who have become addicted to opiates through a doctor’s care.
How To Treat Meth Addiction?
It all starts with finding a meth addiction treatment center that suits you and your needs. You have to be careful who you choose as well because 80% of all rehab centers DON’T WORK. This is because they haven’t changed their treatment methods in over 50 years. Scientific data and evidence-based research have shown that in order to reprogram our brain and its mental structure, you must remove yourself from the environment that you were once used to. This is incredibly important, and the first critical step in changing your perspective of life. This is why we at perspective recovery are located in Central America and is an inpatient treatment facilities. We focus on mental healing away from anything they once knew. One of the biggest things an addict loses is their feeling of self-worth. At perspective recovery, we allow our clients to give back in a significant way, by helping the Nicaraguan people. We work with our clients in the community, allowing them to give back without any expectation of something in return. This has been scientifically proven to flood the body with the feeling of self-worth. Also, science has shown that yes on one individual therapy sessions are very important, group therapy sessions are one of the most effective forms of therapy in rehab centers when overcoming substance abuse.