Meth, short for methamphetamine, is a very powerful and highly addictive stimulant, a drug that increases brain activity.
About 1.8 million people aged 12 or older have struggled with meth use disorder in the past year in the U.S., and over half face severe addiction.
Meth has a powerful grip, but it doesn’t have to take control of your life. Breaking free from meth is possible. Read on to understand meth addiction, how it develops, and how Recovery In Tune can support you on your path to freedom.
How Is Meth Addiction Defined?
Meth addiction is a stimulant use disorder that involves a pattern of meth use that leads to significant distress or impairment.
It causes you to suffer from medical, psychological, and social consequences, ranging from severe dental problems to violent behavior and psychotic symptoms like paranoia and hallucinations.
Fortunately, meth recovery is possible. At Recovery In Tune, we focus on helping people with meth addictions break their dependence on meth and recover from the effects of the drug.
Reasons People Develop Meth Addictions
Meth causes a quick “rush” for about 5 to 30 minutes, which is described to cause extreme pleasure. The drug also causes enhanced energy levels, decreased appetite, and euphoria for up to 12 hours.
Meth increases brain chemicals and blocks their reabsorption. The surge of dopamine, a key chemical involved in learning, motivation, and behavior, teaches the brain to seek meth to repeat the pleasurable experience.
Since the initial rush fades quickly, users often take more meth to maintain the high. However, repeated use builds tolerance, requiring higher doses, more frequent use, or different methods to achieve the same effect.
Over time, meth changes the brain’s structure, leading to meth withdrawal symptoms, including intense cravings for the drug.
Risk Factors for Meth Addiction
Certain factors that may increase the risk of meth use include:
- Psychiatric conditions, like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Certain personality traits, like impulsivity
- Childhood conduct disorder and adult antisocial personality disorder
Other factors that increase your likelihood of developing meth addiction:
- Being female
- Early drug use
- Having a family history of crime, drug and alcohol abuse
- Psychiatric treatment
- Psychological and emotional stress
- Curiosity and risk-taking behavior
- Peer influence
- Family problems, e.g., domestic violence, lack of attachment to parents
Which Groups of People Experience Meth Addiction?
Anyone can develop a meth addiction, but some people are more vulnerable than others.
Here are facts on meth use in the U.S. according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:
- Methamphetamine use: 2.6 million people used meth in 2023. Most users were adults (26 and older), with fewer young adults (18-25) and adolescents (12-17).
- Meth use among racial groups: Usage rates were highest among American Indian or Alaska Native people (4.3%) and lowest among Asian people (0.2%).
- Prescription stimulant misuse: 3.9 million people misused stimulants like methylphenidate and amphetamines last year. Young adults (18-25) had the highest misuse rates, followed by adults (26+) and adolescents. Prescription stimulant misuses is a known risk factor for meth abuse.
- Meth use disorder: 1.8 million people had a meth use disorder in the past year, with adults 26+ having the highest rates. Over half of these cases (56.3%) were classified as severe.
Warning Signs of a Meth Addiction
These are the symptoms and consequences you might see in a loved one abusing meth or crystal meth.
Physical Signs
As a stimulant, meth activates the body’s sympathetic nervous system, which controls the “fight or flight” response, putting the body into a heightened state of arousal.
This can lead to various physical signs, such as:
- Cardiovascular: Rapid (tachycardia) or irregular (arrhythmia) heart rate, heart attack, high blood pressure (hypertension)
- Elevated body temperature
- Shortness of breath
- Excessive sweating
- Increased attention and reduced fatigue
- Decreased appetite, often leading to weight loss and malnutrition
- Dilated pupils (mydriasis), or “meth eyes,” which can also cause blurry vision, headaches, and light sensitivity
- Dental problems or “meth mouth,” showing dental tooth decay and poor oral hygiene
- Skin sores called “speed bumps” caused by picking and scratching the skin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures and convulsions
Mental Signs
Meth affects your central nervous system. In particular, it causes intense changes in your brain chemistry, which disrupts various brain functions.
These, along with sleep deprivation common with methamphetamine abuse, lead to a range of mental problems:
- Paranoia
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Psychosis, including hallucinations and delusions (e.g., delusion that one is being bitten by bugs)
- Memory loss
- Confusion
- Insomnia
- Depression
Behavioral Signs
Meth use can lead to intense shifts in behavior, as the drug’s powerful effects on brain chemistry and mood regulation can drastically alter how a person interacts with others and responds to situations.
Common behavioral health effects of meth include:
- Violent behavior and aggression
- Mood swings
- Increased energy and focus
- Repetitive activities or “punding,” or the compulsive performance of repetitive tasks like assembling and sorting
- Isolation
- Impulsive and risky behaviors
What Happens if You Use Meth With Alcohol and Other Drugs?
It’s common for people who misuse meth to also consume alcohol to heighten its pleasurable effects. In fact, the rate of alcohol use disorder is 75% higher among those with meth use disorder.
However, combining meth or other stimulants with alcohol can impair memory and learning and may mask signs of alcohol intoxication, increasing the risk of alcohol toxicity as users consume more.
Using meth and alcohol together can elevate your risk of:
- Injury and violence
- Overdose
- Risky behaviors like sex without protection
- Chronic disease
- Alcohol or other addictive substances
- Contracting hepatitis, HIV/AIDS
Recovery In Tune recognizes that many people struggle with abuse of more than one drug. That’s why we offer co-occurring disorder treatment, to address all substance abuse and mental health issues at the same time.
Meth Addiction Treatment in Davie, Florida
Meth addiction may seem like a dead end, but it isn’t. Quitting meth is the best thing you can do for your own health and well-being and for those you love.
Like other addictions, meth addiction is a treatable disorder. Unlike opioids, there are currently no medications for meth. Despite this, behavioral therapy offers several treatment options that can help you stop using meth and other substances and reclaim your life.
At Recovery In Tune, we’re committed to supporting your journey with a personalized approach that meets your unique needs.
Here are the programs we offer to address meth addiction.
Withdrawal from meth can be intense, especially if you’ve developed severe dependence. Aside from the high chance of relapse, stopping meth use without help can lead to severe symptoms.
A medical detox program is a safe and effective treatment that helps remove meth from your body and treat the withdrawal symptoms as they come.
Recovery In Tune’s compassionate health care providers are ready to provide round-the-clock medical care. Not all South Florida detox centers offer medical detox. If you’re looking for this level of care, our treatment center is ready to help.
Outpatient treatment is crucial for those recovering from meth use, as it provides needed structure and support during the challenging transition back to daily life. Recovery In Tune meets you where you are.
You can enroll in our intensive outpatient (IOP) or partial hospitalization program (PHP) if you need the structure and support as you reintegrate yourself and get used to a drug-free lifestyle. Our treatment specialists can provide an evaluation to determine which level of care is right for you.
Meanwhile, our outpatient/aftercare treatment program, the lowest level of care we offer, helps maintain the progress you’ve achieved with us. This keeps you connected to treatment and gives you continuous support to ensure lasting sobriety.
Methamphetamine addiction often has co-occurring mental health conditions, like anxiety disorders, depression, mood disorders, and PTSD.
Recovery In Tune believes in addressing both, as untreated mental illness can complicate recovery and increase relapse risk.
Using evidence-based therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), our team provides a well-rounded approach to help you achieve lasting stability and resilience.
Now is the perfect time to begin to heal!
Find Help and Hope for Meth Addiction at Recovery In Tune
Meth abuse can severely impact your health and life, with intense physical and mental effects that make quitting challenging. But meth doesn’t have to control your life — help and hope are within reach.
At Recovery In Tune, you’ll find compassionate, expert care designed to support your journey to freedom. Contact Recovery In Tune today and take your first step toward lasting change.
Meth Addiction FAQs
Yes, full recovery from meth addiction is possible. However, it’s essential to understand that addiction impacts you physically, mentally, and biologically.
Access to the proper care and support, along with a commitment to change — including avoiding places and even people associated with meth use — is crucial for lasting recovery.
The overall timeline for overcoming meth addiction varies depending on factors like the severity of use, your overall health, and the presence of care and support systems.
Generally, early recovery from short-term side effects of meth withdrawal require intense support, but with ongoing treatment, you can make significant progress over weeks and months.
However, full recovery, involving mental, physical, and emotional healing, often continues over several months to a year or more.
Aside from being trapped in an endless cycle of addiction, leaving meth addiction untreated can cause significant long-term effects to your physical, social, and mental functioning.
A person abusing meth is at risk of early death from health problems, drug toxicity, or suicide. Untreated addiction also puts others at risk, as meth use is linked to a fivefold increase in crime rates.
The best way to help a loved one with meth addiction is to understand that they need professional help. Addiction is a disease, not a moral issue.
However, people facing this issue often won’t get help. By offering understanding support and helping them access treatment, you can help them reclaim their lives.
Sources
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