Meth Rehab Centers
Meth rehabilitation is a serious issue. In this page we will investigate symptoms, causes, effects, and treatment options for meth abuse . If you or someone you know has a meth problem, we urge you to seek out meth rehab centers in your area to find a rehabilitation center near you. Clinics, programs, and treatment options are readily available in your area.
Methamphetamine Addiction
Methamphetamine and crystal meth addiction is a serious problem throughout the United States and in other parts of the world because the drug is highly addictive. The withdrawal symptoms of meth addiction are also very severe. There are serious short and long term health dangers, damage, and risks associated with meth addiction. Relapse is a common occurrence with crystal meth addiction, and many patients go through extreme difficulties in overcoming their addiction. Approximately 10 million people in the United States have tried methamphetamine at least one time.
Crystal meth addiction can thankfully be treated successfully at meth rehab centers throughout the world. Patients can make a full recovery as long as the addiction is treated thoroughly. Meth addiction is often more successfully treated at meth rehab centers than through other methods. Meth rehab can offer a patient a safe way to detoxify and be treated in the long term away from the influences that may be contributing to the patient’s drug use.
Meth rehab centers with professional and trained staff are capable of treating a wide range of meth addiction cases. With relapse and other complications of meth treatment being a common occurrence, meth rehab centers are highly recommended. Meth rehab facilities allow both the patient and his or her family to go through the process of detoxification and meth addiction rehabilitation as comfortably and safely as possible.
Effects of Crystal Meth Addiction
There are several short and long term debilitating effects of crystal meth addiction. Methamphetamine can be taken orally, snorted, injected, or smoked. Immediately after smoking or snorting methamphetamine, the user feels a quick “rush” that lasts just a few minutes. Taking methamphetamine orally results in a user experiencing a similar euphoric high, but it does not occur as quickly. After the initial rush, users remain in a high state of agitation and wakefulness for several hours. For some individuals this may lead to violent behavior. The effect of methamphetamine can last from a just few hours to twenty hours or longer.
Physical and psychological side effects of methamphetamine in the short term are numerous and include: increased blood pressure, hypertension, chest pain, increased heart rate, insomnia, restlessness, flushing, dry mouth, headache, hypotension, constipation, blurred vision, dizziness, twitching, tremors, and heart arrhythmia. The most serious short term side effects include risk of heart attack, stroke, or death.
Psychological short term effects of methamphetamine include anxiety, euphoria, alertness, confidence, aggression, sociability, and feeling of power and invincibility. In some chronic meth users, methamphetamine psychosis has been reported. Side effects of methamphetamine withdrawal include increased appetite, cravings, excessive sleeping, and increased appetite.
An increased tolerance to methamphetamine which requires larger and larger doses for the drug to have an effect on the user is a common long term effect of crystal meth addiction. Chronic crystal meth addiction has serious psychological and physical effects on the body and brain. Psychological effects associated with long term methamphetamine use include paranoia, hallucinations, the feeling of “bugs crawling on the skin,” and in some cases of crystal meth addiction full psychosis occurs.
Physical Effects and Consequences of Meth Addiction
Along with the previously mentioned long term psychological effects of crystal meth addiction, there are a number of physical consequences of meth addiction as well. Some of the physical effects of crystal meth addiction include a number of cardiovascular problems such as increased blood pressure, brain damage if a stroke occurs, inflammation of the lining of the heart, damaged blood vessels in the skin, and abscesses at injection sites. Acute lead poisoning is another problem in cases of meth addiction because lead acetate is used as a reagent in several methamphetamine drug concoctions. Weight loss is another common symptom of crystal meth addiction.
Meth addiction is very difficult to break because of the nature of the drug. Methamphetamine can be compared to cocaine in terms of its effect on the human brain. Along with the numerous psychological effects of crystal meth addiction previously mentioned, methamphetamine has immediate physical effects on the brain.
The intake of methamphetamine causes an increase in the amount of the neurotransmitter dopamine, and studies appear to show that it is this excess amount of dopamine that causes users to experience the euphoria associated with the drug. However, unlike cocaine which has a shorter metabolism time, methamphetamine’s effects can last for a much longer period of time than cocaine.
Another health risk is “meth mouth” which is a term for a number of dental problems that result from chronic methamphetamine abuse such as the drying out of the salivary glands, the consumption of sugary drinks to counteract dry mouth, the shrinkage of the blood vessels of the gums, and cracked teeth that results from methamphetamine users clenching their teeth due to anxiety or nervousness.
Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment and Meth Rehab Centers
Crystal meth addiction is considered to be one of the most serious and fastest growing drug addictions in the United States. Meth addiction is very difficult not only for meth addicts but also for their families and friends. Meth addicts require intensive and specialized treatment to come off of their addictions and avoid relapse. Meth rehab centers specialize in the treatment of any type of meth addiction, and meth rehab is highly recommended by many medical doctors and treatment specialists to help ensure the greatest chance of success for recovery.
Meth addiction is treated through a number of methods including initial detoxification, cognitive behavioral therapy, 12-step programs, outpatient therapy and monitoring, group therapy, and family counseling when appropriate. Treatment in an inpatient meth rehab center typically involves several individual and small group sessions. These sessions follow the pre-treatment process which includes the detox process.
Detoxification from crystal meth involves monitoring, nourishment, and continual therapy and support from professional staff. Patients may experience intense psychological symptoms and may require anxiety medications or other medications to treat those symptoms. Other symptoms may include flu-like symptoms, fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and even severe psychotic reactions in some cases.
Meth rehab centers treat meth addicts with the utmost care and concern. Each individual is a unique case that must be handled differently, and meth rehab involves creating a customized treatment plan for each addict that will cater to his or her unique emotional and physical needs. The major advantage of meth rehab is that patients can be just a few seconds away from medical support and psychotherapy as they require.
Many centers may include familial support programs or other unique support programs. Family and friend involvement along with group support is important for recovery from meth addiction. Meth rehab centers include all of these types of support in some way to help increase the chance of treatment success.
