Meth Detox & Withdrawal Symptoms
Methamphetamine withdrawal is a difficult and painful process that requires professional intervention to avoid relapse. Most people who try to give meth up will experience a crash or comedown as your body gets used to functioning without it. Meth depletes your brain’s reserves of serotonin and dopamine, which are responsible for regulating your sleep, mood and digestion and many of the withdrawal symptoms affect these faculties. Because methamphetamine is such a potent drug that causes tolerance to develop quickly, it is best to detox in a medically supervised environment where your meth withdrawal symptoms can be managed safely.
Meth Withdrawal Symptoms
Meth withdrawal symptoms are divided into three categories: acute, subacute, and Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS), which causes symptoms to occur over a protracted period of time in some individuals.
During the acute phase of withdrawal, former meth users may experience painful acute meth withdrawal symptoms such as
- Headaches
- >Dehydration
- Drug cravings
- Spasms and muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Psychosis
- Insomnia
- Changes in appetite
- Agitation
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Hallucinations
- Confusion
- Suicidal thoughts
In the subacute phase, you may go through
- Disturbed sleep patterns
- Severe depression
- Intense drug cravings for meth
- Cognitive problems
- Anxiety
Crystal meth is the most potent and purest form of methamphetamine. Other forms like speed (a fine white powder that is snorted, snorted or swallowed) and base (an oily and brown or yellow substance that is usually injected) are cut with other substances, which makes them less pure.
Using crystal meth can induce more intense and longer-lasting meth withdrawal symptoms than speed or base when you try to quit. ‘Ice’ or crystal meth has a half life of between 6 and 15 hours, which means that it stays in the body for longer than less pure forms of methamphetamine, and the methamphetamine withdrawal process can be more uncomfortable.
The longer you have used methamphetamine for, the worse your methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms are likely to be. Older people tend to have more severe symptoms than younger people. Your meth withdrawal symptoms are subject to
- Your state of physical and mental health
- The purity and potency of meth you have been using
- Your history of using other substances, including alcohol
Meth Withdrawal Timeline
In the meth withdrawal timeline, the acute meth withdrawal phase usually starts two to three days after your last dose, depending on the purity of the substance. Symptoms usually improve after a week, however the psychological symptoms can persist for weeks or months after you quit. The words crash, comedown and withdrawal are often used interchangeably however, they also reflect the progressive severity of symptoms after your last dose.
24-48 hours after your last dose of meth
This period is usually referred to as a ‘crash’ where your energy levels drop and your cognitive function declines. Sweating, nausea and abdominal cramps are common.
Days 3 to 10
This period is usually the peak of meth withdrawal as your brain adjusts to life without meth. Tiredness, depression and anxiety, muscle aches, tremors, extreme fatigue and meth cravings are common.
Days 14 to 20
By the end of the second week you should experience an improvement in physical symptoms but cravings will still be intense. Depression and fatigue is common.
After the first month of meth withdrawal your symptoms should be improving gradually. Anxiety and depression may be present for a few months.
How to Detox from Meth Safely
There are as many approaches to meth detox treatment as there are meth addiction patients, and each person’s recovery journey is different depending on their level of drug abuse. Detoxing from meth is difficult and often painful, which is why the rate of relapse is so high. For this reason we recommend a medically supervised detox process, to protect you against risks.
The safest approach to meth detox is a customized professional treatment. Our team will assess you to determine the right strategy, support, medication and provide professional medical advice that will help you to achieve your recovery goals.
Trusting Your Doctors
Meth addiction is a chronic but treatable disease and your recovery depends on you receiving the relevant medical support, intervention and addiction treatment. Trusting your private GP or rehab doctor is crucial to your recovery from drug addiction. You will need to tell your medical team about your meth use, how much you have been taking and how long you have been using it for, as well as whether any other substances (including alcohol) have been involved. We know that this is not easy to do, but you can rest assured that doctors adopt a professional attitude to treating you and will not judge you. Your physical and mental health is their concern and they can only safeguard your wellbeing when they know all the facts.
What to expect during inpatient treatment?
When you arrive at our detox center, you will be assessed, to find out how much meth you have been taking and how long you have been using it for. We will take your full medical history so we know what your risk factors are. We will tailor your detox program to suit your needs and long term recovery goals.
Once you have begun the medical detox program for methamphetamine addiction, you will be monitored 24-hours a day. Your hydration and nutrient levels will be monitored in a healthy diet and symptomatic medication will be used to keep you safe and comfortable. Medications may be prescribed for symptoms like psychosis, sleep problems, body pains and muscle aches, cravings, depression and cognitive function.
Benefits of a Residential Meth Detox
Detoxing in a residential setting means that you stay at the detox center for the duration of your program. We will stabilize your physical symptoms when they peak and keep your loved ones updated on your progress. Detoxing in a residential setting means you are in a safe and controlled environment, which lowers your risk of relapse and allow us to monitor closely your behavioral health conditions during your meth withdrawal.
A residential environment gives you privacy and professional support for your meth addiction treatment, while regulating your sleep patterns, diet and exercise regime so you can achieve balance in your life again. You will be free of the triggers that are in your home, and be able to have a break from the day-to-day stressors that may have contributed to your drug abuse.
Why Choose United Recovery CA for Meth Detox?
Our detox center specializes in helping you to overcome your meth dependency and to get your life back and within your control. We provide comprehensive detox and meth rehabilitation services that are designed to support long term sobriety. Our detox center is fully equipped and managed by a clinical team of addiction specialists who will support you through every stage of your journey in your addiction treatment.
We pride ourselves in our safe and distraction-free environment that facilitates long term recovery from meth use. We know our approach is effective because many of our former patients come back to participate in our alumni program, to assist new patients in living a life without substance abuse.
Why Choose United Recovery CA for Meth Detox and Withdrawal?
Our medical detox and rehabilitation center has been designed for comfort and safety to focus on your meth withdrawal process. We enable our patients to retreat into a luxurious and non-judgmental space where you receive 24-hour medical supervision and clinical interventions to help you forge your long term recovery path. Once your drug detox is complete you can enroll for in-patient or out-patient meth rehab in a familiar setting as you learn the tools and coping skills required to address the underlying triggers that resulted in your meth dependency. Aftercare, support groups and sober living homes provide you with extended care programs that facilitate long term sobriety in an understanding community.
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Is a Detox Enough to Tackle Addiction?
Going through detox is uncomfortable and painful, and it might seem like an impossible task for people with a long history of meth use. It’s important to realize that your detox is the beginning of your recovery journey and for many people, detox is the hardest part. Once you have completed your detox for meth withdrawal you will be physically free from meth, and you will be a stronger person than before.
Your detox will empower you to take on the issues that contributed to your meth dependency so that you can delve deeper into why and how it happened, in order to avoid relapse. The psychological and emotional triggers for your dependency must be worked through systematically, in a rehab program, and this is a long term process that needs extended care and long term support. Remember that many of the emotional symptoms can persist for months and you need a formalized support structure to be able to cope effectively.
