A highly addictive and potentially lethal drug, methamphetamine (or “crystal meth”) has been one of the top five most abused substances in the U.S. since the late 1990s. Easy and cheap to make in homemade laboratories, meth users smoke it in a pipe, snort lines of crushed meth, or inject it into their arm, leg, or neck vein.
Injecting meth allows the drug to reach the brain in seconds. The heightened sense of euphoria (“rush”) users experience via injection can’t be achieved by snorting or smoking methamphetamine. Moreover, meth users who inject via syringe do not need as much meth to get extremely high as they do when they smoke or snort it. This strong, immediate state of euphoria is why injecting meth causes addiction much faster than using it in other ways.
Meth addicts who do not seek a methamphetamine detox under medical supervision also have a high risk of developing Parkinson’s disease or other incurable neurological disorders due to meth permanently damaging the brain and nervous system.
Addicts who primarily snort meth typically suffer the same kind of nasal passage damage seen in cocaine addicts—frequent nose bleeds, infected nasal tissues, and a collapsed nasal bridge.
Restorations Health Care is a leading provider of Methamphetamine abuse in Anaheim.
Our empathetic staff provides comprehensive care to help support you on your journey to sobriety.
Methamphetamine withdrawal begins 24 to 48 hours after last use. The symptoms are intense and can cause severe mental distress, making it difficult to quit without professional intervention. Symptoms of meth withdrawal can include fatigue, depression, anxiety, psychosis such as paranoia, hallucinations or delusions, tremors, itchy skin or eyes, and fever.
Safe withdrawal from methamphetamine requires medically supervised detox. Here, medical staff are available 24/7 to monitor vitals, stabilize patients, and can prescribe medication to alleviate pain and cravings.
Detoxification is the safest method of ridding your body of meth. Deciding to abruptly “stop” using meth and detox without professional help may lead to fatal heart stoppage, organ failure, and seizures.
A medically supervised meth detoxification prepares individuals for the long process of recovery by improving their mental and physical health. Trying to stop using meth alone will leave you even sicker than you were as an addict. Don’t try to “go cold turkey” because it’s dangerous and unlikely to work.
Medications intended to alleviate meth withdrawal symptoms are essential for helping patients complete the detox phase of their recovery. Research shows that nearly all addicts attempting non-medical detoxification fail to achieve long-term sobriety because withdrawal symptoms are too painful and powerful to resist the urge to use again.
However, detoxification alone is an insufficient treatment option for methamphetamine addiction. Psychologically complex reasons for becoming an addict that has never been addressed remain long after any addictive substances have been eliminated from your body. Entering a meth detox program at Restorations Health Care is the first step toward leading a life without drugs.
Upon entering a supervised meth detox program, you’ll meet your medical team, which includes addiction specialists such as a physician, nurses, a licensed therapy counselor, and certified health technicians.
Most patients at this stage have additional health issues that need to be diagnosed and treated with proper medications. Before starting detox, you’ll undergo an examination to assess your physical needs and have a conversation with a counselor to discuss any concerns or fears about detoxing from meth.
Before beginning the detox process, your healthcare team will guide you through what to expect, answering all your questions about the entire process, from day one to the final day of detox.
Medical detox helps patients gradually withdraw from methamphetamine, avoiding the intense symptoms of quitting abruptly. During detox, which typically lasts five to seven days, patients rest, take medications for symptom relief, receive counseling, and are monitored 24/7.
In cases of severe dehydration, IV fluids and vitamins may be administered. Crisis counseling is available 24/7 for those dealing with anxiety or depression throughout the process. As the body eliminates meth, withdrawal symptoms gradually lessen.
The meth withdrawal process usually lasts up to seven days, with blood and urine tests conducted at the end to ensure all traces of meth are gone. Before transitioning to residential rehab, patients receive a physical exam.
Near discharge, patients may undergo Relapse Prevention Therapy (RPT), which helps them identify high-risk situations and negative thought patterns. With therapist support, they learn to manage these triggers rather than avoid them.
Restorations Health Care in Southern California provides evidence-based treatments, including counseling and holistic activities, to help individuals achieve long-term recovery from meth addiction.
Resources are available to detox, overcome the grips of methamphetamine addiction and live a sober life.
If you or someone you know is struggling with methamphetamine addiction
Resources are available to detox, overcome the grips of methamphetamine addiction and live a sober life.
Restorations Health Care offers medication management treatment specifically for an addiction to methamphetamine. While detoxification, psychotherapeutic counseling, and relapse support programs promote recovery, medication management is intended to relieve withdrawal symptoms severe enough to cause a relapse.
Medication management is not meant to be a “quick fix” for addictions. Unless accompanied by intensive counseling, behavioral therapies, and relapse intervention techniques, medication management won’t work. The psychological reason for someone turning to a dangerous drug like methamphetamine to cope with raw, painful emotions must be discovered, examined, and resolved before true sobriety can be realized.
Common medications used to ease symptoms of methamphetamine withdrawal include:
Clonazepam (Klonopin): belonging to the family of benzodiazepines, clonazepam is given to meth detox patients to relieve anxiety, stress, and panic attacks. It is one of the most commonly prescribed sedatives and antidepressants in the U.S. and can help patients feel calmer and more centered during detoxification.
Modafinil–referred to as a “wakefulness-promoting” medication, modafinil is a nervous system stimulant prescribed to treat daytime drowsiness caused by obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy. Modafinil is also provided off-label to help patients avoid relapse while recovering from meth addiction. Clinical research has found that modafinil is an “effective therapeutic agent” for many patients, providing antidepressant qualities to reduce depression and anxiety.
Buproprion and Naltrexone: new research into the medication management of methamphetamine and cocaine found that a combination of oral bupropion and injectable naltrexone was “safe and effective” in treating individuals with moderate to severe meth addiction. Buproprion is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor that slowly increases dopamine levels in the brain.
Addiction is a complex disease that demands the guidance of multiple addiction specialists and medical professionals to help you or a loved one experience successful recovery. Restorations Health Care is Anaheim, California’s premiere meth addiction treatment center providing everything a person needs to complete meth detox so they can continue on their path to long-term recovery.
While many addiction treatment centers treat only the addiction, Restorations Health Care focuses on the whole person, addressing the mind, body, and spirit. You’ll be able to address the underlying issues of your addiction while gaining the coping tools you need to overcome it.
If you are searching for addiction help for yourself or someone you care about, remember that few treatment centers set the standards as high as Restorations Health Care. When it comes to the level of individualized care, focus, and effective care, we are a leader in all fields of meth addiction treatment. If you or someone you care about is abusing meth, please call us today for immediate help.
