It may take some time for your brain to restore its dopamine circuits when you stop using meth. So, the cognitive abilities that don’t rely meth addiction much on dopamine will likely recover first. Mental health symptoms like paranoia and delusions may take longer to disappear. Alcohol could potentially boost the effects of meth by heightening its euphoric effects. But it may also lead you to feel more anxious and agitated — not to mention increase your risk of alcohol poisoning or overdose. You may not feel alcohol’s effects as you typically would, so you might drink more alcohol than your body can process.
What to know about meth addiction
There are some promising medical treatments for meth addiction currently in development. The goal of treatment is to help you lead a healthy life without using meth. Treatment may also address other underlying conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety.
What are the Symptoms of Meth Addiction?
But substance use treatment with medical detox and behavioral therapies for addiction can help you recover from meth use disorder. Meth is an addictive substance that can cause dire consequences, including short and long-term physical and psychological damage. For some, misusing methamphetamine is a way to cope with a mental health condition. Stimulants may temporarily make someone with depression feel happier and have more energy.
Risks
- If crystal meth comes as more of a powder, it’ll have a bitter taste like other kinds of meth.
- Your withdrawal symptoms will be strongest during the first 24 hours or so and typically last about 7-10 days.
- There are many short-term and long-term effects of using crystal meth.
- The ignitable, corrosive and toxic nature of the chemicals used to create crystal meth can cause fires, produce toxic vapors and wreak havoc on the environment.
- If you take more than one stimulant at a time, you have a higher risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack, and your body may overheat.
Here’s how the body reacts to meth and the consequences of long-term abuse. At Hazelden Betty Ford addiction treatment centers, evidence-based approaches to drug addiction treatment are utilized by a licensed and accredited multidisciplinary care team. Our treatment program options include cognitive-behavioral therapy, Twelve Step facilitation Substance abuse and medication-assisted therapies. If you or a loved one is addicted to meth, call us to learn about rehab options and start living the life you deserve.
- These changes may include irritability, paranoia, mood swings, decreased sleep, or anger episodes, to name a few.
- According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), psychosis can last for several months or years after the individual quits using.
- In the past, middle-aged white people used this cheap drug most often.
- In some cases, a nonthreatening conversation is a better option.
- Because meth causes the blood vessels to constrict, it cuts off the steady flow of blood to all parts of the body.
- A second consequence of addiction is that when the high is over, the user feels a corresponding low or depression as a result of a depleted supply of dopamine.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
The report identifies potential areas for further investigation and improvement. Methamphetamines or Meth usually look like a white pill or a powder. However, meth can come in different forms that change the way it is used and the effects it can have on the brain and body. Most treatment plans are fully custom and based on individualized assessments. This is the most effective way to ensure holistic, lasting recovery for any individual.