Methamphetamine Treatment

April 14, 2008

It has often been said that the treatment of an drug addiction is a five year battle where the patient is trying to save their own life. Though the five year mark is an arbitrary one, it is only after being clean and sober for five years that the odds of a relapse occurring drop radically, even completely.

Additionally, it takes at least that length of time for the brain to completely heal and be back to normal in appearance and function.A healthy lifestyle resulting from sobriety is the focus of methamphetamine (or any substance) treatment. The goal is educating the patient how to feel good and live without the use of any substance. With methamphetamine treatment, there is normally several weeks where the patient is in an in-patient setting, constantly supervised by a health care official or doctor who monitors the individual’s compliance to the treatment center’s rules and regulations.

Initially, when the patient is inducted into the treatment setting, they are usually depressed and very irritable as they proceed through the detoxification process. Oftentimes, anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medications have to be administered, and the patient may need these medicines for weeks, months, and even years. The bottom line is that the withdrawal process does not have to be a difficult one if the patient follows the center’s instructions to the letter and takes the prescribed medicines.

First and foremost, the patient needs to be honest with themselves and with others regarding the addiction and the need for help. Until this point in their lives is reached, there is not much hope that any treatment, no matter how often the occurrence, will ever be successful. Once they have completed the treatment, they usually have to enroll in a Narcotics Anonymous (NA) program in order to maintain their sobriety. Once they have peace of mind and they feel better about themselves, the desire to use drugs usually goes away.

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