Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation

Drug addiction is a mental disease that alters the structure of the brain and makes it dependent on the drug to function. Meth is one of the most addictive substances available. Due to its easy availability and cheaper rates, it has become a popular street drug in United States. Despite the dangerous associated with its use, it continues to be a popular drug among users. The effects produced by it are similar to cocaine but it is cheaper than cocaine. Meth is consumed in a number of ways such as smoking, snorting and injecting it. The continued use of the drug results into serious addictions and it takes a proper treatment plan to recover from it. So, recovery is possible. If you or a loved one is suffering from meth addiction, make sure to opt for the treatment needed. It is never too late or too early to seek treatment for drug addiction.

Table of Contents:

Meth Addiction Treatment Plan:

Seeking professional help can enable an addict to start over and return back to a normal and happy life. The process of recovery starts from detoxification. After that, Partial hospitalization and outpatient treatment help the patient start over. Aftercare is also an important aspect of treatment.

Seeking Therapy and Counseling:

Therapies can be immensely helpful throughout the course of recovery. From helping an addict talk to a loved one about addiction to helping the patient resist cravings, the importance of therapy cannot be denied. Therapy also helps the addicts to stay determined and strong throughout the process of treatment. A number of behavioral therapies can be used for meth addicts to ease the process of rehabilitation. These include:

Addressing Co-occurring Conditions:

People who are emotionally and psychologically vulnerable are more likely to become addicts. The drug addiction is often a consequence of a psychological conditions such as depression, heart break etc. When a mental illness is also diagnosed with meth addiction, the condition is referred to as double diagnosis. Both the conditions need to be treated simultaneously. So it is important to evaluate the mental and physical health of an addict before the proper treatment is started.

Co-occurring disorders can be extremely damaging since they both act to make the other condition even worse. For example the induction of depression due to meth use can lead the patient to use antidepressants. The use of antidepressants can diminish the effect of drug forcing the addict to take more drug hence both the conditions feed on each other. It is very difficult to get rid of one condition without treating the other one. The conditions that can co occur with drug addiction include:

So, mental health is very important when it comes to treating meth addiction. It also greatly reduces the chance for relapse.

Use of Medications to Facilitate Treatment:

Currently, there are no specified medications approved by FDA to be used for the treatment of meth addiction. Only a number of OTC drugs can be utilized to manage withdrawal symptoms and ease the pain of the patient.

For example:

Aftercare Programs:

Aftercare programs are designed for the patients who have completed the treatment process successfully. Aftercare treatment options include self help groups, treatment groups etc where a number of patients come together to discuss their problems, struggles, success stories, anything! It can be immensely encouraging to see other people winning the same battle and maintaining the victory. Stressful situations are the biggest trigger for a recovered addict to go back to drug usage. In these times of distress, aftercare programs can be of great help to keep the patient from relapsing. The chances of relapsing never completely go away; they can only be reduced by taking such measures.