Quitting Meth and What to Expect

An addiction to methamphetamine is by far one of the most destructive of all chemical dependencies and can be one of the most grueling battles of your life when trying to quit. There is certainly no managing a meth addiction. It either consumes you entirely, putting you through some of the most disturbing physical deteriorations, or you kick the habit for good and forever. If you or a loved one is fighting a battle with meth, it’s a matter of life or death to get help and beat this thing before it consumes you.You may have seen the statistics and colorful charts that show only a small percentage of meth addicts are able to quit. But don’t focus on those things. Focus on being the strongest you can be to get yourself into that small percentage of victories. While the journey will be difficult and challenging, quitting is possible. It will require treatment and help but you can come out of this alive and intact if you put your mind and soul toward the act of getting clean.DetoxThe crucial first step on the path of quitting meth is to get it all out of your system, a process known as medical detoxification. This process can be physically painful and mentally exhausting, which is why it is necessary to undergo this detox process in a reputable treatment facility or hospital environment. While detoxing, the body will go through a whole series of difficult withdrawal symptoms, including:

  • Shakes and Seizures
  • Chest Pain
  • Difficulty Breathing
  • Paranoia and Hallucinations
  • Mood Swings and sometimes violent outbursts
  • Weight Loss and Vomiting
  • Risk of Heart Attack

These are serious side effects, of course, and that’s why it’s so important to have medical professionals supervise the process. The whole process can last up to 2 weeks and medical staff will also be watching for co-occurring disorders triggered by the meth abuse and detoxification.TreatmentAfter you get through the detox and the body has been cleaned of all traces of methamphetamine, the next step is to begin repairing your body and health, as well as preparing for a new life of resisting the temptation to use meth again. This is the phase where you overcome the underlying issues that resulted in your decision to use meth in the first place and the factors that contributed to your ongoing dependency.Inpatient rehab facilities often employ multiple rounds of assorted counseling to help you come to terms with these underlying issues in an effort to arm you with knowledge of how to resist the urges that will arise in the future.Each treatment facility and medical professional will have unique approaches to this process so it’s best to find a place that suits your own unique needs. This will be a trying process that will span months and years of your life as you repair your physical health from the damage done during the addiction phase and learn to accommodate new behaviors and practices that will keep you clean and away from future use of meth.