Methamphetamine addiction is one of the most serious. If you have a substance use disorder involving meth, it can drastically change your life. You might have found a quick and easy dependence on the drug that led to many changes occurring in your personal life, work or school responsibilities and much more. When you are constantly at the mercy of meth, you may not be able to function normally in your daily life.
Meth is a powerful stimulant that is highly addictive. However, if you have finally reached your wit’s end and realize that you have a serious problem, now is the time you can take steps to get help. A comprehensive approach to your rehab treatment can help you get back on the road to recovery and aid you as you strive to once again become a productive member of society. Methamphetamine treatment can restore you to your sober life.
Why is Methamphetamine So Addictive?
Meth is a highly addictive drug and falls under the category of Schedule II drugs. It’s a stimulant-type drug, which means it has the ability to make a person feel happier and experience a sense of euphoria they might crave when they feel down. This can especially explain why individuals suffering from mental health disorders such as depression might begin abusing it. When a person smokes or injects meth, its effects can be experienced faster. However, they only have a short-term high, which is why it’s so highly abused.
Once the individual craves more and more to achieve that feeling of euphoria, it easily leads to a quick addiction. Dopamine levels in the brain are increased, leaving the person feeling good about himself or herself. The way the substance alters the brain chemistry makes quitting very difficult to do. Initially, even if a person becomes aware that they have a substance use disorder involving meth, they might deny it simply because they don’t want to give up that pleasurable feeling they get from abusing it.
What Does Treatment for Methamphetamine Addiction Entail?
If you have a substance use disorder that involves meth, you need a comprehensive treatment plan that includes the detox process, rehab and therapy. Detox is the first big step to take toward becoming clean and sober. It is the process that involves eliminating all traces of the drug from your system. You will likely need medication management to rid your body of the substance and will have to be supervised throughout the process. You can undergo the detox process in either an inpatient or outpatient treatment facility.
Either is an appropriate option, but you will want to ultimately choose a facility that has medical professionals on the staff and in-house to monitor you throughout your detox. Once you have safely completed this process, you can move on to other treatment options to push you that much closer toward your newfound sobriety. Counseling or therapy sessions are needed so that you can gain a better perspective on the issues in your life that saw you turn to meth in the first place. Whether you have individual, group, or family therapy, you are on a better path toward recognizing the triggers that have prompted you to abuse methamphetamine and can get the emotional support that you need to overcome your addiction. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, in particular, is helpful in bringing to the forefront the issues you have experienced that led to the temptation to abuse the substance. You can learn helpful ways to react to certain situations or triggers so that you can curb your substance use disorder.
You Might Have a Co-Occurring Mental Health Condition
Often, people who abuse drugs such as meth have underlying, co-occurring mental health disorders. The condition might be depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or PTSD, for instance. As these and other mental health conditions can include several side effects that are unpleasant, it’s common for a person to turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope and manage their symptoms. Unfortunately, substance use disorder doesn’t achieve what the person is looking for and instead, leads to a serious substance use disorder on top of their mental health condition. Counselors who specialize in co-occurring disorders have the skills needed to help you to recognize your problems and give you the tools necessary to overcome them. You have the opportunity to start fresh with a healthier lifestyle that can see you living the rest of your life free of meth.
Whether or not you have a co-occurring mental health condition, it’s important to continue with your treatment after you have undergone rehab. Continuing treatment and therapy can help you stay on the right path and reduce the risk of a relapse. You can learn valuable tools about rejoining society as a functioning member and will have that support system you need to keep it up. If you’re ready to get started, call us today at 833-497-3808.