How to Overcome Methamphetamine Addiction

Call your insurance company to find out what services and facilities you are paid for when working on the plan. You can ask a family member or a friend to do the research together to make sure you have all the details you need. Making an informed decision is important.

• You can look at the leaflet or benefits list before actually contacting the insurance company. These documents may also show what items are paid for in your plan.
• If you don’t have insurance, treatment can be a little more difficult to access. However, it is important that you know how to pay for the treatment. There are many social service programs that can help you. In addition, your family and friends may be willing to provide financial support so you can seek help.

Decide on outpatient or inpatient treatment. In general, the difference between these two regimens is intensity. ^[3] While both offer effective treatment programs, inpatient services are often more intense. The inpatient program allows you to stay in the facility with others recovering and participate in daily meetings with support groups. Outpatient programs typically include counseling and follow-up but are not as intense as in inpatient facilities.

• Consider your level of addiction when deciding on the type of treatment. If you have a severe addiction and are concerned that home treatment will easily cause you to drop out of the program, inpatient treatment is the best option.
• If your addiction isn’t severe enough and you have other responsibilities like work and children, you may be able to choose an outpatient program.
• When making this decision, you may need the feedback of family members and people who care about you. Perhaps they are able to judge the situation with a little more objective eyes
• If you choose inpatient treatment, try to visit the facility first to get used to where you will be living for the next few weeks or months.

Prepare for treatment. Be sure to make arrangements before starting treatment. If you’re inpatient, ask your manager to take some time off so you don’t lose your job when you return. Even if you plan to go to outpatient treatment, you may need to take a few days off, especially in the early stages when you are starting to detox. Doing so is to avoid danger when you work. Also, if you have young children, you need to arrange childcare if you are a single parent, or make a to-do list for your spouse if you are married.

• It may take 90 days to complete the course of treatment. ^[4] Sometimes even longer, depending on your addiction level and specific needs. However, you need to be faithful to the treatment process, which includes preparation in advance. Remember that upon completion of the program, you will have everything you need to live a drug-free life.
• You may not need much time off work during outpatient treatment. Working out is a way to keep yourself busy and forget about drugs.

Peace of mind. Once the decision is made to pursue treatment, irrational fears and old ways of thinking will try to creep back in. A great way to overcome fear is to use your imagination. ^[5] Imagine a large house with many rooms. You don’t know what’s in those rooms, but you picture yourself taking the first step with confidence. When you use this tactic, remind yourself that what’s waiting for you in that house is good for you, and know that you’ll find the courage it takes to go all the way through the house. When fear arises, gently remind yourself that you are doing what is best for you by receiving treatment.

Recommend support. Methamphetamine addiction can be an arduous process, so having a solid support system in place is very important. Don’t try to go through this process alone. Here are a few ways you can get the support you need: ^[6]

• Rely on family and friends. If you’re afraid to ask them for support again because you’ve let them down in the past, consider family counseling. It is extremely important that you have the support of those closest to you during this difficult time.
• Make a new friend. You can find healthy people who participate in productive activities in places like church, community groups, volunteer activities, schools, classes, or community events. copper.
• If you live alone in an area with easy access to meth or other drugs, consider moving to a drug-free environment during outpatient treatment. It’s also a good option to consider after you’ve completed your inpatient treatment. You will be more supported when you live in a healthier environment.

Conduct treatment. This may sound simpler than it actually is, especially when you’re on an outpatient program. When withdrawal symptoms start to appear in the early stages, you may want to get rid of the discomfort. Similarly, when you start to feel better near the end of your treatment, you may feel like you don’t need treatment anymore. During those times, you may be tempted to stop treatment or not continue inpatient treatment. But it is not a wise decision and can sabotage your results.

• Inpatient treatment is tight and sometimes it doesn’t even seem worth it. In addition, other students may be extremely noisy or have personalities that don’t suit you. When feelings of frustration surface, keep reminding yourself that the situation is temporary, and that the end result is worth the effort.
• Rely on your support system during this time to stay motivated. When the thought “I’m not going today” creeps into your mind, immediately call your responsible partner or another support person.

Participate in the treatment. It is imperative that you attend every meeting, moreover, to participate in the therapy being offered. Engage in dialogue, complete tasks at home, prioritize training to get the best out of each session. There are many forms of treatment that may be offered: ^[7]

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you identify factors that contribute to your drug use and provides strategies to help you overcome them.
• Multidimensional Family Therapy (MFT) is commonly used by young people to help young people and their families deal with forms of abuse and improve overall functioning in the family unit.
• Motivational rewards use behavioral reinforcement to encourage abstinence.

Prepare for detox. Detoxification is the first step in treatment and the process that allows your body to get rid of the drug. ^[8] You must be prepared to experience withdrawal symptoms during the first few days of treatment. ^[9] These symptoms are not pleasant, but they are temporary. Remind yourself that once you get through the first few days those symptoms will ease and you will feel better.

• What seems like a long time is the days when you have to stop abruptly and receive treatment in excruciating pain. Usually you will be given medication to ease withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, while you will experience some physical symptoms during detox and withdrawal, those symptoms are probably not too much to bear.
• Medications like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are often used to reduce ice cravings, so you can get rid of the drug-seeking urge and focus on treatment.
• Some of the symptoms you may experience include shortness of breath, diarrhea, tremors, paranoia, mood swings, sweating, heart palpitations, vomiting, and nausea. However, you should still remember that medication will help ease these symptoms.
• Methamphetamine is a stimulant that increases the production of dopamine. Dopamine signals the brain to create a “feeling of pleasure,” and when you stop using methamphetamine, dopamine levels drop dramatically. As a result, you may lose pleasure or be unable to experience pleasure. ^[10] This temporary condition usually lasts for several weeks as the body readjusts to dopamine levels. Unfortunately, people often relapse during this stage because they want pleasure again. So it’s important that you recognize when this happens so you don’t drop out of treatment.
• In the early stages, the physical and emotional symptoms can be so intense that you want to stop treatment. Stopping treatment is an unwise thought and can sabotage your success.

Congratulations yourself. Take the time to truly embrace the treatment. Say congratulations to yourself for having the courage to do better for yourself and your family.

Rehabilitation at home. After completing your inpatient program, you may at first consider staying in a recovery home for a while. Centers of this type are often referred to as sobriety or transitional homes. These facilities can bridge the gap between the inpatient facility and the outside world. You can learn more about relapse prevention in these homes before returning to your old environment. ^[11]

• These programs are often privately owned and can be quite expensive. You need to check to see if insurance pays for these plans. Other options are to ask for financial assistance from local social services, church or pastoral groups, or arrange to pay out of your own pocket.

Search online for local support groups. You should prioritize this and do it immediately after completing the treatment. It’s actually more helpful to have this done before the treatment ends, as you can get in right away without delay. Joining a support group is extremely important to avoid relapse. Check to see if there are local Narcotics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous groups that you can join. You can also get referrals from your doctor, friends or social work organizations.

• Socializing with people recovering from addiction in a supportive environment will help you as you return to your normal life.
• Participating in a support group even when you are in a recovery home is very important. That way you’ll get used to it when you return home.
• Once you’re feeling better, there are other issues that need attention as well. During the transition period, you may think it’s okay to skip a few meetings. However, it is not a very good idea and can ruin your results.

Avoid stimulants. While you’re recovering, you still need to avoid the friends and places you used to go to while taking meth. Those environments and people are likely to be powerful triggers for you. So avoiding those triggers is especially important during the first few years of recovery. Here are some ways to avoid the triggers that make you relapse: ^[12]

• Avoid bars and clubs. Even if you don’t have to deal with alcohp, alcohol can decrease your self-control and impair your judgment. Moreover, you can run into old friends there or be offered methamphetamine.
• Using opiates and other prescription drugs can cause you to relapse and is also not suitable for pain relief. ^[13] So you need to be honest with your doctor when treating your illness. Don’t be ashamed of your history, but make it a priority to avoid relapse. If you need medical or dental treatment, you should find a medical professional who can prescribe alternative medications or reduce the amount of medication to make you more comfortable without triggering relapse.

Exercise to reduce stress. Stress can trigger cravings, but you can’t avoid all the pressure. Therefore, it is important that you know how to manage the pressure so that it does not become suffocating and make you addicted again. Here are a few things you can do to reduce stress: ^[14]

• Exercise: Walking, running, biking, gardening, swimming, even cleaning the house can help.
• Take notes: Take 10 -15 minutes a day to jot down the stressful events of the day. This can help if, after writing about those events, you rewrite the ending the way you want it to. Write it as if it were actually happening in the present tense. So you’ve ended your writing exercise on an upbeat note.
• Talk: Whether you want to laugh, cry or just relieve stress, find a friend, counselor or pastor who is available to talk to you.
• Do something you enjoy: Find an activity you really enjoy and make time for it. It can be any healthy activity you enjoy like gardening, playing with your kids, going for a walk, going to a restaurant, baking or even just sitting outside for a while to get some fresh air. . If the activity is healthy and enjoyable for you, go for it.
• Meditate: Sit in a quiet place, inhale through your nose, and let the air enter your abdomen. Then exhale through your mouth and let the air from your abdomen escape. When you meditate, focus on your breath. This is a meditation exercise that helps reduce stress.
• Yoga: Enroll in a yoga class or buy some yoga DVDs to relieve stress.

Make a plan to avoid relapse. Sometimes the craving for drugs comes on very violently, no matter what you do. That’s why it’s important to know exactly what to do when cravings kick in. Here are some coping strategies you can make part of your plan: ^[15]

• Think positively when dealing with drug cravings. Tell yourself it’s a craving that is almost certain to happen and is often easier to deal with. Think, “I need to get over each drug craving so I can stay sober.”
• Keeping a list of activities that you enjoy and can help you forget the urge to take drugs. Some pastimes might include reading, journaling, going to the movies, watching movies at home, or eating out.
• Imagine you are a surfer determined to ride the waves until the craving passes. See yourself standing on top of the wave until it rises, reaches the crest and then comes back to the gentle white foam. This technique is known as “surf surfing”.
• List all the benefits and consequences of using methamphetamine on a card that you can keep with you at all times. When cravings arise, you pull that card out to remind yourself that you really won’t feel good about taking drugs.
• Call your responsible partner, or another supportive friend, or family member so you can talk cravings through.

Set meaningful goals. Targets are often powerful tools for drug prevention. When you focus on achieving your goals, you are less likely to return to drugs. It doesn’t matter what the goal is – it can be family, career, or even personal goals like finishing a marathon or writing your first book. Just make sure the goals you choose are important to you.

Get help as soon as you get addicted again. Call your addiction partner, therapist, pastor, and go to meetings or make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. Your goal is to get back on the right track and get out of the danger zone as soon as possible.

• Relapse is a common phenomenon in the recovery process. Don’t be discouraged by that. Instead of seeing it as a failure, see it as an opportunity to learn. When you come to your senses, consider what caused you to relapse and figure out what to do the next time the situation happens again.

Make a list of places where you would like to volunteer. After recovering for a while, you can help educate people or help others complete the recovery process. In fact, many people consider volunteering a necessary part of their recovery. ^[16] Being a role model or educator is a great way to help other people quit smoking. As a result, you too can maintain your sanity and boost your self-esteem. Volunteering also helps reduce rates of depression and enhances feelings of satisfaction and happiness in life. ^[17] .

• When making that list, you should consider the types of people you want to work with. Whoever they are, make sure you know them well before agreeing to volunteer.
• Some factors to consider when choosing where to volunteer include the age and gender of the participants. Some people may be interested in educating young people, while others want to support people of certain genders.

Find out the requirements. Once you’ve made a list of places you’d like to volunteer, you begin to learn the requirements of each of those organizations. Some programs have stricter guidelines than others, especially if you want to counsel young people. If you meet the volunteer requirements, keep the organization’s name on the list. If not, cross it off and move on to the next name on the list.

• Make sure volunteering time is right for you. For example, if you only want to volunteer once a month, you must make sure that the guiding principle does not require weekly contact.

Contact the “contributor” to inquire about the program. Sometimes organizations already have an official volunteer program and you just need to fill out a registration form and wait for them to contact you. Sometimes, especially if you want to talk to students in a school setting, you may need to call the head of the organization first to see if you can volunteer there.

• Usually you can find contact information on the website. You can call the contact person or send them a short e-mail.