Personal physiology and environment are also important factors for meth withdrawal. People with substance use disorder (or family history) are likely to experience more challenges in withdrawing from methamphetamine. Attempting to quit alone or within an environment with addictive triggers can also make the process more challenging. For many, it is physiological symptoms — anhedonia and the resultant depression — that cause relapse as they seek relief from the emotional distress. The psychological dependence resulting from prolonged meth use is powerful, so the person in withdrawal will often experience an intense craving for the drug.

Similarly, when you’re regularly telling other people how to stay sober, it’s a good incentive to do the same things you’re telling them to do. Another reason why it’s good to use moving as a last and final step is because people too often believe that changing locations is enough to change their behavior — this is far from the truth. Remember, you’re not just paying for https://www.excel-medical.com/5-tips-to-consider-when-choosing-a-sober-living-house/ the drugs — you’re paying for the secondary costs of drug use, such as fines, court costs, medical expenses, or damaged/destroyed property, just to name a few. Meth remains present in urine for anywhere from four days to a week after use and in the blood for up to 24 to 48 hours afterwards. Methamphetamine can be found in the hair for up to 90 days or longer after use.

On-going Treatment

Behavioral therapies have proven effective in treating meth addiction and can help you live a substance-free life. Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as meth, speed, or crack, is a powerful stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. While some drugs slow down the body, meth speeds it up by triggering a burst of energy and an intense rush of euphoria. It also boosts alertness, reduces appetite, increases activity and talkativeness, and offers a general sense of happiness and well-being. Sure, rehab may have a higher up-front cost than a baggie of meth, but over time, three months of rehab will be far cheaper than a lifetime of drug use. Rehab is a place where people learn healthy ways to cope with life’s difficulties.

• Read on to learn more about meth, how meth is used, the short- and long-term effects of meth, the process of recovery from meth, and meth addiction treatment at Shadow Mountain Recovery.
• If you or a loved one are struggling with meth addiction, it’s important to get professional help as soon as possible.
• When high levels of dopamine are released in the body, it can cause feelings of euphoria or bliss.
• However, that illusion is just one of the drug’s many effects, and the reality is that people using meth can rarely perform basic responsibilities.

When the detox process is almost complete, doctors will begin to discuss next steps with their patient. Detox is only the first step in Meth addiction treatment, and physicians recommend that patients continue their recovery in a rehab facility. If the detox is already taking place in a treatment facility, medical staff will help patients transition into the next stage and stay on track toward sobriety.

Find Help and Healing at San Antonio Recovery Center

Meth use causes physical changes, the most notable of which are extreme weight loss, skin ulcerations, and a condition known as meth mouth. Meth mouth is such a classic sign of crystal meth abuse, even those who aren’t familiar with the underground world of drug use can spot it. The cause is thought to be a combination of poor hygiene, nutritional deficiencies, and the tendency that habitual users have of grinding their teeth. The symptoms of meth mouth include bleeding gums, rotted teeth, dry mouth, bad breath, and tooth loss. Meth withdrawal might be painful, but the recovery journey can be made safe, welcoming, and comfortable with professional care and treatment. At San Antonio Recovery Center, we prioritize the client’s physical and emotional well-being, providing them with intensive care, medical attention, and quality support at every step.

While in rehab, our therapists use evidence-based treatment approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In over a month, most of the extreme meth withdrawal symptoms will typically subside. Some other symptoms may begin to reduce in severity and fade with time as well. However, anxiety and depression are two psychological symptoms that may stick around for several more months. The powerful physical dependence caused by meth makes the drug one of the hardest substances to quit. Fortunately, with help, recovery from meth addiction is possible.

Do I Need Medical Detox from Meth?

For instance, long-term meth users may begin to experience hallucinations due to changes in their brain chemistry. A common hallucination reported by crystal users is the sensation of bugs crawling under the skin (also known as “meth mites”), which cause the user to scratch and pick at their skin. A crystal meth user presenting with blackened, rotting, broken, or missing teeth and gum disease would be described as having “meth mouth”. Crystal meth is a form of methamphetamine, which as was mentioned previously, is a stimulant drug that acts on the body’s central nervous system. Many crystal meth users ingest the drug by melting down the crystalline substance and smoking it out of a glass pipe. Some users, however, may snort, swallow, or inject the drug directly into their veins.

Controlling the nausea that comes in the first forty-eight hours requires hydration. Individuals may need to get plenty of water to reduce the risk of more severe nausea. It’s also imperative to focus on resting during the first two days.

What Types of Meth Treatments Are Available?

Because the risk of relapse never fully ends, addiction recovery is a lifelong process. That’s why we at Footprints to Recovery have quality aftercare programs to support you after you leave any of our addiction treatment programs. It becomes almost impossible to feel pleasure or enjoyment from normal activities because you’re dependent on meth for good feelings. Meth users often find themselves incapable of feeling happy—known as anhedonia—and face long-term depression.

Therefore, the strongest sign you are addicted to methamphetamine and need treatment is feeling you need meth to be happy. Quetiapine, a type of antipsychotic medicine, can be taken as part of treatment for meth addiction. Research findings suggest that quetiapine can reverse memory impairment (forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty concentrating) caused by meth. We will first discuss the withdrawal symptoms that happen when meth is reduced or stopped as well as the time period in which these withdrawal symptoms happen.