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Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment

If you think you or a loved one is addicted to crystal meth, it’s important that you seek treatment. Methamphetamine use can impact all areas of your life, including your physical health.

Not only is crystal meth highly addictive, but it can increase the risk of heart failure and heart attacks. It can also lead to changes in the brain, affecting your motor speed and verbal learning.

Meth can impact your memory and emotions, ultimately affecting your cognitive functioning. Likewise, mixing crystal meth with alcohol or other drugs can be hazardous to your physical health and well-being.

Crystal meth abuse can also impact your mental health, potentially leading to severe psychoses. There is also the risk of having a crystal meth overdose, which can lead to kidney, lung, and gastrointestinal damage. Meth overdoses can be fatal.

Seeking treatment is essential if you can’t stop taking crystal meth. If you don’t admit you have a problem and seek treatment, the problem won’t improve – and your life will continue to be impacted by methamphetamine.

That’s why we bring you this page today. Read on to learn more about crystal meth, how crystal meth addiction is treated, and what your treatment options include. At Help4Addiction, we can help you beat your drug addiction.

What is Crystal Meth?

Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant drug with quite a history. In WW2, soldiers frequently took meth to stay awake whilst on duty, and others took the drug to lose weight or relieve symptoms of depression.

It is a colourless man-made/ synthetic substance that resembles small glass rocks. It often has a high purity level that can produce long-lasting effects. The effects of crystal meth can last for between four and 12 hours, depending on the method of consumption.

Crystal meth can be consumed in various ways. For example, people may smoke crystal meth using a glass pipe (similar to crack cocaine), or people may inject it into their bloodstream.

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Crystal Meth Addiction Explained

Methamphetamine is an addictive substance – and there are several reasons why it can be so addictive. Firstly, meth affects your brain’s ‘feel good’ chemicals – dopamine and serotonin.

Dopamine is associated with reward, pleasure, and motivation. Taking crystal meth can lead to a surge in your brain’s dopamine levels, leading to an apparent rush of euphoria. Likewise, meth affects your serotonin levels. Serotonin is associated with mood regulation, memory, and appetite.

Over time, excessive meth use will impact your body’s ability to regulate these chemicals. This can leave you feeling miserable, lethargic, depressed and anxious when you don’t take the substance, making it more tempting to take the drug again just to feel ‘normal’.

Drug addiction is defined as a chronic and relapsing disease, characterised by a dependence on a drug – and ultimately the lack of control over taking the drug. This can include how much you take or how often you take it.

If you feel like you can’t stop taking crystal meth or you have tried to stop but ended up relapsing, then you more than likely have a psychological dependence and/ or physical dependence – and should seek appropriate treatment.

This is something we can help with at Help4Addiciton – we are addiction experts and can find the right crystal meth addiction treatment for you and your circumstances.

Signs of Crystal Meth Addiction

It can be difficult to conceal a crystal meth addiction from loved ones, especially in the later stages of addiction. Crystal meth addicts may experience sudden financial problems (e.g loss of job, or to fund the addiction), and lose interest in activities or hobbies.

They may also start making new friends or socialising in different circles. Somebody with a crystal meth addiction may also become hyperactive at odd times, or hyper-fixate on certain tasks.

Another sign of a crystal meth addiction is a loss of appetite and weight loss. Ultimately, crystal meth addiction can change a person’s behaviour.

Crystal Meth Withdrawal Symptoms

Once you develop a physical dependence on crystal meth, you’ll experience uncomfortable or unpleasant feelings and sensations if you stop taking the drug or lower your standard dose.

Meth withdrawal can vary from person to person – however, in many cases, the more severe the addiction, the more severe the withdrawal symptoms will be.

If you’re experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms, we recommend that you seek medical assistance as soon as possible, or speak to your doctor.

Withdrawing from crystal meth can affect your mental health – for example, you may feel anxious, depressed, or have mood swings. Some people also experience psychosis when withdrawing from crystal meth.

Fatigue and sleepiness is another withdrawal symptom. Because you feel so hyperactive and alert when you take meth, you feel the opposite when you’re in withdrawal – especially during the first week.

You may also notice that you have an increased appetite – specifically for sugary, starchy carbohydrates. These symptoms can last for two to three weeks.

When you’re withdrawing from methamphetamine, you’ll more than likely experience meth cravings – a strong desire to take meth. Effective addiction treatment can help to relieve these cravings.

The Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment Process

Drug addiction and drug abuse can be difficult to recover from on your own – which is why so many people decide to join a drug addiction treatment program.

However, with so many options out there – from inpatient rehab to outpatient rehab, from private rehab to NHS-operated rehab – it can be tough to know which is the right fit for you.

That’s where we come in – at Help4Addiction, we can source the right treatment facility for you to undergo a drug detox, therapy, or an entire treatment program.

We’ll consider your needs, preferences, as well as your personal circumstances during our initial consultation. Once we understand your story, we can find the right treatment plan for you.

Inpatient vs Outpatient Rehab For Crystal Meth Addiction

Inpatient rehab, also known as residential rehab, involves residing in a rehab facility throughout your treatment. Your accommodation and meals will be provided for you, and you’ll attend your sessions within the facility.

Many residential rehab centres are privately owned – and you can even find luxury rehab centres. However, there are also NHS-operated residential rehab clinics too.

If you opt for outpatient rehab, you’ll still have access to the rehab facilities, but you’ll reside at home and travel to your rehab sessions – whether they’re daily, once a week, or twice a week. Many people will choose to undergo a detox as an inpatient and then continue their treatment on an outpatient basis.

Crystal Meth Detoxification

Once you enter rehab, you’ll begin by completing a crystal meth detox. Treating methamphetamine addiction requires a successful drug detox for your body to free itself of the addiction. Detoxification aims at dealing with the physical aspect of addiction – physical dependence.

This is the stage at which you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms. Depending on the severity of your addiction, you may benefit from a medically-assisted detox, with medical supervision.

Addiction Therapy

Drug addiction therapy is an integral part of addiction treatment. This may involve a range of therapies – both one-to-one therapies and group therapies.

Group therapy is common in rehab as, according to the Social Learning Theory, being around others in recovery can help to change your behaviour and have a positive impact.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is also common in drug addiction rehab. CBT is a talking therapy based on the belief that your thoughts, behaviours and emotions are linked – and that the cycle can be broken.

Therapy can not only improve your confidence and mental health but can help you gain a further understanding of your addiction. Therapy can also help you to learn valuable and effective coping mechanisms that can ultimately prevent you from relapsing.

Secondary Care

Upon completing rehab, the support doesn’t have to end. Leaving rehab and returning to your day-to-day life can feel daunting, so secondary care aims at easing the transition, providing support, and ultimately preventing relapse.

Whether you choose to attend support groups, contact helplines or continue group therapy or counselling, aftercare can be extremely beneficial. Check out this page to learn more about secondary treatment, including what it entails.

If you want to begin to treat your meth addiction today, reach out to our team at Help4Addiction. Remember, you don’t have to deal with addiction alone.

About Author

Nicholas Conn

Nicholas Conn

Nicholas Conn is a leading industry addiction expert who runs the UK’s largest addiction advisory service and is regularly featured in the national press, radio and TV. He is the founder and CEO of a drug and alcohol rehab center called Help4addiction, which was founded in 2015. He has been clean himself since 2009 and has worked in the Addiction and Rehab Industry for over a decade. Nick is dedicated to helping others recover and get treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. In 2013, he released a book ‘The Thin White’ line that is available on Amazon.

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