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If you or someone you care about has a problem with methamphetamine, you’re far from alone. Almost 3 million people in the U.S. aged 12 or older in 2021 reported using meth in the past year. Of these, 1.6 million claimed they had a methamphetamine use disorder. Fortunately, meth addiction treatment is available and helps thousands of people to pursue healthy and happy lives each year in recovery.
What Is Meth?
Meth is a stimulant drug that significantly speeds up the central nervous system. People use meth for enhanced energy and intense feelings of euphoria. Meth is commonly called crystal meth, glass, or crank and takes a white, powdery form. The powder itself is odorless and dissolves in alcohol or water. It can also be smoked, injected, or snorted through the nose.
Meth is manufactured in makeshift homemade meth labs with household products, such as drain cleaner, antifreeze, and cold medicine. It is also manufactured on a larger scale in meth labs found in Mexico, where most of the U.S.’s supply of meth comes from.[2]
Effects of Methamphetamine
Meth euphoria is short-lived, quickly followed by a “crash” that can be debilitating and risky for a person’s health. Short-term side effects may include [3]:
- Headaches
- Vomiting and nausea
- Dizziness
- Profuse sweating
- Memory recall and speaking issues
- Passing out, potentially remaining unconscious for hours
The depressed mood meth users have when coming down from meth abuse makes a person feel so sick they isolate themselves at home. Maintaining employment and enjoying healthy relationships becomes impossible in this fragile state, mainly when the individual is likely to seek out meth again without substance abuse treatment.
People addicted to meth are at risk for long-term damage to their health. Permanent organ damage, dental problems (“meth mouth”), and cognitive decline are a few long-term effects of crystal meth abuse.
As is the case for all I.V. drug abuse, needle use is also a risk factor, as people are more likely to get HIV, hepatitis, or other blood-borne diseases from sharing needles. People with long-term meth addiction are also prone to skin wounds from intravenous drug use and compulsive skin-picking behavior.
Despite these unpleasant effects, meth is so addictive that quitting is strenuous. Addiction treatment is almost always a necessity. Thankfully, there are options for meth addiction treatment that can make the seemingly impossible possible.
Signs You Need Meth Addiction Treatment
When using screening tools to assess whether a person needs addiction treatment, drug assessment specialists use set criteria to determine if an addiction requires intervention. Someone dependent on methamphetamines may exhibit the following signs of addiction:
- Being unable to stop or cut back on meth use despite trying repeatedly.
- Neglecting obligations at home, work, and school because of meth use.
- Experiencing intense cravings for crystal meth.
- Losing touch with interpersonal relationships that don’t involve meth because of preoccupation with getting and using the drug.
- Experiencing significant health problems from meth use but continuing to use it.
- Building an increasing tolerance for meth–in other words, requiring more of it to produce the same effects.
- Feeling noticeable, often debilitating, meth withdrawal symptoms when cutting back or trying to stop meth use.
NuLife Behavioral Health Meth Addiction Treatment
Treatment approaches will differ depending on the needs of each individual seeking help. The severity of the meth abuse and how long a person has been addicted to it are two primary factors determining how to proceed with treatment for methamphetamine addiction. Additionally, if a person has been through treatment programs before, this may influence how they address the addiction at a later time.
Levels of Care
Our treatment center at NuLife Behavioral Health Massachusetts provides several effective levels of care for treating methamphetamine addiction. An intake coordinator will help you or your loved one determine the appropriate care level when screening for addiction treatment.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Partial hospitalization programs are intensive treatment approaches and are similar to rehab. Unlike residential rehab, PHP patients go home each evening. This program is ideal for people who don’t require full-time residential care but still need more intensive help than traditional outpatient services. PHPs provide a balance of structured behavioral therapy and the opportunity to make connections and build resilience and coping skills when faced with relapse triggers.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
IOP provides the freedom to continue to live at home while pursuing addiction recovery. IOPs are another approach to addiction recovery and often serve as a stepping stone between residential or PHP treatment and outpatient treatment options. IOPs meet multiple times weekly for 2-3 hours to provide ample support for participants while allowing participants to continue their jobs and home lives outside the program.
IOPs promote the use of healthy coping mechanisms and relapse prevention, as well as counseling services to address underlying psychological issues.
NuLife Behavioral Health’s Outpatient Program Worcester and Framingham, Massachusetts
Outpatient programs are less intensive than PHP and IOPs but continue to work with clients to integrate what they have learned into their everyday routines and lives. The program allows clients to continue regular treatment with a more flexible schedule and the ability to check in with updates on progress and the effectiveness of their new skills in all settings.
Outpatient addiction programming focuses on helping clients identify addiction relapse triggers. Recovering meth users will also engage in therapeutic services to build coping skills and address underlying mental health issues contributing to addiction.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment at NuLife Massachusetts
NuLife Behavioral Health’s treatment facility in Worcester, MA, offers specialized care for those with co-occurring addiction and mental health conditions. This condition, called dual diagnosis, requires treatment programs like NuLife that specialize in this type of care.
Treating addiction and mental illnesses together is effective for lasting recovery. Many people who use meth have an underlying mental illness, like anxiety, PTSD, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and depression. Extreme mental health symptoms, like hallucinations and delusions, can intensify drug-seeking behavior, potentially leading to an overdose.
It’s critical to address underlying mental health disorders, which can help people make sense of the root of their addiction. By treating the “whole person,” dual diagnosis treatment allows providers to get a better picture of individual needs and seek lasting healing.
Getting Help for Meth Addiction
At NuLife Behavioral Health Massachusetts, multiple levels of care provide flexibility for people seeking meth addiction treatment. In situations where the intensity of residential treatment isn’t warranted or a full-time commitment isn’t feasible, several levels of outpatient care create options for methamphetamine addiction treatment.
Clients attending NuLife Behavioral Health Massachusetts can continue working and living at home while pursuing recovery from meth addiction. Additionally, they can focus on using the coping skills they’ve learned during treatment in everyday settings.
If you or a loved one is ready to take steps toward recovery from methamphetamine addiction, contact us at NuLife Behavioral Health Massachusetts now. We can help you receive the necessary care and build a healthy foundation for lasting recovery.
NuLife Behavioral Health Massachusetts Can Help You Heal
If you’re struggling with amphetamine addiction and aren’t sure where to turn, know that help is close by. NuLife Behavioral Health Massachusetts offers a number of outpatient services like an IOP and a 12-step program. For serious addictions, we can refer you to a residential or inpatient program near you.
There’s no need to go through the battle with a substance use disorder alone. Our team understands what you are going through. Going through a treatment program gives you the skills you need to live your life drug-free and create the support network that will help you with a successful lifelong recovery.
Give our team a call today at 888.568.2057, and we will be happy to walk you through the treatment options.
