Getting Help for a Meth Addiction

According to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2016), an estimated 667,000 Americans aged 12 or older were current users of methamphetamine. Of those individuals, roughly 9,000 were minors between the ages of 12 and 17. With these young users comprising just over 1% of total current users, it’s clear that meth has become a problem not just for adults but for families with teenage children, as well.

The effects of meth on its victims are often intense and destructive, particularly with repeated, long-term use. Previously healthy and ambitious individuals can deteriorate rapidly, developing skin-wounds, serious dental issues, and other very visible physical symptoms. Repeated users of meth can also become psychotic and delusional, sometimes even experiencing recurrent episodes of psychosis for years after quitting. With so much at stake, intensive professional meth addiction treatment is often needed to end the cycle before it’s too late.

Meth Addiction Treatment Options

Although meth can quickly lead a person down a dark and dangerous path of addiction, there is also hope for recovery. With the help of a drug treatment program, a person can overcome meth dependency, heal emotional wounds, and learn to support a healthy, fulfilling, and sober new life. At most treatment facilities, clients can choose from three basic types of meth addiction treatment programs: residential, intensive outpatient, and outpatient.

• Residential

Clients who require the most intensive level of meth treatment are typically admitted to an on-site residential program. This is the most well-known type of treatment, in which a person is required to live at the facility and have significant restrictions on contact with the outside world.

At the start of a residential meth rehab program, the client first goes through a detox period to allow any remaining meth to leave the body. Detox patients are monitored closely by medical staff to mitigate health risks and ease discomfort during withdrawal. After the physical addiction is broken, the client can move into therapeutic treatment.

Yellowstone Recovery’s residential programs, for example, consist of a primary phase and an extended phase. In the primary phase of meth recovery, clients focus on exploring the mental, emotional, and behavioral aspects of their addictions through group and individual counseling, as well as participation in a 12-step program. This phase focuses strongly on elements of personal healing, growth, coping skills, and peer support to empower clients and prepare them for a successful and sober life after treatment.

After 30 days in primary residential treatment, Yellowstone Recovery clients move into extended care. In this stage, individuals begin to flex their recovery muscles, putting their newly developed skills to work and building self-sufficiency through tasks like looking for post-release jobs and housing. As a reward for their success and an incentive to continue their work, clients are also allowed to have more contact with outside friends and family, including off-site visitation and travel (with approval).

• Intensive Outpatient

Intensive outpatient (IOP) rehab is designed for individuals who have already undergone detox or who are not currently physically addicted to methamphetamine. During IOP treatment, clients receive the same valuable counseling and treatment that residential clients receive, but with a higher level of flexibility. Clients are not required to stay on-site and can schedule their counseling sessions around regular family and work obligations.

At Yellowstone Recovery, our IOP clients must have four group therapy sessions and one individual therapy session each week to remain compliant with the program. So long as these obligations are met, clients can continue to work, visit with friends, and live off-site (either with family or in sober living).

• Outpatient

Once a client has completed on-site residential treatment for meth addiction, he or she may choose to further extend treatment with an outpatient rehabilitation program. Unlike intensive outpatient care, which is accessible by any client who does not need to be detoxed from methamphetamine, standard outpatient treatment is usually only used by those who have recently completed a residential program. Depending on the person’s specific situation and/or progress in therapy, an additional outpatient treatment may be necessary for a successful, smooth transition back to “regular life.”

In Yellowstone Recovery’s outpatient programs, clients continue their recovery work with three regular group therapy sessions each week and one individual session every two weeks. Clients also keep working in their 12-step program with the help of a chosen sponsor and various other staff and peer support. Outpatient clients may choose to live with family or in sober living, as they see fit, during this time.

Choosing the Right Kind of Treatment

If you’re not sure which type of treatment program to choose for yourself or a loved one, first consider whether detox is necessary. If there is still a strong component of physical dependency and you or your loved one are still actively using methamphetamine, residential treatment with detox is likely the best choice.

If detox isn’t necessary and you are looking for professional help that can be balanced with a regular job, intensive outpatient may be more appropriate. If you are or a loved one is just finishing a residential program and looking for further care, a standard outpatient program is an ideal choice.

If you’re still not sure which kind of treatment to choose for your situation, give us a call; our meth addiction recovery experts can help you decide.

How Medication Can Help Treat Meth Addiction

Due to the intensity of the dependency that meth can create in the body, suddenly withholding the substance can create agonizing physical, mental, and emotional withdrawal symptoms. To ease the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms, doctors at treatment facilities often recommend medications during detox.

Although no medication can fully or directly treat meth withdrawal, doctors working with patients in meth detox may prescribe anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications, and/or sleep aids to stabilize mood, calm stress, and fight insomnia. SSRI drugs like Wellbutrin and Paxil are examples of medications that might be used to treat someone experiencing depression as a symptom of withdrawal.

The Process of Drug Rehab

Regardless of the ways in which specific treatment program types differ, meth rehabilitation usually follows the same general process. Here’s how we do things at Yellowstone Recovery:

• Meth addiction detox

For those still physically addicted, a medically monitored detox period is the first phase of treatment. During this time, doctors and staff watch clients carefully and provide any medications and/or special care needed to help them safely detoxify from methamphetamine. Once the drug is fully out of the system, the client can continue on to therapy work.

• Temporary blackout period

If the client is in residential treatment, he or she will be prevented for some time from leaving the facility or contacting anyone outside the premises at the start of treatment. This protects the client from temptations and influences that may sabotage success and also allows individuals to learn to focus on themselves rather than their relationships with others.

• Group and individual therapy work

The core of meth addiction rehab lies in the process of going through personal and group therapy with professional counseling staff and peers going through similar struggles with addiction. At Yellowstone Recovery, all types of rehab programs involve a strong basis in therapy work to heal old wounds, build healthy new habits, and create a support system for long-term sobriety. Clients also work in a 12-step program for additional support and recovery work.

• Sober living (as needed)

Whether a client chooses to be in sober living during treatment or move into a sober living facility as part of a post-rehab transition plan, sober living is usually offered to clients as part of the process. This type of housing can provide additional peer support and a safe, substance-free environment.

• Aftercare

The meth rehab process does not end abruptly when the client’s program ends. Individuals are able to receive continuing support, resources, job assistance, and more after treatment to help them get back to living a sober and self-sufficient life.

Finding the Treatment Center That’s Best For You

If you’re battling a methamphetamine addiction, you’ll want to have a knowledgeable, experienced team and supportive, comfortable environment to help you grow and succeed. When choosing a drug rehab facility, it’s important to consider all elements of the experience, from therapeutic methods and program descriptions to on-site amenities and post-recovery resources.

When exploring different meth addiction rehab facilities, look for beneficial characteristics like the following:

• Experienced, specialized recovery staff
• Strong individual and group therapy programs
• Positive testimonials from previous clients
• Flexible payment plans
• Secure facilities
• Soothing atmosphere
• Respectful, compassionate attitudes
• Safe medical detox
• Thorough aftercare support

Break Free from Meth Addiction at Yellowstone Recovery

Meth addiction isn’t easy to fight alone, and attempting to quit “cold turkey” can sometimes have fatal consequences. If a loved one or you are fighting an ongoing addiction to methamphetamine, the addiction recovery experts at Yellowstone Recovery can help you win the war for good.

Nestled on the southern coast of California, our Costa Mesa treatment center gives clients the opportunity to relax, heal, and grow in the sun, surf, and sand. We’ve helped thousands of men and women escape the cycle of addiction over the last 20 years, and we continue to work hard to help clients save their own lives and reshape their own futures.

Meth addiction doesn’t have to be your “normal” anymore. If you’re ready to be free from the cravings, withdrawals, and widespread damage that meth creates, we’re ready to help you clear a new path. Call us today at (888) 418-4188 to get started on your journey to recovery.