Effective Strategies for Meth Detoxification
Amphetamines, like methamphetamine (or meth), are man-made stimulants that work by releasing the body’s natural energy chemicals (neurotransmitters). They stimulate the brain’s reward center and their effects last longer than other stimulants like cocaine, often at a cheaper cost.
“I started using speed and couldn’t keep asking my mom for $20. I had to start selling it or steal because I had a big habit. So, I was stealing cars and stereos, and I would rip off anyone who gave me money just to get high. Stealing cars got me high too.”
– 17-year-old recovering IV meth user
No matter how you take meth—whether snorting, injecting, ingesting orally, or smoking—it causes long-term and sometimes permanent damage to both your body and brain.
Meth usage disrupts your body’s production of essential neurotransmitters, alters brain chemistry to increase meth cravings, leads to degeneration of serotonin fibers, and impairs five brain regions responsible for decision-making.
If you’ve been using meth for a while, you might notice irritability, memory problems, confusion, paranoia, anxiety, poor judgment, aggression, or hallucinations. These issues stem from an imbalance in your neurotransmitters, which means you can’t properly experience pleasure, pain, and other sensations naturally.
Detoxing from meth removes toxins that can build up and potentially cause psychosis—a condition where users lose touch with reality, experience hallucinations, and may develop schizophrenia or paranoid psychoses.
During a meth treatment program, withdrawal symptoms can be managed with medication when necessary. The initial detox phase focuses on stabilization and addressing malnourishment. Medications to reduce cravings may be provided alongside nutritional supplements and anti-depressants if needed as determined by your detox team.
An initial assessment will help determine the severity of your addiction and recommend the most suitable type of detox and treatment setting. Here are some common approaches:
– **Office-based Opiate Addiction Treatment (O-BOAT):** Meth detox takes place in a private doctor’s office who is authorized to prescribe certain medications for detox. This method does not include on-site counseling or interaction with other addicts.
– **Social Model Detoxification:** This can be residential or outpatient, usually lasting between 7 to 28 days. It provides a safe, sober environment without much medical staff present. The focus is on rebalancing body and brain chemistry to prepare for full recovery.
– **Hospitalization:** Detox happens in a medical hospital’s detox unit.
– **”White Knuckling”:** Attempting to quit meth on your own without medical supervision, which can be dangerous and potentially fatal due to severe withdrawal symptoms.
As meth leaves your system when you stop using it, your body fully metabolizes the drug remnants, and your brain chemistry will gradually return to normal. Meth is usually cleared from your body in about a week, but it can take several months for your body to fully adjust and function as it did before using meth. Your ability to think clearly and manage your own recovery will come back during this time.
