Meth addiction isn’t a healthy endeavor. Over time, there is mental and physical deterioration that compromises your overall health. When you are ready to enter meth addiction treatment, you may be in very bad shape. Meth addict treatment is presented as the answer to the problem of prescription drugs that can cause addictions. You may well wonder if the help it offers is comprehensive. Can you rely upon it to correct the myriad health complications you have created or worsened due to your drug use?
What Mental and Physical Problems Are Created by Using Meth?
When you use methamphetamine on a chronic basis, chemical and molecular changes occur in the brain. Studies that use imaging, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, show alteration in the activity of the brain’s dopamine system that are linked to impaired verbal learning and reduced motor skills. These, and other brain changes, relate to problems with emotion and memory.
On a psychological level, long-term meth users will experience:
- Violent behavior
- Mood disturbances
On a physical level, long-term meth users will experience:
- Extreme weight loss
- Skin sores
- Dental problems
- Increased risk of contracting HIV and hepatitis B and C
Will Meth Addiction Treatment Fix These Problems?
If you are diagnosed with a physical or mental condition in addition to addiction, you should be looking for a meth addict treatment center that works to treat methamphetamine abuse and the other disorder. These centers specialize in dual diagnosis. In one of these facilities, you can expect both diagnosed issues to be treated simultaneously. In such an instance, things are likely to be treated, but expecting a cure is unrealistic. For instance, if you have HIV or hepatitis, it won’t be “fixed.”
Will Other Health Issues Ease Up Over Time?
In the case of things like weight loss and insomnia, some time in recovery leading a healthy, stable life will alleviate or lessen the condition.
The Potential Meth Addict Treatment Identified at UCLA; Naltrexone May Have a Role in Meth Addiction Treatment
Currently, meth addiction treatment offers the greatest chance at achieving successful recovery outcomes. Participants not only cease their drug use, they also return to living healthy, stable lives. However, unlike opiate or alcohol addict treatment, meth addict treatment doesn’t use medications in assisting people with their recovery. There is currently no medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in meth addiction treatment.
However, a study by UCLA researchers determined Naltrexone, commonly used in the treatment of alcohol addiction, may work well in the treatment of meth addiction.
What Is the Study?
Published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, this was the first American investigation of Naltrexone use for managing meth addiction.
Eight female and 22 male meth users were analyzed. Each person used the drug an average of three to four days out of the week. All subjects participated in a four-day hospital stay, during which they were given Naltrexone or a placebo each day. After ten days elapsed, the participants returned to the hospital for another four days. During the second stay, those who initially received placebos were given Naltrexone and vice versa.
On the final day of each hospital stay, everyone was given an intravenous dose of meth. After three hours elapsed, they were asked how much they wanted meth and how they felt.
What Were the Results?
Based on the responses they received, researchers discovered Naltrexone significantly diminished cravings for meth and made them less excited by it. In addition, the subjects’ pulse readings and heart rates were much higher among those who were given placebos when compared to those given Naltrexone. Also, those subjects given Naltrexone responded considerably less when given drug paraphernalia.
What Role Could This Serve in Meth Addict Treatment?
Without further clinical trials, this study won’t lead to changes in meth addiction treatment. But, the study does point to potential future changes, provided researchers keep investigating the use of Naltrexone.
Does Exercise Help Meth Addict Treatment? Physical Activity and Meth Addiction Treatment
When you are actively using meth, you aren’t thinking about exercising. It’s all you can do to keep your life together and not destroy the stability you established for yourself. There isn’t time to think about keeping your heart rate up, jogging, or working with weights. When you enter meth addict treatment, you won’t automatically become a fan of exercise. Fitness won’t be the first thing you are anxious to undertake. However, studies indicate that including exercise in a comprehensive meth addiction treatment program improves outcomes and strengthens recovery.
Meth addict treatment won’t have you running laps the first day you arrive, but you will have opportunities to participate in physical recreation. Start small. Walk a little bit each day and challenge yourself to do a little more each day. Consider asking one of your peers in treatment to join you. But, be careful that you don’t begin applying your addictive behavior to exercise.
Exercise Will Help You Sleep More Soundly
Meth addiction impedes body functions, like circadian rhythms, which can make falling asleep and/or staying asleep without the use of drugs quite difficult. Exercise helps you become more balances and that will help you revert to a normal sleep cycle. And, when you are well rested, your body will heal faster, which is important in early recovery.
Exercise Will Help You Deal with Negative Emotions
When you are in meth addict treatment, you will feel overwhelmed because you are experiencing stress and you can’t fix it with meth use. Exercise is a wonderful outlet for these feelings. You can use it to calm anxiety, reduce stress, release anger, and be proactive in dealing with these feelings. There is also substantial research that demonstrates exercise reduces depression among recovering meth addicts.
Exercise Will Increase Your Self-Esteem
The more you practice fitness, the better you will become at doing so. As you reach milestones, you can appreciate those successes and it is a great starting point for appreciating your other meth addiction treatment accomplishments.