I. How to Beat Your Meth Addiction by Coping with Cravings Cravings are the bane of every addict’s existence. They attempt to undermine every attempt at maintain sobriety and—unlike other aspects of addiction—don’t cease because of meth addiction treatment. No, they persist. Dealing with them proactively and understanding where they fit into your recovery can help you to cope with them and continue a meth-free life. Cravings Are Normal The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines cravings as “a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.” It’s literally a brain disease because it changes the way that the brain functions. Using meth makes the brain and body compensate in order to continue functioning with meth in your system. It incorporates meth into the daily process of living and its components come to depend upon the meth. That is why chronic addicts only feel “normal” when they are using. If you were to remove any other vital component from your body, the remaining parts of it would ache with cravings. Just try cutting a vitamin or mineral out of your diet completely and watch the results. Cravings are a natural part of meth addiction. Avoid Triggers Researchers believe that meth addicts may have conditioned responses to cues associated with their drug use. These may be connected to relapse. When an addict encounters people they used to use with or places they used, their body is triggered to use again. Avoid these cues and you can limit the cravings that they cause. Rely on Support Systems You don’t have to deal with cravings alone. Remember that you had help during meth addiction treatment and you should continue that pattern. Reach out to people in your life when the cravings hit hard. Get Used to Riding Them Out You know that the cravings end and that you can’t ignore them. So, don’t. Get used to their pattern and remember that it will subside. II. Meth Addiction Treatment Might Be Undermined by Fear It isn’t surprising that many addicts experience high levels of fear because people in general are plagued by the emotion, particularly during periods of change. But, meth addicts need to move past the fear. Addicts Have Fear on the Brain Brain imaging scans reveal both drug seeking and fear share the same space of the brain. Both are also conditioned responses (those that are created in response to a stimulus). These responses can lead to anxiety and addiction. Scientists suggest treatment directed at this area of the brain might alleviate both sets of behavior. Further, meth use greatly alters the brain and this area of the brain may be amplified by meth use. Therefore, people who use meth may experience both powerful addiction and powerful fear. Anxiety and Addiction When a person has one or more conditions that need to be treated in addiction to addiction, those are called comorbid or co-occurring conditions. Often, people who have addiction also have anxiety as a co-occurring condition. In fact, anxiety is a long-term effect of meth use. Pathological anxiety amounts to a sum greater than fear alone, but that is part of it. Both of these conditions will need to be treated in meth addiction treatment in order to free patients from overwhelming fear. Fear Can Hurt Recovery When addicts get scared, they need to focus on all of the achievements they have made. Every step of recovery feels a little scary at first, but that can’t stop an addict. When they get past the fear and make progress they need to remember the success and not the trepidation. They can’t get scared about what the future holds because that prevents them from making plans and that increases fear. Fear leaves people treading water in their own lives when they need to be swimming. Meth addiction treatment halts when fear takes over and addicts can’t let that happen. III. The Stages of Meth Addiction Treatment Meth use isn’t as common as that of marijuana or opiates, but it can be devastating and destructive. Millions of lives are jeopardized every day by the use of methamphetamine. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports .4 percent of the populations (roughly 1.2 million people reported using meth at some point in the previous year, and .2 percent (roughly 440,000) had done so in the previous month. Although the number of users is on the decline, meth use remains one of the most dangerous drug addictions. When meth addicts consider breaking the cycle of addiction by entering meth addiction treatment, they may be nervous about what will follow. The following overview should provide some clarity. Evaluation In order to design a treatment plan to guide the rehab experience, the meth addiction treatment staff will need to ask a lot of questions. The screening will include an “assessment of the patient’s medical and psychological conditions and social situation to help determine the appropriate level of treatment.” Because this paperwork guides all that follows, it is vital that patients be completely forth coming and answer as honestly as possible. The clinician doing the assessment won’t pass judgement. Detox The meth will need to be removed from the addict’s system and this is via a process know as detox. It’s a tough stage because this is the period where withdrawals kick in, and they can be rough. These symptoms will be treated by the staff of the meth addiction treatment center. Learning to Cope After detox is completed, addicts get to the meat of the rehab experience. This can include family, group and individual therapy, as well as support groups. Meth users often show positive results with “talk therapy.” Follow-Up This is the period where the addict transitions back into daily life. However, the meth addiction treatment program should provide connections to resources that will help the addict manage finances, obtain housing, further education, and find employment. A counselor will help the recovering addict to prepare a complete relapse prevention plan as well. |