You or a loved one may be addicted to meth, and you’d like to take the proper steps to overcome your addiction. Overcoming a drug dependency isn’t easy, but it’s vital to your health. Unfortunately, while addicted to Methamphetamine (meth), you’re putting your life in jeopardy. Furthermore, your addiction may be affecting those who care about you.
No one said it was going to be easy to go through withdrawal. But with a plan in place, it’s possible.
In the beginning stages, you can expect the following side effects to happen:
- Dehydration
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Muscle pain
- Changes in appetite
- Cravings for meth
- Feeling tired
- Anxiety
In the long term, you may experience:
- Disruption in sleep
- Cravings
- On-going anxiety
- Depression
- Cognitive issues
Thankfully, experiencing these side effects doesn’t have to control your life. And in time, these symptoms should eventually go away.
However, to successfully go through withdrawal, you must have the proper course of treatment. Read over these tips to learn how you can overcome your meth addiction.
Table of Contents
1. Stay Abstinent Moving Forward
The longer you stay abstinent from meth, the great chances for a full recovery. Abstinence begins with detoxing. So make arrangements with a care facility where they can monitor everything. For example, if you live in California, an excellent recovery center is Hollywood Hills Recovery.
After about a year of being abstinent, your brain begins to restore itself. Your brain’s formation of dopamine improves, and its functioning is almost back to normal. As a result, other symptoms you may experience lessen as well. For example, you should feel less depressed and have an easier time sleeping.
So, the longer you can stay abstinent, the better. That’s not to say that if you have a slip-up, you go back to square one. But staying away from meth is vital to your recovery. You must give your body and brain time to heal to regain full functioning.
2. Learn How To Manage Triggers
There will always be triggers that may tempt you to use meth. For example, you may run into someone from your past. Or, you may get stressed out from getting let go from a job or a loved one passing away.
Triggers are at every corner, but there are some you can control. For example, if you’re friends with other addicts, it’s best to cut ties. Being around them will only tempt you to use meth again.
To manage your triggers, surround yourself with positive people. Practicing meditation and doing yoga are other ways to cope with triggers. In addition, having a list of ways to cope with triggers can keep your cravings at bay.
3. Go To Therapy
Having someone in your corner can make overcoming your addiction possible. Confiding in friends and family is great, but you may not feel comfortable telling them everything.
With a therapist, you can feel safe while divulging everything. As they learn more about you, they can develop a plan for you. Furthermore, they may recommend for you to use cognitive therapy.
Overcoming addiction isn’t possible without getting help, which goes beyond detoxing. It’s recommended to get a professional involved to continue to remain abstinent.
4. Get Enough Exercise
As you struggle with cravings, you need to funnel your energy elsewhere. Exercise is the perfect way to stay healthy and distract yourself from craving meth.
Staying active results in endorphins that make you happy. Having plenty of endorphins has positive effects. Your hypothalamus and pituitary gland release endorphins. When released, the endorphins combat the pain or stress you may experience.
Exercise isn’t a cure-all, but it makes it easier to cope with cravings. Plus, it’s an excellent way to improve your health and make good decisions.
5. Don’t Give Up
We’ve mentioned that the recovery process isn’t always easy. It’s true; it will take time to get used to not having meth in your system. Furthermore, you will experience cravings, fatigue, possible depression, and more.
You shouldn’t give up when things get difficult, though. Going back to using meth has adverse effects in every aspect of your life. In worse case, people who cannot stop using drugs overdose and lose their lives.
Conclusion
Overcoming the side effects of meth use takes time. So be patient with yourself throughout your recovery.
There’s a process one must follow when withdrawing from meth. Going to a detox center and follow-up care are the first steps you must take. From there, staying abstinent will take work.
Recovery is possible by applying the above tips. Various techniques work differently for every person, so stick with what works best for you!
