An addiction to crystal meth is a constant cycle of binging and crashing, causing extreme unhealthy shifts in sleep patterns, nutrition, and mental health. Methamphetamines are under the stimulant classification of drugs, considered to be an “upper”. Currently, there is no medication treatment for methamphetamine addiction recovery. Because of this, overcoming a crystal meth addiction requires intensive therapy and mental health stabilization.
Spokane Detox Center
Royal Life Centers at Spokane Heights offers a medical detoxification service, to address the mental and physical symptoms of withdrawal that occur for users who remove the substance from their body. Detoxing from crystal meth can cause severe mental health issues, often resulting in symptoms of psychosis. Royal Life Centers at Spokane Heights provides guests with 24/7 direct supervision from medical professionals, to ensure their comfort and safety. Withdrawal symptoms from meth most commonly include severe anxiety, fatigue, severe depression, intense drug cravings, and psychosis. Crystal meth use has many negative short term and long term effects.
Crystal Meth Use Short Term Effects
As defined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the short term effects of using meth are as follows:
-increased wakefulness
-increased physical activity
-decreased appetite
-faster breathing
-rapid and/or irregular heartbeat
-increased blood pressure
-increased body temperature
-severe paranoia
-erratic and/or violent behavior
-symptoms of psychosis
With continued use, the negative short term effects of using meth can become progressively worse. Users also experience more negative short term effects as the effect of the drug wears off, a period often called the “come down”. Because more negative effects take place during the come down, users will use more and more of the drug to stay high— which causes a cycle of binging and then crashing. During a binge, users will continue to use meth every few hours to keep up their “high” and will often go without food, water, and sleep for days at a time. Once the user stops binging, they usually crash for days at a time— sleeping for days at a time, overeating to compensate for their lack of food, and becoming mentally or emotionally exhausted.
The Long Term Effects of Methamphetamine(s)
Crystal meth produces a laundry list of horrible long term effects on the user. The long term effects of methamphetamine use, as defined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), include:
-cognitive problems, which effect thinking, understanding, learning, and memory
-extreme weight loss
-severe dental decay (“meth mouth”)
-intense itching, leading to skin sores
-severe anxiety
-confusion
-sleeping problems (from extreme sleep deprivation or insomnia to oversleeping)
-impaired coordination
-violent behavior
-extreme paranoia and unreasonable distrust of others
-hallucinations (auditory and visual)
-severe symptoms of psychosis
Can You Overdose on Meth?
Yes, a methamphetamine overdose can occur when too much of the drug is ingested and the user has a toxic reaction that can result in serious symptoms and death. Overdosing on methamphetamine(s) can result in a stroke, heart attack, and organ failure— which ultimately can lead to death.
How To Treat Meth Addiction
Treating meth addiction is dependent on proper medical attention and supervision, intensive therapy, and ultimately learning a new way of life. Addiction treatment should be teaching about substance use disorder, life skills, coping mechanisms, and how to prevent a relapse, among other things. Royal Life Centers at Spokane Heights is experienced in treating an addiction to crystal meth. We use only proven effective methods of addiction treatment, including cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational incentives, an introduction to 12-step programs of recovery, and other therapeutic methods. Our methods of addiction treatment are practiced throughout each of our treatment program offerings.
How We Treat Addiction
Royal Life Centers at Spokane Heights offers a medical detox program and a residential inpatient program. Our medical detox program can last for either 4 days, or for a full 8 day stabilization. Our residential inpatient program is a 2-week program that continues the therapeutic work started in our Spokane detox center. Royal Life Centers also offers treatment program options including: a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), an outpatient program (OP), sober living and graduate housing.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a crystal meth addiction, please reach out to our knowledgeable addiction specialists toll free at (888) 907-0898. Our team is available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Because We Care.
