If you or someone you love is acting uncharacteristically violent when using meth, it may be time to seek help for meth addiction. Meth addiction produces many physical and psychological symptoms and side effects. Here’s what to look for if you think you or a loved one might be suffering from meth addiction. But drug overdoses — including those caused by meth — continue to be a major public health concern, as there were more than 64,000 drug overdose deaths across the U.S. in 2016. The drug changes how the brain works, making it nearly impossible for people who are addicted to stop using meth without medical intervention.
Withdrawal symptoms
In group settings, people can share their experiences with others who understand what they are going through. Group therapy provides a sense of community and support, which is important for recovery. Hearing others’ stories can help reduce feelings of isolation and shame. Meth is a powerful drug that increases energy, heart rate, and alertness.
Meth Overdose Deaths in the U.S.
For individuals using methamphetamine regularly, the drug can cause intense agitation, paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions. In some cases, meth-induced psychosis can persist even after the drug’s effects have worn off, continuing for days or even weeks. The severity of the psychosis can vary, but it often leads to dangerous behavior, erratic mood swings, and an overall breakdown of the individual’s mental state. Meth addiction is often treated using a medical or medically assisted detox combined with therapies that treat psychological symptoms of meth addiction. Those in recovery from meth addiction often suffer anxiety, depression, and drug cravings, and may tend to sleep a lot and binge-eat to cope with their symptoms. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) stands as a foundational element in addiction treatment, guiding individuals to recognize and reshape harmful thought patterns and behaviors linked to drug use.
Which Treatment Options are Available for Meth Addiction?
- Methamphetamines (more commonly known by their street name, “meth,” “crystal meth,” and “crank”) is a powerful and addictive stimulant that can be smoked, snorted, eaten, or injected.
- The impact of meth is observed progressively, starting with acute side effects and potentially leading to severe, chronic health consequences.
- Detoxification is a natural process by which the body rids itself of harmful substances.
- Meth is extremely addictive, and you may find yourself pulled toward using it more often once you feel the positive effects.
- Emphasize you care about them and want to offer support whenever they need it.
- The effects of meth are accompanied by side effects that can ruin a person’s life.
Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. Doing your own research can give you more insight on their experience. Addiction is a disease that changes the brain, so many people addicted to crystal meth may not be able to stop using it on their own. It never hurts to read up on crystal meth use and substance use disorder before talking to your loved one. Open sores that won’t go away or that become infected is a common sign of meth addiction, and may turn into lesions if not treated.
Drug rehab centers in WV include programs that help patients deal with both PTSD and meth addiction to break this cycle. These facilities offer the assistance and care required for long-term rehabilitation from addiction and trauma. People with PTSD struggle with feelings of fear, anxiety, and anger, and they may find it hard to cope with everyday life. In an attempt to manage these difficult emotions, some turn to meth.
- Meth-induced psychosis is a serious and often dangerous condition that can have lasting effects on an individual’s mental and physical health.
- Withdrawing from methamphetamine can be an incredibly challenging and personal experience.
- From physical deterioration to mental health issues, meth addiction damages lives.
- Currently, no drugs are available to fight the effects of methamphetamines or those caused by long-term abstinence.
- These hallucinations are sometimes called meth bugs, crank bugs or meth mites.
- Perhaps the most well-known side effect of the drug is “meth mouth.” Meth mouth involves severe tooth decay, tooth loss, tooth fracture, acid erosion and a number of other problems of the teeth and gums.
- Other reasons people abuse drugs include fitting in with peers and friends, escaping an unpleasant situation, relief from boredom, to rebel from authority, and to experiment.
- It’s a pill approved to treat ADHD, but doctors don’t prescribe it very often.
- Treatment programs in West Virginia provide special care to help people manage trauma and break free from addiction, offering the support needed for lasting recovery.
But what you’ll pay depends on where you get treatment, how long you stay, what services you need, and your health insurance coverage. Lionel is the Clinical Director of Cornerstone’s Scottsdale treatment facilities. Many users suffer from chronic mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and severe psychosis, which disrupt daily life. Most of the short-term side effects of meth use are mental ones, but there are a few physical side effects.
- The drug use pattern shifts from the occasional high to a repetitive, sleep-deprived “binge and crash” pattern.
- They may also discuss a person’s history of substance use with them.
- During detox, meth withdrawal symptoms are often uncomfortable experiences, and they are typically a significant reason people cannot quit meth on their own.
- Some of these effects will naturally subside on their own within a few hours while others could take days or more to go away even after the last dose of crystal meth was administered.
- Studies have found that CBT is effective at reducing meth use, even after only a few sessions.
This means that sleep patterns are returning to normal, as well as their mood. A person who misuses or abuses methamphetamine runs a high risk of addiction, overdose, or, in extreme cases, death. In this article we will explore the symptoms and causes of meth addiction, how doctors diagnose and treat it, and when to speak with a healthcare professional.
Signs & Symptoms of Meth Addiction
Due to the stimulant properties of meth, the person often exhibits hyperactivity, tremors, and excessive sweating. Long-term use results in serious health complications, including kidney failure, cardiovascular demise, and increased susceptibility to meth addiction infectious diseases. Rapid weight loss is another significant physiological manifestation, as methamphetamine suppresses appetite, leading to malnutrition and a frail physical appearance. Additionally, those who take meth via smoking experience chronic respiratory issues and frequent infections.