Meth addiction is an epidemic in Los Angeles. A significant number of LA residents are abusing meth, and it is having devastating effects on the addicts and those around them. Meth floods the addict’s nervous system and penetrates their brain to a higher degree than amphetamine.
The ecstatic feeling an addict gets upon taking meth stays in their body for long, altering their brain’s pleasure and reward centers. These changes lead to dependence on the drug to function normally. Treatment from addiction treatment centers Los Angeles California can help you quit meth safely and stay sober.
Understanding Meth Addiction
Like many other drugs, meth forces your brain to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter that causes the feeling of satisfaction for doing something well. Many activities naturally induce this sense of happiness. However, meth hijacks that system and makes your brain produce more dopamine than is healthy and normal. Once you start using meth, you become accustomed to its effects such that you cannot do without it, and this breeds meth addiction.
Meth addiction is dangerous. Since the addict cannot go without meth or restrict their usage due to a high tolerance level, they go to great lengths to get meth. They can steal money to buy meth, engage in risky behaviors to get it, or they can risk eternal cognitive impairment for short-term satisfaction. Drug use also negatively affects their social, financial, and emotional life. The silver lining is LA Cali Addiction treatment centers that can help you get better.
Signs and Symptoms of Meth Addiction
The following are the signs of meth addiction.
- Weight loss due to loss of appetite
- Dehydration
- Elevated body temperature
- Decreased libido
- Osteoporosis (bones and teeth become easily breakable)
- Sleep deprivation
- Skin abscesses inflicted by injecting meth into the skin
- High tolerance for meth
- Uncontrollable use of meth (you cannot stop yourself once you start taking it)
- Prioritizing the use of meth over responsibilities, hobbies, or social gatherings
Since meth alters your brain’s chemistry, you are also likely to experience behavioral changes. You may have severe paranoia, hallucinations, isolation, and aggressive behavior characterized by extreme mood swings. Dual diagnosis rehab Los Angeles can help you with meth and bipolar disorders.
Meth Addiction Treatment
Many addiction treatment centers LA Cali offer meth addiction treatment. Treatment often comprises a comprehensive detox followed by a rehabilitation program. Meth detox involves getting rid of the effects of meth from your body, while rehab involves therapy, healthy habits, and group meetings meant to help you sustain your sobriety. The rehabilitation may include your family and friends. This involvement is necessary because addiction is likely to have driven a wedge between them and you.
Meth detox programs the addiction center uses will depend on the case. For patients with severe meth addiction or those that have tried quitting before unsuccessfully, inpatient detox is advisable. For mild cases, at-home detox or outpatient drug rehab Los Angeles may work. However, consult your doctor before taking these modes of treatment. Doctors may prescribe medications to help the addict cope with withdrawal symptoms. They may also teach you alternative ways of coping with withdrawal effects and cravings for meth.
Quitting Meth Timeline
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) states that meth withdrawal symptoms can start a few hours or days after your most recent dose. The severity and duration of these detox signs will depend on these factors.
- Your body’s level of health and physiology
- Your frequency of meth use
- The length of your meth dependence
- The amount of meth you used
Therapy for Meth Addiction
Once you complete detox, you will begin a sobriety program that involves seeing counselors. Counseling is to help you know unhealthy habits you may have that encourage meth addiction and replace or get rid of them. It may also help you come to terms with your new life free from meth and hurdles you may face. This preparation helps you have a strong mentality to sustain your sobriety.
Quitting meth may involve isolating yourself from your friends that still use it, judgments from those that do not understand your path, and taking responsibility for what you did while intoxicated. Therapy helps you prepare for this and stay sober through them.
How to Help a Meth Addict
There is so much you can do to help a meth addict before the situation escalates. The best way to help someone you care about who has a dependence on meth is to get them to visit one of the many rehab facilities in Los Angeles.
If they are not at a place where they may realize they need help or ask for it themselves, plan an intervention. You should have the meeting with outsiders to help you remain objective. Do not judge them, but lovingly inform them of their problem and let them know they can seek help to get better. Once they open up to treatment, rehab facilities, Los Angeles can help them overcome their addiction.
Benefits of Quitting Meth
There are several benefits associated with quitting meth. They include:
- Returning to a healthier weight
- Improving your skin and teeth
- Reduced risk of having a heart attack
- Reconnecting with your family and friends
- Lowering your risk of having legal trouble due to violent behavior or drug possession
- Improving your financial status by getting rid of the unnecessary expenditure on meth
Meth Relapse
Without proper preparation, you can return to using meth after your detox. Statistics show that 40 to 60 percent of recovering addicts relapse. The silver lining is that there are measures you can take to reduce your chances of relapsing.
You can avoid relapse by taking these measures.
- Craft and stick to a plan of avoiding triggers
- Know your triggers and avoid them, where possible
- Eat a balanced diet, exercise, and drink a lot of water to help your body return to its normal functioning
- Avoid people that use drugs or places with drugs
- Build a connection with your sober family and friends to talk to them through sobriety, which make you less lonely
- Attend meetings with other addicts and therapy
In case you relapse, do not give up or feel ashamed to seek help. Meth addiction has consequences on you and those around you. Seeking help after a relapse can help you get better and overcome the condition.
How The Detox Center of Los Angeles can Help with Meth Addiction
The Detox Center of Los Angeles is a reputable addiction treatment facility that offers a range of services to help you through substance dependence. We are a fully licensed addiction treatment center offering services, such as alcohol treatment, via our LA California alcohol rehabilitation centers.
We have accreditations from reputable institutions, such as the California Department of Health Care Services and Legitscript.com to provide addiction treatment. The Detox Center of Los Angeles treats drug addiction, such as alcohol rehabilitation, 90056, and bipolar disorder, via our modern facilities. Our expert staff uses proven methods to help you get better without complications.
Conclusion
Meth addiction is a problem that affects many LA residents. A significant number of people with this problem do not seek help. This situation is because they may not know they have a crisis, feel embarrassed about receiving treatment, or they do not know where to start getting better. Signs of meth addiction are taking uncontrolled amounts, going to extreme lengths to get it, prioritizing meth, high tolerance, or weight loss. Once you notice you have a problem, you can get better by seeking help from drug detox and rehab facilities in Los Angeles.
The Detox Center of Los Angeles is a reputable treatment facility that offers treatment to patients with drug and bipolar disorders. Its facilities provide quality treatment through proven techniques that their team of qualified personnel use. The facilities are also spacious, luxurious, and well equipped to handle addicts with various needs, such as 90026 alcohol detox. Treatment is customized to meet the needs of each patient. This personalization gives treatment an excellent chance of being successful. Reach out today to find out how we can help with meth addiction and recovery.
