If you or a loved one is struggling with meth abuse, it can be helpful to know the effects that meth can have on the body and mind. Learn what symptoms you can expect while detoxing from meth as well as the withdrawal timeline as you prepare for your journey to recovery.
What Are the Effects of Using Meth?
Crystal meth— also known as speed, crank, tweak, ice, and glass— is a form of methamphetamine that a person can smoke, snort, or inject that initially gives the person a rush and then makes them feel high.
During the “high” period the person can feel aggressively smarter, argumentative, and hyper-focused on often meaningless ideas or tasks. This delusional period, sometimes called “tweaking”, can last for up to 16 hours.
Crystal Meth Comedown & Addiction
When the “tweaking” period is winding down and the rush and high are disappearing, the person develops a craving. If the person is not able to get high again and satisfy the craving and emptiness they have been left with, they could start to lose their identity. They may have chronic itching, be unable to sleep for days, and even enter a psychotic state in which the person may experience hallucinations, seeing and hearing things that no one else can.
That is why most people who have been using crystal meth have such a hard time stopping. The need to feed that craving is so intense that they will be focused on nothing else but where to get their next fix, and unfortunately, it gets harder and harder to achieve that same first rush that they felt. They may have become physically dependent on the crystal meth and built up a tolerance with chronic use.
Using crystal meth can lead to physiological and neurological changes in the person’s brain as it becomes reliant on the substance to properly function, making it extremely difficult to stop using without withdrawal symptoms.
Source: Freepik
Crystal Meth Withdrawal Timeline & Symptoms
Usually, when a person stops using crystal meth they will experience a “crash” which typically lasts 1 to 2 days and then a longer period of withdrawal that may persist between 5 days and 3 weeks.
Meth withdrawal symptoms may include:
- Fatigue and/or sleeping for unusually long periods of time
- Increased appetite
- Uncontrollable body movements and twitches
- Slowed reaction and movement
- Confused thoughts
- Body aches and pains
- Irritability and/or unpleasant dreams
- Emotional outbursts and mood swings
- Inability to experience pleasure
- Depression
The amount of time it takes to detox from meth can vary, based on many factors. For example, If you have been using crystal meth for longer than just a binge of 3 to 15 days, and are using a larger amount than other people, you may experience more intense withdrawal symptoms for a longer period of time.
Your symptoms may also be affected if you’ve been using other drugs alongside crystal meth. If you have any pre-existing psychological or physical ailments that could also be a factor, along with gender, age, and weight.
Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms (PAWS) can occur in chronic crystal meth users, during which symptoms could last longer than 2 weeks and even up to a year.
Some signs that you may be experiencing long-term side effects of meth use or PAWS are:
- Problems with short term memory
- Inability to concentrate or focus
- Lack of self-control
- Depression with or without suicidal ideation/behaviors
- Inability to experience pleasure
- Cravings
- Fatigue
- Sleep problems
- Physical complaints with no medical origin
How to Detox From Meth
Meth detox can be extremely uncomfortable and can trigger relapse but is generally not life-threatening. People can reduce the likelihood of relapse by detoxing with the help of medical professionals.
We at Pacific Crest Trail Detox, LLC are here to support people during the meth detox process with high-quality, affordable, and compassionate assistance for individuals looking to end their meth use and overcome the struggles of physical and psychological withdrawal.
Detoxing from Meth at PCTD
We employ traditional detoxification services and both mediation and clinical interventions, in order to facilitate as smooth and comfortable of a transition into sobriety as possible. We are located in a private home setting that allows each client to have the most comfortable experience possible. We offer 24-hour monitoring from trained and professional staff and adhere to high standards of clinical care.
Source: Freepik
Meth Rehab Program
Once a person has completed a meth detox program, the next best step is continuing the treatment process with a 30, 60, or 90-day treatment program. We at Oregon Trail Recovery, LLC are here to support and educate people during this process.
We offer, medically assisted treatment, individual, and group therapy sessions and support groups, 12 step meetings at least 5 nights a week, Wellbriety curriculum, support meetings, and family therapy.
People can also benefit from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), vocational and/or educational assistance, identifying triggers, relapse prevention, and spiritual sessions. At OTR our clients will gain knowledge about the disease of addiction and be given tools to use going forward in sobriety to cope with everyday life. Our clients can live on-site in one of our same-sex recovery houses while in treatment, where we provide for their basic needs in a safe environment so they can focus on their recovery or off-site if that is the best option.
Get Professional Help
If you or a loved one is looking to detox from meth and are interested in finding out more information about our detox program, please give us a call at (844) 692-7528 and speak to one of our staff at PCTD that is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
If you or a loved one is looking to enroll in treatment for meth addiction, please give us a call at (855) 770-0577 and one of our staff at OTR will help determine the next step for your recovery.