Crystal Meth Rehab

Meth Addiction Rehab

Jump to:

1. Special Considerations
2. Length and Type of Therapy
3. The Role of Medications
4. Therapy Techniques
5. Group Therapy

In 2004, a police officer working in Multnomah County in Oregon decided to do something about the methamphetamine epidemic that was hitting his community. He ran searches on his database of

mug shots, looking for people who had been booked more than once for methamphetamine abuse. Anyone who has seen the results of this work, the Faces of Meth campaign, can clearly see what the drug does to the people who use it. People seem to age decades in just a few years’ time, and they stare from later photos with vacant expressions full of longing.

Methamphetamine abuse may be frightening, and it’s clear that the drug does significant damage to those who abuse it, but help is available. At Alta Mira, we provide science-based, intensive programs that can help people recover from a meth addiction. We stay involved for years, to help keep people on track. We know recovery is possible. If you or someone you know is addicted to methamphetamine, we urge you to keep reading and learn more about how rehabilitation programs can help.

Holistic Drug TreatmentSpecial Considerations

A holistic approach is often best when it comes to meth rehab. The addiction didn’t develop on its own, without outside influences, and similarly the addiction won’t heal unless those outside issues are addressed. By providing comprehensive care that supports the addict in multiple areas of life, therapists can allow the addict the breathing room and peace he or she needs in order to heal.

For example, while it might be tempting to begin a meth rehab program with an intensive series of counseling sessions, there are often other issues that must be addressed first. Often, these concerns are physical. People who have abused methamphetamines frequently enter rehabilitation programs with a host of physical concerns, including:

  • Dental sores
  • Skin lesions
  • Malnutrition
  • Breathing problems

In addiction, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Addiction, people who abuse meth are at higher risk of infection with HIV/AIDS, and if they are infected, it’s likely that the disease will progress rapidly. The metabolic changes meth addiction creates seems to work in tandem with HIV/AIDS health issues.

For these reasons, most meth rehabilitation programs begin with a complete physical, including blood work. If any physical conditions are found, they can be addressed. If an addict is living in an inpatient program, he or she might be given a specific diet that can support meth-related weight loss. Addicts who live at home might develop a meal plan with the help of a dietitian or nutritionist. (read more about the long-term effects of meth use).

Alta Mira Rehab TreatmentLength and Type of Therapy

According to an article published by the Illinois Attorney General, meth addiction often takes a long time to resolve. In fact, the Attorney General states that it might take longer for people to recover from an addiction to meth than it does to recover from any other form of substance abuse. Only the addict and his/her therapist can decide how long the therapy is needed. It’s a personal decision, and it can vary quite a bit from person to person.

For people who are addicted to alcohol or some types of drugs, inpatient rehabilitation programs may present a clear advantage over outpatient programs. These addicts have a crucial period that takes place right after detoxification when relapse is likely and an intense period of therapy is needed. Meth addicts, as mentioned, have a prolonged period when the danger of relapse is high. It might not be reasonable to ask a meth addict to live in a facility for months or even years until the healing process is complete. For this reason, some meth addicts choose to participate in outpatient programs rather than inpatient programs. They restructure their home lives to reduce temptation, and they stay in close contact with their therapists and medical teams, but they live at home. Other people can’t handle the idea of living at home right away, and they prefer to begin healing in an inpatient program. Again, this is a personal decision the addict and the therapist make together, and there is no right or wrong answer.

The Role of Medications

Even though scientists have a deep understanding of why meth is so addictive and what changes meth addiction causes in the human brain, they have yet to develop medications that can reverse those changes and lessen the cravings meth addicts feel. Some studies, such as this article published in the journal Substance Abuse, have found that certain medications are helpful for some meth addicts, but there is so silver bullet, magic drug that works on all addicts. For this reason, some people may go through an entire meth rehab program while taking no medications at all.

There are people, however, who do benefit from drugs. For example, some people who abuse meth for long periods of time develop severe structural changes in the brain, and these changes lead them into periodic psychotic episodes. According to a study published in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, these people may relapse into psychotic episodes years after they stop methamphetamine use, if they’re exposed to stress or emotional trauma. These people, researchers suggest, might benefit from antipsychotic medications given to people who have schizophrenia.

Once again, this is a decision the addict makes in consultation with the therapy team. The addict makes sure to tell the team all about the symptoms he or she is feeling, and the team determines whether or not medications are the best way to deal with those symptoms.

Therapy Techniques

For many meth addicts, therapy provides real help. In therapy sessions, meth addicts learn how their thoughts influence the way they behave, and they practice techniques they can use to keep destructive thoughts from leading to destructive behaviors. These cognitive behavioral therapy sessions are intense, and the addict is often given a significant amount of homework to complete at the end of the session, but this work can lead the addict to make great discoveries about the power of the mind, and ways he or she can take control of the addiction and stop it from progressing.

Some therapists use another form of therapy called contingency management. Here, the addict is given a series of rewards each time he or she can produce a urine test that is free of traces of meth. Often, the prizes help the addict develop healthy lifestyle habits, so the rewards have a hidden benefit. They could include:

  • A gym membership
  • Tickets to a movie
  • Gift certificate to a sports store
  • Coupon for dinner at a restaurant

In a study published in the journal Addiction, researchers looked at the benefits of both cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management, trying to determine which method worked best in meth addiction. They found that while contingency management allowed more people to stay clean during treatment, those who had cognitive behavioral therapy stayed clean longer after treatments were complete. It could be that both forms of therapy have a role to play in helping people recover from meth addiction.

meth rehab therapiesGroup Therapy

Addiction treatment programs often encourage the addict to participate in group therapy sessions. Most of the time, these sessions use a model perfected by Alcoholics Anonymous, in which addicts agree to a certain set of principles and then work on a series of measurable steps in order to overcome addiction. When the addict feels a strong sense of community and is linked closely to the program, these meetings can be intensely powerful and help the addict make needed changes. However, some addicts don’t feel comfortable in 12-step meetings, and they don’t take the steps seriously. For example, some addicts feel that 12-step programs emphasize a spiritual component, or a reliance on God or a higher power, and they find this off-putting. Since it’s so important for the addict to feel connected to the group, it’s essential for the addict to be picky before settling on a particular group. Some addicts attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings for their meth addictions. Others attend Crystal Meth Anonymous meetings instead, hoping to meet others that they can more closely relate to. Again, the addict is in control here and only the addict will know which meeting is the right one for him or her.

According to a separate article published in the journal Addiction, there have been few studies on meth addicts and the efficacy of 12-step groups. However, the authors suggest that the meetings do have a definite role to play in helping meth addicts heal. For example, the meetings are often held in the community at no charge. Since meth addicts must have therapy for years, they may run out of funds to pay for inpatient programs. These free 12-step programs may help to fill the gap and provide treatment when all other forms of therapy have been exhausted. In some cases, they can help provide a continuity of care as well. If the addict begins attending meetings while in an inpatient program, continues to attend while an outpatient and then continues to attend when all else is done, the therapy seems to be moving on a trajectory, and perhaps this could keep a relapse from occurring.

Crystal meth addiction is incredibly serious and life threatening. Don’t let another day pass without getting help for you or your loved one. Here at Alta Mira, we can guide you through the recovery process. Call us today.