It is difficult to break a meth addiction on your own, and most people cannot do it due to the high risk of relapse. Meth can be a complicated drug to kick because it creates dependency in the user, making the body rely on it to function or experience severe withdrawal side effects. Meth rehab gives you the necessary tools to break the addiction.
You need a comprehensive treatment plan to achieve recovery from meth addiction. This will consist of detoxification, therapy, and counseling. Detox purges the drug from your system and helps you get back to normal functioning without the drug.
Counseling deals with the physiological damage from substance abuse and educates recovering users on how to sustain long-term recovery and resist temptation.
If a user suffers from severe chronic meth addiction, they may need to be admitted into an inpatient treatment program.
Meth is one of the most challenging drugs to get over, and it is essential for anyone engaging in Meth abuse to get professional medical treatment. People who try to quit the drug alone rarely make a lasting recovery.
Detox
Detox may be your first step if the treatment center provides meth detox services and you’ve not already gone through withdrawal. Meth withdrawal is usually not life-threatening or distressing to the user and may include meth cravings, fatigue, depression, and anxiety.
Detox includes several interventions to deal with acute stimulant withdrawal, such as emotional support, antidepressants, supportive medications, and medical supervision. The aim is to help the user achieve medical stability to dedicate themselves to their meth rehab treatment.
Meth detox can be conducted as part of an outpatient or inpatient program, but a medical professional should always be present to monitor detox.
Medical detox ensures a successful and safe treatment plan because the doctors can observe the patient’s vital signs 24/7 and prescribe drugs to keep the patient stable and comfortable during withdrawal. Benzodiazepine can be prescribed for patients who become panicked or agitated as their bodies adjust to not having the drug.
Therapy and Counseling
After completing detox, the treatment begins and will include various therapies such as:
- Therapy
- Family therapy
- Peer support meetings
- Group counseling
- Ongoing support/aftercare planning
Sometimes therapeutic approaches will vary based on the substance one is using. The Matrix Model is a common treatment form for individuals struggling with stimulant addiction, e.g., meth. This model combines multiple interventions to establish a comprehensive approach to recovery from meth addiction recovery.
First, the patients are drug tested during the entire program to ensure they’re not still using. In this meth rehab program, the therapists act as teachers and coaches to the patients, developing a supportive and therapeutic relationship with them.
The therapist fosters the individual’s self-esteem and self-worth while encouraging healthy and positive change. The Matrix Model combines various interventions such as:
- Relapse analysis
- Social support groups
- 12-step programs
- Early recovery skills groups
- Family education
- Relapse prevention classes
- Drug education
- Group and family therapy
This model has been proven effective in reducing unsafe sexual and substance abuse behaviors, and studies indicate that it causes improvements in mental health.
Once the patient’s withdrawal symptoms have subsided after completing detox, they will go into structured or formal counseling.
Therapy helps recovering users identify the hidden reasons behind their drug use and gives them the emotional support to work through these problems. It shows patients how to deal with the temptation to use meth when bored or stressed and understand the behavioral and thought patterns that initially led them to start abusing the drug.
Counselors employ various techniques and therapies during treatment and, most commonly, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT has been assessed and deemed especially effective in treating meth addiction and co-occurring disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Narrative therapy also emphasizes the importance of people’s personal life stories and is used to help recovering users see how their stories have shaped their drug use. This approach allows them to learn new ways to mend these unhealthy behaviors and thought patterns.
Counselors in meth rehab programs help those attending treatment to adopt healthy, new lifestyle choices to build a better future without drugs.
Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment
Choosing between outpatient and inpatient meth rehab depends on varying personal factors. Treating a meth addiction is especially hard due to the drug’s addictive nature and the person’s hidden psychological reasons for drug use.
Inpatient treatment might be ideal for individuals who have been engaging in long-term chronic meth use and suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms. This can make the individual relapse and get back into old drug abuse habits if they are not in a stable environment.
Inpatient rehabs offer a place free from triggers or temptations where you can regain control of your life without risking relapse. Inpatient meth rehab programs usually last 30-90 days, based on the person’s needs.
Outpatient rehab can be a good option for people with a weak addiction or obligations they can’t abandon. These programs are part-time-based and allow the recovering individual to keep going to school or work during the day. They usually require spending 10-12 hours weekly at a treatment center for counseling and detox.
Support Groups and Aftercare
Continuous support after meth rehab is significant for maintaining sobriety. Joining a support group is one of the best aftercare approaches.
Organizations such as Crystal Meth Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are good for recovering individuals to join as they give you a sense of togetherness through the support you get from others in recovery.
These groups are 12-step programs that help recovering individuals work through addiction by taking a personal inventory of their daily life, supporting others by disclosing personal stories, and making restitution to people they’ve hurt.
