Unlike meth, which is a powder, crystal meth is a crystalline solid that looks like clear or shiny-blue crystals. As the smokable form of meth, crystal meth provides a more rapid and intense high than other forms. The most common street name for crystal meth is ice, but it is referred to as blade, glass, crystal glass, hot ice, quartz, or tina, amongst many other names. The goal of treatment is to help you lead a healthy life without using meth. Treatment may also address other underlying conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety. Ongoing meth use can lead to mild to severe withdrawal symptoms once you stop taking the drug.
- Research has shown that methamphetamine withdrawal follows a predictable pattern.
- The first step is to recognize any misconceptions you might have about substance use and addiction.
- Due to the stimulant properties of meth, the person often exhibits hyperactivity, tremors, and excessive sweating.
- The Matrix model therapy has been effective in reducing METH use and craving during treatment and has shown somewhat better retention and abstinence rates than other behavioral interventions 74.
- Objective assessment of use reduction for illicit substances presents a greater difficulty given variability and uncertainty of the composition and purity of illicit drugs purchased.
Alcohol-Related Liver Disease: What is Cirrhosis?
Little research has been conducted on alternative endpoints in opioid use disorder treatment, but it will be needed to advance medication development in this area. Decreased substance use also makes it more likely that the individual can hold a job, be a supportive family member, and so on. The reasons for lack of efficacy of clinically tested medications meth addiction include heterogeneity of METH-abusing population and comorbidity between METH and other psychiatric disorders 19. Furthermore, more clinical research is needed on the co-use of METH and opioids as well as how their combination affects overdose risk. Moreover, to increase the efficacy of pharmaceuticals, particularly dopaminergic, future studies should develop a way to increase the levels of dopamine D2 receptor, which are decreased in individuals chronically abusing METH 69-73.
Patient Support and Recovery
Post-rehab care and support are important in the recovery process to help maintain sobriety and prevent relapses. Meth addiction is a severe issue that affects not only the person who uses the drug but also their families and communities. It can lead to devastating physical, psychological, and social consequences.
How to reduce your risk of relapse
No one can understand the struggle with addition quite as well as someone who’s been through it, and peers who are successful in recovery can empower others. One way to connect with other people in recovery is by regularly attending 12-step meetings. While family and friends play a vital role in recovery, encouragement from peer support communities is just as important, if not more so.
How Long Does Meth Rehab Take?
Abstinence has been evaluated using absence of positive urine drug tests, absence of self-reported drug use, and regularly attending sessions where drug use is assessed. But abstinence is a high bar comparable to requiring that an antidepressant produce complete remission of depression or that an analgesic completely eliminate pain. Recognizing this limitation, the FDA encourages developers of opioid2 and stimulant3 use disorder medications to discuss with FDA alternative approaches to measure changes in drug use patterns. Definitions of recovery often include substance use outcomes and related improvements in other areas of life (e.g., physical, social, psychological).
- Additionally, those who take meth via smoking experience chronic respiratory issues and frequent infections.
- Meth addiction is a chronic disorder characterized by the compulsive need to use methamphetamine, despite harmful consequences.
- An intervention involves a structured meeting with friends, family, and a professional interventionist to help the person understand the impact of their addiction and encourage them to seek treatment.
- Holistic approaches recognize the importance of treating the whole person, not just the addiction.
- She completed her master’s degree in Social Work at Texas State University.
The Importance of Aftercare in Meth Addiction Recovery
Inpatient detox is especially crucial for individuals who are experiencing severe depression or suicidal thoughts. Without enough saliva, bacteria and food particles build up in the mouth, leading to rapid tooth decay and infections. Our free, confidential telephone consultation will help you find the best treatment program for you.
These findings implicate a compromised nigrostriatal pathway in individuals heavily dependent on METH. Animal studies showed that intermittent and long access stimulant self-administration changes the brain in different ways to influence motivated behavior 34. This data indicates that light, moderate, and heavy METH users represent subpopulations with different changes in the brain and likely need different pharmacotherapies.
Over time, users may transition from smoking to injecting to achieve a more intense high. Coming down can cause difficult emotional and physical symptoms, such as depression and insomnia. As a result, meth addiction often follows a pattern of bingeing on the drug for several days at a time, followed by a crash. Ray says the success rate of the naltrexone-buproprion combination may be improved as doctors refine the method and when supported with other treatments, including behavioral therapy. Patients received injections of extended-release naltrexone and oral doses of bupropion.