Meth Recovery Process

The first effects can wear off within six hours, but they can sometimes be felt for up to 24 hours. Cravings set in almost immediately after the effects wear off, and the first rush is fleeting. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

• These can help you to understand your meth addiction, develop healthy coping skills, and build a support system.
• After taking this dosage for a year, I titrated down to 50mg for a month.
• After detox, there are other addiction treatment options available such as residential (rehab) treatment and outpatient treatment.
• Once the meth has fully worked its way out of the body, users may also experience what’s known as a “crash” as levels of dopamine in the brain drop.
• If you or a loved one are addicted to meth, it’s important to seek treatment immediately.
• After some time, a patient’s body will stabilize, and they can move on to the next stage of rehabilitation.

Immediately after smoking or injecting meth, there is a sensation of extreme pleasure or “rush” that can last up to 20 minutes. This rush leads to feelings of being powerful, clever, smart, and funny. Meth creates more dopamine (a type of neurotransmitter or chemical messenger) sober house in your brain. Dopamine is involved in helping us feel pleasure as part of the brain’s reward system. A high from meth can be very long-lasting compared to other stimulants. This rush is followed by a longer-lasting high that can persist for up to 16 hours.

The Meth Comedown

Knowing that these feelings will subside can help people avoid giving in to urges. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, studies have shown that chronic meth use alters the part of the brain that controls emotions and memory. The symptoms and duration of withdrawal are different for each individual but are generally more severe in line with frequency and quantity of use. Join the thousands of people that have called a treatment provider for rehab information. Addiction treatment is covered by most insurance plans due to federal mandates.8 Admissions navigators at Oxford Treatment Center can help verify your insurance benefits before you start treatment.

• CBT shows people the close connection between thought and behavior and teaches them healthy thought patterns that can change how they act and react.
• This crawling feeling is due to an increased body temperature, leading to sweating and oily skin, combined with the fact that the body is dehydrated.
• Another thing to consider is the support system you have at home.

This means that people in recovery from meth addiction may have problems learning and controlling impulses. They may have problems in school, at work or within the family. It takes time and commitment to overcome lingering problems caused by meth abuse. During this stage of meth recovery, individuals are particularly vulnerable to relapse. They also find little pleasure in life and experience low energy, difficulty concentrating, irritability and insomnia. If a person is physically dependent on meth, he or she will experience what’s known as a “meth comedown” once the drug’s effects start to wear off.

On-going Treatment

However, once a drug has taken control over your life, significant, scary changes are the only viable option if you want to get it back. And when you get back, things may never be the same, mostly for the better, but even that can feel like a scary proposition sometimes. By the 1950s, amphetamine, marketed as Benzedrine, was widely used to treat asthma, hayfever and colds.

Recovering from substance abuse, many recreational users experience what is known as a “crash” period following the detox, which may last a few days and is commonly accompanied by depression and anxiety. This “crash” phase is shortly succeeded by the withdrawal period, which may last several weeks or more. For a fuller view of symptoms of withdrawal from meth, see here. It is important for individuals struggling with meth addiction to seek professional help from an addiction specialist or treatment center. Treatment can help a person better understand the underlying causes of their addiction and develop skills to maintain sobriety in the long-term.

Physical Factors:

There are many physical side effects of long-term meth abuse, such as tooth decay or “meth mouth,” body sores, weight loss, hair loss and outward signs of aging as the drug destroys tissues and blood vessels. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), psychosis can last for several months or years after the individual quits using. For many crystal meth users, withdrawal is just the first step in the recovery process. To learn more about ongoing treatment for crystal meth addiction or discover what steps you can take to begin the recovery process for either yourself or a loved one, contact Nexus today. Our trusted recovery advisors are here to answer your questions so you or a loved one can start living a life of long-term sobriety. Finally, after a month without crystal meth use, the fourth phase in the crystal meth detox timeline will be reached.

She is a master’s level Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and graduated from Liberty University in 2011. She has worked in the behavioral and mental health field for over 12 years and has a passion for helping others. She has been clinical director and CEO of a 200 plus bed facility, PHP, and IOP, with experience managing a team of counselors, individual/group/and family therapy, and coordinating continuum of care. Cristal is trained in EMDR and certified in non-violent intervention. She is a member of American Counseling Association and American Association of Christian Counselors.

Recovering From Meth Addiction:  Factors That Impact the Recovery Process

With amphetamine placed under federal control, illegal drug suppliers found that ephedrine, used in over-the-counter cold medicine, produces methamphetamine, according to Frontline. It didn’t take long for crystal meth to become “discovered” in the 1980s. According to the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, the substance is often made in illegal makeshift meth labs within homes, cabins, cars, shacks, motels, etc.

• So, it is essential to have a support team and detox plan even a month out from the last use of the drug.
• A second consequence of addiction is that when the high is over, the user feels a corresponding low or depression as a result of a depleted supply of dopamine.
• The worst withdrawal symptoms tend to appear within three to ten days of the recovery process, with the worst of the physical symptoms tending to dissipate in the third week of withdrawal.
• Rehab will show you a number of ways to alleviate or safely deal with these issues without using drugs.
• Ultimately, the decision of whether to pursue a residential program or outpatient treatment should be made with the help of a qualified addiction specialist.

Crystal meth isn’t so much a drug as it is a disease, making it difficult for those who use the substance to recover from its effects. The meth recovery process can be long and complex, but users can get their life back if they put in the effort. Follow these steps to avoid relapse and get your life back on track.