Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment

The use of crystal meth has steadily increased in our society. Meth is a dangerous drug that can destroy your life, as well as the lives of those around you. The drug has become readily available, inexpensive, and is highly addictive. Crystal meth addiction treatment can be a long and tedious process. Silver Linings Recovery Center can assist in making this a successful recovery with lasting results.

Silver Linings Recovery Center is ready to help you start the detoxification and recovery process from your addiction to crystal meth. We are here to provide you with a treatment plan that meets your individual needs. Our focus and goal are to educate you and your family so that your path to rehabilitation is not only successful but also long-term.

Our addiction specialists at Silver Linings Recovery Center will work with you to find the right combination of treatments. Treatment includes both a traditional approach, as well as holistic. The environment at Silver Linings focuses on you and each step of your recovery process. We provide you with the necessary life skills to overcome your addiction and remain sober.

Why Is Crystal Meth So Addictive?

Crystal meth is a synthetic psychostimulant drug that causes the brain to go into overdrive and also affects the central nervous system. Meth causes the brain to produce dopamine, which produces a high and a “rush” of euphoric feelings. This rush causes you to feel powerful and full of energy. This energy can cause you to stay awake for multiple days in a row, giving you a false sense that you are being very productive in your everyday life.

Since the rush of crystal meth is so powerful and seems so fulfilling, the need to continue taking the drug intensifies. The urge to find the longer-lasting high and the bigger rush becomes the focus for the user. Thus, the addiction to crystal meth begins. 

Crystal meth is a popular drug because it is relatively inexpensive to purchase. According to statistics, in 2017 there were 964,000 people ages 12 and older who had a methamphetamine use disorder. This number increased significantly in the course of just one year. In 2016 there were 684,000 people who had a methamphetamine use disorder.

The History of the Use of Meth

Methamphetamine has a long-standing history. Amphetamine was manufactured in Germany in 1887. Crystal meth was first produced in Japan in 1919. The Science History Institute reports that meth tablets were prescribed to German soldiers during World War II to allow them the ability to fight day and night without stopping.

Originally meth was prescribed in the United States as a decongestant and to aid in weight-loss. It was also given to soldiers during the Vietnam War in pill form where it earned the nickname the “pep pill”. The use and distribution of meth were highly abused. This caused the FDA to deem it a Schedule II controlled substance in 1970. 

Methamphetamine in its pure form is called Desoxyn and is rarely prescribed in the United States today. The FDA also highly restricts amphetamine. Amphetamine is now only used to treat conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.

What are the Different Types of Meth?

The methamphetamine sold on the streets today comes in the form of powder or crystals. The powder form of meth can be dissolved in liquid and injected with a needle, smoked, or snorted. Crystal meth is smoked in a glass pipe. There are many nicknames for the drug. They include:

• Crystal
• Glass
• Zoom
• Crank
• Ice

When the FDA deemed meth a Schedule II controlled substance, illegal drug dealers discovered that they could “cook” their own methamphetamine by using a combination of legal, easily obtainable household items such as:

• Lithium from car batteries
• Drain cleaner
• Brake fluid
• Antifreeze
• Fertilizers

The process of creating meth is dangerous and creates a very toxic environment. The combustible nature of the chemicals used to create the drug can cause a fire or explosion. The gases released during the production of meth are also deadly.

What Are the Signs of Meth Use?

Crystal methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that can destroy your life and the lives of those around you. Crystal meth has an effect on your mental, physical, social and behavioral well being. Once the addiction to crystal meth takes a stronghold on your life this becomes your main focus.

There are many indicators that someone may be addicted to crystal meth. These signs include unpredictable and unexpected mood swings, and a lack of responsibility for family, work, or school obligations. Financial problems may become evident, and unemployment and homelessness may also occur as a result.

The use of crystal meth creates a mind-set that you are unstoppable and almost superhuman. Inhibitions no longer exist and this creates a mental instability that may lead to a suicide attempt. Some of the physical signs that someone is using crystal meth include hair loss, weight loss, tremors or convulsions, nervous actions (twitching, picking at the skin), dilated pupils.

The crash that occurs once the high of crystal meth wears off can be extreme. The body no longer has dopamine rushing through it so lethargy and nausea set in. Because of these negative reactions, the cycle of meth use starts again. As the cycle repeats, the tolerance level to the drug decreases, and the amount of crystal meth consumed increases. 

Silver Linings is available to help you or your loved one. Our staff has highly qualified interventionists who can provide guidance and start you on a path that includes advice on intervention strategies. We understand that this is the major first step of many that will move you forward towards a drug-free life.

The Short and Long-Term Side Effects of Meth

Recent statistics report that the average age of new methamphetamine users in 2016 was 23.3 years old. The short and long-term side effects of using crystal meth are many.  The short-term effects of using crystal meth include:

• Lack of appetite
• Increased energy
• Increased heartbeat
• High body temperature
• Increased aggressive behavior

The long-term effects of using crystal meth include:

• Anxiety
• Skin lesions
• Weakened heart
• Extreme weight loss
• “Meth mouth” (rotting teeth and gums)

What Are the Symptoms of Meth Withdrawal?

With every high induced by crystal meth use, there also comes a crash. The withdrawal symptoms from meth can be severe and are not something that should be faced alone. Our detox program at Silver Linings includes care that works to meet your specific needs. We provide 24-hour supervision in a living arrangement and facility that is safe and drug-free and monitored by a staff of medical personnel.

The withdrawal symptoms will vary depending on how long you have been addicted to crystal meth. The longer the addiction, the tougher the withdrawal. There is no medication that can be administered to treat crystal meth addiction. The symptoms can be managed with medication, however.

Symptoms of withdrawal from meth may include depression, fatigue, and tremors. Insomnia and intense cravings are also factors that play a part in withdrawal. A treatment plan for addiction to crystal meth can not be put in place until the cravings lessen.

Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment Options For You

Statistics show that the cost of methamphetamine drug treatment programs each year is $550 million. The treatment options offered at Silver Linings Recovery Center for crystal meth addiction are divided into four stages:

• Assessment
• Detoxification
• Rehabilitation
• Aftercare

Our facility, located in Pennsylvania, is available to accommodate your need and desire to become sober. During the assessment stage, we will evaluate your situation and begin to formulate your treatment plan. The detoxification stage of your crystal meth addiction treatment will rid your body of the methamphetamine.

The rehabilitation stage will move you forward and into counseling. This will determine the underlying reasons for your addiction to crystal meth. The therapy sessions you attend will be structured to help you overcome your addiction to crystal meth. And in order for your rehabilitation to be successful and long-term, aftercare is very important. Aftercare will provide you with the tools you need to maintain your sobriety and live a drug-free life.

A commitment from Silver Linings Recovery Center includes assisting you with overcoming your addiction to crystal meth. Our rehab center will create an addiction treatment program fully customized to meet your specific needs. Contact us and get more information about our addiction treatment facility and find out how we can help you become free of your addiction to crystal meth!