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Many meth users experience severe withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to get clean. Prolonged meth use impacts brain chemistry to cause fatigue and depression in those who suddenly stop using.
People recovering from meth dependence and addiction require professional treatment. If you wish to stop using meth, an addiction treatment or detox programs will help you get clean.
What Increases the Risk of Meth Withdrawal Symptoms?
Meth withdrawal symptoms can range from irritating to life-threatening. Certain factors will increase your chances of having a long, or medically severe withdrawal period from meth. Here are things to consider when seeking to detox from meth:
- Your overall health
- Your age
- Your body weight
- The length of time using meth
- Existing mental health disorders
Withdrawing from high doses of meth generally leads to severe depression. Users may also suffer from psychosis and experience symptoms that resemble those produced by schizophrenia. Fortunately, there are ways in which a person can find relief during withdrawal from meth. Getting help while detoxing should be done as safely and quickly as possible.
Tips for Coping During Withdrawal From Meth
Treatment for meth addiction usually includes psychotherapy, counseling, support groups, and family therapy. Medications may be used to help reduce specific withdrawal symptoms. The longer a person receives treatment, the more successful they will be at staying abstinent from meth.
Here are five tips every person should remember when doing through withdrawal from meth:
1. Your meth withdrawal symptoms will pass.
Physical withdrawal symptoms caused by meth usually go away within a few days. Psychological withdrawal symptoms may last longer but are manageable and will lessen in time.
2. Stopping meth use will help you become happier and healthier in the long run.
Mental health problems tied to meth abuse will be resolved once you have recovered. Moods will become more manageable, and less extreme, creating balance. Most health problems will cease to exist once you are clean and sober.
3. You are not going through meth withdrawal alone.
Many other people are also recovering from meth addiction. If you are in a treatment program, there will be a team of doctors and nurses there to help. After detoxing, you can find support groups, and connect with people who understand your hardships. You can also lean on others for tools, and strategies for a successful recovery. These individuals can join various support groups that connect them with others going through similar hardships.
4. Identifying your triggers is one of the best ways to cope with meth withdrawal.
Identifying and listing your triggers can help prevent you from falling into relapse. Support groups, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, are therapies offered at most drug rehab centers. These therapies are essential to avoiding a meth relapse.
5. Relapse prevention training can help you stay abstinent.
Meth’s damaging effects on brain cell structures can put those in recovery at risk for relapse indefinitely. Relapsing after a period of abstinence can bring on severe meth withdrawal symptoms and may lead to death. Ongoing relapse prevention training is a necessary part in helping addicts take control of their addiction.
Getting Supportive Measures at Meth Detox Centers
After a day or two of detox, meth withdrawal symptoms can quickly drive even the most determined person back to using again without the necessary supports in place.
Meth withdrawal symptoms can be highly unsettling compared to withdrawal symptoms produced by other substances. Supportive measures can offer relief for physical and psychological symptoms.
Detox centers offer services that can help people safely recover from meth dependence. Medications and alternative therapies can help prevent discomfort during meth withdrawal. Inpatient detox facilities also provide 24-hour oversite and a controlled environment for recovery. These facilities help ensure patients can transition into a rehab center to follow up a detox treatment.
Treatment center programs employ a range of methods designed to motivate addicts throughout the recovery process. By combining therapy with ongoing guidance, treatment centers give the best chance at beating a meth addiction.
What Medications Are Used During Medical Meth Detox?
Medication may be used during meth detox to treat certain withdrawal symptoms. Psychological meth withdrawal symptoms often pose the biggest challenge for recovering addicts.
Medications commonly used in meth detox include:
- Antidepressants
- Anti-anxiety meds
- Sedatives
- Antipsychotics
- Over-the-counter pain meds
Over-the-counter pain medications may be used to relieve symptoms of aches, pains, and fatigue.
When Should I Seek Medical Help for Meth Withdrawal?
If you experience an unplanned withdrawal, or try to withdraw from meth at home, you may require help from a hospital. Hallucinations, seizures, or suicidal thoughts due to withdrawal require medical intervention. Hospitals can use medications to minimize dangerous meth withdrawal symptoms. Staff will also ensure you receive professional detox or rehab treatment after you become stable.
Post Meth Withdrawal Support Groups
Support groups like Crystal Meth Anonymous can help patients recover from methamphetamine addiction. Twelve-step programs like these can be especially helpful in giving members the strength to stay on the right track. Support groups also help people foster friendships and positive relationships that can strengthen recovery and resolve.
How To Find the Right Meth Treatment Program
Finding the right treatment program is integral to experiencing a safe recovery from meth addiction. Each treatment program is different from the next, but knowing your options can help you make an informed decision. Most treatment programs include:
- Detox
- Medication
- Symptom management
- Individual counseling
- Group counseling
Some rehabs include more than this including things like:
- Swimming
- Exercise
- Dietary advice
- Holistic medicine
- Massage
- Alternative therapies
The extreme drug cravings brought on by meth addiction makes it near impossible for addicts to recover on their own. Treatment centers create a structured environment where recovering addicts can devote their energy to working through underlying causes of addiction.
Talk to a rehab counselor before deciding on a particular rehab. Learn more about the services offered and how they can help you or a loved one recover from meth addiction.