Meth Addiction in Joliet, IL

Joliet Drug Rehab Centers provides connections for recovery for individuals with meth addiction to help them learn how to manage their illness and return to normal function. Meth addiction can cause profound damage to physical and mental health that requires intensive care that allows them to heal in both body and mind. Joliet Drug Rehab Centers can provide help from the detox phase to aftercare to help individuals rebuild their lives in sobriety.      

Meth Use in the United States   

Methamphetamine is the drug of choice in a number of areas of United States, but it is mainly used in the western United States and rural areas of the central U.S. It is produced in small laboratories and sold on the street at a cheap price. It produced a high that can last as long as six hours, producing feelings of euphoria, energy, well being and hyperactivity. The drug also affects judgment, which can make it a dangerous substance to use. Meth addiction floods the brain with dopamine, a brain chemical that produces pleasant feelings. But it can also cause constriction of blood vessels and racing heartbeat, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. Individuals stay aware for days, fail to eat and then crash, sleeping for days at a time.

Long-Term Effects of Meth Use

Individuals who use meth regularly develop a variety of problems. Their teeth begin to rot and loosen. They may have crawling sensations under the skin, which causes them to constantly pick at the skin’s surface, creating open sores. They fail to eat, lose weight, develop paranoia or begin to hallucinate. After a crash, they may be unable to feel any emotion and may fall into a deep depression. Research indicates the adverse effects of meth addiction use on the brain can take some time to reverse. Individuals may have difficulty with concentration, memory and impaired motor function. However, these effects diminish over time.

Treatment of Meth Addiction

Methamphetamine addiction treatment begins with detox to remove the substance from the patient’s body. Withdrawal can be a difficult process that produces chills, shaking, nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating, heart palpitations, aggressive behavior, high blood pressure and suicidal ideation. Medical detox can help to control these symptoms so that the individual can withdraw from meth safely. After detox, patients concentrate on individual and group counseling which can provide insights on motivations for using meth to manage frustration and other emotions. Patients undergo cognitive behavioral therapy to help them recognize negative thought patterns and how to implement positive behaviors to achieve better outcomes in life.

Relapse prevention is an important part of methamphetamine addiction treatment. Learning the “triggers” that can cause individuals to fall back into drug use allows them to recognize impending relapses and apply effective measures to prevent them. Developing an aftercare strategy sets up a structure of support the individual can use after the treatment program has ended to maintain their sobriety in normal life.

Dealing With Cravings

Methamphetamine can produce severe cravings, long after a treatment program has been completed. Relapses are common that threaten to undermine all the work that individuals have done in their treatment. However, with appropriate medications and ongoing counseling, individuals can overcome their meth addictions and go on to rebuild successful, productive lives.  

Recovery from meth addiction is possible with skilled professional treatment in quiet, healing environments such as those connected with Joliet Drug Rehab Centers. Just give our caring recovery advocates a call today at (779) 333-0829.