The 5 Stages of Meth Addiction Recovery
The stages of meth addiction recovery includes withdrawal, honeymoon, the wall, adjustment and resolution. With knowledge of effective tips, it is possible to beat crystal meth addiction. If you have ever wondered if there are tips to beating crystal meth addiction that will work for you, there surely are. However, you need to be disciplined and focused to follow them through.
Like any other addiction situation, you have to be brave in finding your way out of the fix. you found. Of course, you don’t need to do it alone. With a dependable support of friends, family and expert addiction treatment service in Vancouver, getting rid of addiction is possible.
Furthermore knowing what to expect from the different stages of meth addiction recovery can be a leg-up. Crystal meth is simply shorthand for crystal methamphetamine, a very addictive substance. As a result, it can be tough to stop using it without expert help. In this blog, we explore how meth addiction treatment works and the stage of the process.
The Basics of Crystal Meth and its Addiction
Before getting into the stages of meth addiction recovery, it is best to explore why it feels like you cannot do without the substance.
Taken in different ways, the presence of crystal meth in your body comes with a rush of “happiness” and “wellness”. You feel alive.
Sometimes, it’s almost like you can move mountains. And since the effects of the drug last for about 6 to 8 hours, you’d probably want to take it twice daily.
However, crystal meth abuse is dangerous to your health. Once you start taking the drug persistently, you lose your appetite. It doesn’t stop there. Although it acts as though it stimulates your body, addiction to meth causes damage. According to research and studies, crystal meth abuse leads to health conditions like brain damage, memory loss, psychotic behavior, and aggression in the user.
This is where the knowledge of how to stop crystal meth addiction is important. Furthermore, with the tips for heating crystal meth addiction on your side, you have an effective path to follow to sobriety.
What are the Symptoms of Crystal Meth Addiction?
The effect of crystal meth in a person can be easily noticed. Its effects are immediately evident in the central nervous system. In no time, levels of chemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are affected. This is why understanding meth addiction treatment and what to expect is important.
The degree at which these effects are felt is powerful enough to cause immediate addiction. With addiction, accompanying negative effects include the following:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Headaches
- Tooth decay
- Weight loss
- Paranoia and psychosis
- Fatigue
- Picking at the skin.
- Under-skin crawls
- Clenching of the jaw
- Development of heart conditions
- Sudden stroke
- Seizures
- Cardiac arrest
- Respiratory diseases
- Death
Beyond these disorders, some other long-term issues can arise following extended abuse of crystal meth.
- An impairment of vision
- A fatal disruption of sleep pattern
- Intense microvascular hemorrhage
- Mood swings
- A dysfunction to sexual urge and performance.
- Schizophrenia
Related article: What are the Treatments for Methadone Addiction | Addicted to Methadone
What to Expect from Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment?
The best crystal meth addiction treatment you can get is to seek help from professional treatment services. As proven from testimonies of those that have undergone treatment for the substance, addiction to crystal meth can occur even if you have just taken it “only a few times”. That’s to show you how addictive the substance can be.
Behavioral therapy is the most effective long-term treatment for methamphetamine, and it can be split into two types:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
The main focus of this therapy is to help the affected individual experience a mental shift. This process modified the underlying thoughts and beliefs which enhance addictive behaviour.
Contingency management
This is a sort of incentivized arrangement, where you get rewards for passing drug tests. This has proven to be an effective way to encourage abstinence in addicts.
However, one thing common to both of these therapies is the need for support from family and friends, and expert therapists.
The 5 Key Stages of Meth Addiction Recovery
Wondering how to get off crystal meth? Key to achieving sobriety is passing through the five stages of crystal meth addiction treatment.
During your course of treatment, the specialist would provide you with many tips to beating crystal meth addiction. These tips will take you through what is known as the five stages of meth addiction recovery.
If you are wondering how to recover from crystal meth addiction, these are the five stages you will go through.
Note: These stages of addiction recovery may be tagged different names depending on the addiction recovery service in Vancouver.
Withdrawal
This stage is common to every form of addiction. It is the most difficult part of the process because of its toll on the body and the mind. Addiction is a state that depicts dependence.
The over-dependence on the substance can result in adverse effects when addicts don’t use the substance.This is why withdrawal needs to be executed in safe and controlled conditions. It is a crucial stage in the meth addiction recovery process.
In most cases, it is best if you remain in the treatment center. The side-effects you will feel include fatigue, heart palpitation, depression, insomnia, disorientation, and shakiness. In a professional addiction treatment center, it becomes easier to manage the effects of withdrawal as well as possible health complications.
Honeymoon
Of the 5 stages of meth addiction recovery, the honeymoon stage offers calm and clear direction. At this stage, it becomes easier for you to live without meth addiction recovery.
Your body gets used to the new normal, and you can live without craving the substance. Mostly, you are generally in a good mood, and buzzing with energy.
However, you need to be careful at this stage. It will feel as though you are over meth addiction. But you need to keep working hard to stay clean, as exposure to triggers may topple your recovery process.
The Wall
This is the stage where your body becomes vulnerable to a relapse. It may last a while and calls for more resolve to fight your cravings. It’s all part of what to expect during meth addiction recovery.
Though a normal daily life may be enjoyable, you won’t feel as much energy as you would with the substance is present in your body.
When you get to this point, the best help you can get is from friends and family. Avoid staying alone during this stage of meth addiction recovery.
Adjustment
At this stage, recovery is coming to an end, which makes it a very sensitive period. Most likely, you would have experienced life changes, a confidence in new found sobriety.
This is one of the stages of addiction recovery that comes with a renewed hope for a normal life. This doesn’t mean that you should flout the tips to beating crystal meth addiction that has worked so far. Instead, it’s a charge to stay on the path to long-term sobriety.
Resolution
This is the final stage of crystal meth addiction recovery. With six months of sobriety, you are well and truly in the resolution stage. At this stage, the addict has completed the “how to get off meth” rule book. You now have everything you need to beat possible addiction triggers, especially when alone.
You feel completely normal at this stage, with minimal traces of craving. At this stage, you also have the proper understanding of everything you need to do to stay sober.
Final Take
When you pass through the 5 stages of meth addiction recovery, sobriety becomes a super realistic goal. However, most of the tips to beating crystal meth addiction will not work without support from family and friends.
In addition, due to the highly-addictive nature of the substance, it is nearly impossible to rid yourself of the addiction without the help of professionals.
Not to worry. Call Inspire Change Addiction Rehab in Vancouver for addiction treatment programs. Our experts have the experience to personalize your meth addiction treatment to fit your specific needs. Contact us to get started today!