Crystal meth has stormed the United Kingdom in the last twelve months. No longer can this drug be described solely as a US phenomenon.
We expect to see a steady rise in the number of casualties this terrible drug leaves behind.
Each day we receive a call from a person in need of rehab treatment for crystal meth addiction. Five years ago this was a rare occurrence.
This increase in the occurrence of crystal meth addiction has prompted us to devise tailored treatment programmes for crystal meth addicts.
You are able to take advantage of this treatment by calling us today on 0800 140 4690.
Crystal meth is short for crystal methamphetamine and it is classed as a stimulant. Chemically, crystal meth is an amphetamine.
Other amphetamines include speed and ‘base’. If you are addicted to crystal meth then it is likely you consume this substance via inhalation.
Here the crystalline form of methamphetamine is typically grounded down and inserted into a pipe. However, some crystal meth users may choose to consume the drug orally, intravenously or nasally.
Crystal meth’s effects on the human brain are entirely psychological. Users feel an intense feeling of self-confidence and even euphoria.
Unfortunately, crystal meth consumption presents a number of medium and long-term health risks. These include insomnia, weight loss, dental erosion, muscle atrophy and even blindness.
Crystal meth abuse can lead to psychosis as well as death. For this reason, it is essential you receive treatment for your crystal meth addiction without any unnecessary delay.
The longer you wait for treatment, the more likely you are to suffer long-term psychological and physical health problems as a result.
Individuals are vulnerable to a variety of negative effects when they take crystal meth on a frequent or excessive basis.
The drug greatly impacts the brain and body, and symptoms of abuse can be diverse and life-altering.
In terms of mental health, some of the effects include:
The drug also affects physical health too, with regular consumption causing:
Not everyone is equally vulnerable to developing an unhealthy dependency on crystal meth. In fact, there are a variety of risk factors that affect people differently, and understanding these can be useful for preventing the development of an addiction.
The genetics we inherit from our parents greatly influence our potential for developing an addiction to crystal meth. The prominence of addiction can be identified across generations, and there are several ways that this works.
Our genes can, for example, influence our probability of forming a physical dependency, our experiences of withdrawal, and our likelihood to become depressed or anxious about going without crystal meth.
Crystal meth addiction has also been found to be more likely if an individual has a family history of crime or drug use [1].
Mental health conditions are strongly linked with cases of substance abuse. Termed as dual diagnosis, this connection is well known to be an important risk factor in crystal meth addiction.
An individual living with anxiety, for example, is more likely to experience negative symptoms such as overthinking, distress, and panic. If available, crystal meth is going to be more alluring, given that the feelings of pleasure it provides can calm such symptoms.
More so than those without anxiety, such an individual will then be more motivated to keep using the drug as a form of self-medication, leading them into addiction.
Our interactions with other people and our surroundings greatly influence our ideas and attitudes about the world. Our relationship with drug use can be heavily influenced in this way.
If an individual is raised in an environment where crystal meth is prevalent, spoke about casually, and used as though just a normal part of life, they will become desensitised to it and be more likely to consume it themselves.
But it isn’t just our experiences as children that can cause this. If we associate with friends or colleagues who use crystal meth regularly, we can begin to see it as an acceptable thing to use casually or excessively. Peer pressure can also force us into unhealthy consumption.
Crystal meth is a stimulant, that manipulates the central nervous system when used to make the consumer feel energetic and alert.
This physical effect of the drug means that it has a very high abuse potential, and so rehab will be required to break obsessive consumption habits. But how does crystal meth rehab work?
The first step of effective treatment is to tackle the body’s dependency on crystal meth. The process involves an individual weaning their body from the drug by gradually reducing consumption until cravings are no longer present.
Detox must be carried out with care and patience. Crystal meth withdrawal can be dangerous, and so the treatment must only be conducted under the supervision of doctors and addiction specialists.
This supervision ensures not only that the body is weaned at a rate that ensures it no longer experiences cravings, but also that the transition into sobriety is not too sudden as to put physical or mental health in danger.
Once the physical side of addiction has been tackled, crystal meth rehab must then focus on the psychological hold that the substance has.
As the body becomes reliant on the drug to function, so too does the brain, with an individual believing they need it to live.
Therapy can adopt a whole host of different forms. Familial relationships, anxiety-inducing situations, and mental health conditions – regardless of where addictive triggers lie, therapy aims to identify them and support individuals in coping with them more effectively.
It’s all well and good learning about crystal meth rehab, but it is equally essential to understand when you or someone you know needs to undergo treatment.
The quickest way to recognise a need for crystal meth rehab is to determine whether you are physically dependent on the drug. This is simply indicated by the manifestation of withdrawal symptoms when crystal meth consumption stops.
Alternatively, a safer way to recognise addictive behaviours is to conduct the CAGE questionnaire.
In order to identify whether you exhibit some of the behaviours/thought patterns associated with substance abuse, you can ask yourself the following four questions:
Answering ‘yes’ to any of these questions may determine your need for crystal meth rehab.
Because of the physical toll that crystal meth abuse takes, its sudden absence can be devastating for the body.
Just like with alcohol and heroin, stopping crystal meth consumption causes intense and sometimes dangerous withdrawal.
A few hours after crystal meth has been absent, individuals will experience an initial decline in mood. This is usually characterised as a ‘come-down’ as the body adjusts to the drug’s effects wearing off.
Once a day has passed, more pronounced symptoms develop as the body experiences what is widely termed as ‘the crash’. Individuals become restless, irritable, or even aggressive. The low mood developed earlier can also swell into a depressive state.
After a few days, cravings can become unbearable, in turn sparking an increase in appetite and uncomfortable sleep.
After about the fourth day of withdrawal, mood-related symptoms can begin to subside. However, this is usually accompanied by the arrival of new symptoms.
These can include paranoia, numbness, and an inability to feel pleasure, both sexually and in general.
After 7 days of withdrawal, the majority of symptoms will either lessen in severity or disappear altogether.
Some individuals might develop Post-acute withdrawals symptoms (PAWS), and experience symptoms for much longer than the initial 7–10-day period.
Research suggests that PAWS develops as a result of the changes in the brain’s structure that develop during substance abuse which are also responsible for an individual’s gradual increase in tolerance for crystal meth [2].
Of course, withdrawal can affect everyone differently. Just as crystal meth can cause different pleasures and negative consequences between individuals, the symptoms that result from withdrawal can be equally diverse.
Possible examples include:
Denial is widely considered to be a common aspect of the addiction experience [3]. Many who abuse crystal meth either deny that they have a problem, or consider their usage to be insufficient reason to seek treatment. This is very dangerous.
The effects of crystal meth abuse can be both uncomfortable and dangerous, and not treating them will only lead to the situation becoming worse. Tolerance will increase, and then so too will consumption, and the body and mind’s dependencies will only worsen.
As a result, accepting that you need help and recognising the need for treatment is so important.
It is the only way you can relieve yourself of the stranglehold addiction has on your life, and only through embracing treatment will long-term recovery be achieved.
It’s an important question. Family, friends, and colleagues will need to know how long they can expect you to be away, so being able to provide them with an answer can make everything a lot easier.
The most common duration for crystal meth rehab is 28 days. Detox takes around 7 to 10 days to safely wean the body and treat withdrawal, then a further 3 weeks are spent addressing psychological triggers via therapy.
Individuals can, however, spend longer in crystal meth rehab. Variations usually result from the severity of a condition, the willingness of an individual to engage with treatment, and the time it takes to find a suitable therapeutic approach.
The options for crystal meth rehab are varied, with both public and private support programmes on offer in the UK.
Each have their benefits and limitations, and considering both is important for finding the best option for your circumstances.
In terms of private crystal meth rehab, support comes in the form of treatment programmes offered by companies.
These programmes lend emphasis to comfort, luxury, and enjoyment, with rehab being a process of healing and boosted overall wellbeing.
This, of course, comes with advantages. Individuals get access to both detox and therapy, as well as a wide range of complimentary treatment options. Holistic therapies, spa treatments, and exercise classes are just a few examples of what private centres offer.
Private companies also have much more freedom in how much they can pay their staff. Not only does this mean they can employ addiction experts in abundance to ensure support is available 24/7, but it also means the services of industry-leading specialists can be accessed.
But with such a high amount of support and luxury comes an equally high bill.
The price of private crystal meth rehab is exceptional, often reaching up into the hundreds of thousands of pounds. For most people, this is simply unaffordable.
Publicly available crystal meth support looks very different to private options, and it comes in two main forms.
Support offered by the NHS comes in the form of drop-in sessions. Free to access, these offer individuals the opportunity to talk about their situation with a medical professional and receive guidance as to how best to improve it.
This is, however, obviously limited, and those with more severe crystal meth addictions will not benefit enough from them.
For these more serious conditions, public support is offered as council funding. Local councils provide the money for people to pay for private crystal meth rehab, granting them the opportunity to get the support they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford.
The process of getting funding is not easy though. Councils require individuals to consistently demonstrate their dedication to recovery, and the long process doesn’t guarantee everyone the funding they need. In the meantime, conditions can become worse.
In addition to private or public, individuals must also make a decision as to whether they will entrust their crystal meth rehab to inpatient or outpatient treatment methods.
An equally important decision and both options again have their set of pros and cons.
Otherwise known as residential rehab, inpatient programmes offer crystal meth rehab entirely within a treatment facility. Individuals enter a centre and take up accommodation, staying until they have completed both detox and therapy.
The primary advantage of this option is that it keeps individuals safe. Treatments are conducted within the walls of a facility, ensuring every detox and therapy session is watched and managed by a team of dedicated addiction experts.
This attentiveness also guarantees the effectiveness of treatment. Safe, monitored and guided crystal meth rehab is more likely to result in sobriety and a change in perspective.
The only disadvantage individuals face is the limitations that inpatient rehab sets on their personal life and freedoms. They are unable to see family and friends or return to work until treatment has been completed, and this can be tough to deal with.
Instead of rehab, outpatient services offer a different recovery approach. They adopt a more flexible treatment structure, with individuals attending weekly meetings while continuing to live at home.
The flexible nature of this approach to recovery is its greatest advantage. Sessions can be arranged to fit around family and professional responsibilities, and their content can be shaped and adjusted to be as beneficial as possible.
Meetings can tackle specific doubts, fears, or obstacles that an individual is facing, or shift their emphases in order to lend support where it is most needed.
This ensures individuals are optimally supported throughout their recovery and are always able to face their struggles.
However, outpatient services are only so helpful. Without supervision, individuals return home between sessions without any way of protecting themselves from relapse. Detox is not possible via outpatient support, and so only recently developed conditions can benefit.
Detox is the most dangerous stage of crystal meth rehab. By no means is it always a risk to health, but the variety of potential withdrawal symptoms associated with the process means that individuals are vulnerable to discomfort or pain in some form.
However, that is not to say that individuals must suffer or endure such discomfort during detox. Medications are commonly used during crystal meth addiction recovery, and there are options available to make detox a bit easier.
Benzodiazepines are the most common form of withdrawal treatment. These drugs dampen the impact of symptoms, keeping them within a manageable range and empowering individuals to resist the urge to relapse and get sober.
Unless you get council funding, paying for crystal meth rehab can be a daunting thing to consider.
The important thing to remember is that there are so many options for treatment, and so there are an equally wide range of prices for support.
For a 28-day rehab, the price ranges from £8,000 to £12,000 for a single room. For a multi-occupancy room, the cost lowers to £6,000.
For a 10-day detox, the price ranges from £3,000 to £6,000 for a single room. For a multi-occupancy room, the range is £2,000 to £4,000.
For a home detox, the cost tends to be around £1,500.
If you are concerned about someone you care about, it is essential that you know the signs of crystal meth addiction and how your loved one’s health and behaviour might change as a result of the condition.
Potential changes in behaviour include:
Potential changes in physical health include:
Potential changes in cognitive ability include:
Once an individual has completed detox and gotten to a point where they are physically stable enough to confront their addictive motivations, the treatment options open up. Therapy can adopt so many different strategies to be effective.
Perhaps the most conventional format of support, an individual works one-to-one with a therapist and talks about their thoughts, feelings, and behavioural tendencies. Sessions forge a bond between them, increasing trust and creating a safe and productive space.
In order to shift behaviour, this treatment targets the thought processes behind them. By identifying the repetitive and harmful ways in which an individual thinks about substance use, CBT can help them break away from their habitual ways of behaving.
Emotions – like grief, heartache, sadness, and anger – are often the fire burning at the heart of addiction. Handling them is usually the hard part, pushing individuals towards the easy solution of crystal meth abuse, so DBT uses conversation to generate coping mechanisms.
Using art, music, animals, exercise, and yoga can sometimes be the key to unlocking a substance abuse condition. Holistic therapies use such techniques to approach crystal meth addictions from a wider angle to boost overall well-being and health.
Establishing motivation is a difficult thing to do when it comes to fighting crystal meth addiction. It is even harder to sustain such a motivation, but motivational interviewing looks to draw attention towards an individual’s aspirations so that they remain committed.
Strains and disagreements within the family can be great sources of tension, and for those who are vulnerable to addiction, they can be serious triggers. Family therapy facilitates conversations between relatives to alleviate such tensions and develop better bonds.
Crystal meth rehab hosts a lot of recovering individuals, and conversations between them can be immensely helpful. Group therapy allows individuals to learn from one another, share their treatment journeys, and support and guide those of the group who need it.
Through the experience of treating hundreds of crystal methusers, we believe the only viable treatment option is residential rehabilitation treatment. This is because when you stop taking crystal meth a powerful withdrawal process is precipitated.
You will require 24/7 medical attention. We believe only residential based treatment is capable of offering this heightened level of support. Residential treatment requires you to live inside the treatment centre for the entire course of your programme.
Residential treatment programmes typically last for up to 28 days. The duration of your crystal meth treatment programme is determined before your treatment begins.
Factors affecting the duration of your treatment include the severity and duration of your crystal meth addiction.
When you enter a crystal meth rehab unit you must be willing to undergo a detox programme. During detox, your system is purged of crystal meth.
Once detox is complete you must join therapy and counselling sessions.
Here you are armed with a strong mental foundation required to fight off crystal method cravings you will experience following the completion of rehabilitation.
Following the residential part of rehabilitation, you are offered a generous package of aftercare.
Here you are permitted to return to your rehabilitation centre for a further twelve months following the residential stage of recovery. Aftercare ensures your recovery is not short-lived.
Crystal meth addiction can damage your body, disrupt your mental health, and seriously affect your professional and familial relationships. If you need help, you seriously need to access it!
But that doesn’t mean you need to figure everything out by yourself.
If you are in need of crystal meth rehab but don’t know where to look for treatment, what treatment plan you should select, or how to get funding, get in touch with us and let us help.
Get your crystal meth treatment off to a winning start by calling Rehab 4 Addiction today on 0800 140 4690.
Alternatively, contact us through the website and a member of our team will respond to you shortly.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2588572/
[2] https://www.semel.ucla.edu/dual-diagnosis-program/News_and_Resources/PAWS
[3] http://pure-oai.bham.ac.uk/ws/files/25519189/DENIAL_PICKARD_M_L_FINAL_PRE_PROOF.pdf
