Methamphetamine Addiction

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing condition, characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and drug use which is accompanied by functional and molecular changes in the brain. In addition to being addicted to methamphetamine, chronic methamphetamine abusers exhibit symptoms that can include violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. They also can display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions. The paranoia can result in homicidal as well as suicidal thoughts. With chronic use, tolerance for methamphetamine can develop. Users may take higher doses of the drug, take it more frequently, or change their method of drug intake. In some cases, abusers forego food and sleep while injecting as much as a gram of the drug every 2 to 3 hours over several days until the user runs out of the drug or is too disorganized to continue. Chronic abuse can lead to psychotic behavior, characterized by intense paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and out-of-control rages that can be coupled with extremely violent behavior.

Rehab detox is often considered to be merely withdrawal services. Withdrawal while vital is not really the full detoxification needed to insure a full handling for the drugs and toxins still in the body creating sometime uncontrollable cravings. The Narconon Arrowhead New Life Detoxification Program fully handles the drugs and toxin residuals that lodge in the fatty tissues for months and years. In moments of stress these drug residuals break loose from the fatty tissues when they can re-enter the blood stream creating intense mental and physical cravings even though the drug has not been used for some time. This is one of the major reasons for relapse and continued use. Most of Narconon Arrowhead participants report and end to cravings at the end of the detoxification portion of the program accompanied by a marked resurgence in their overall sense of well being

What goes into creating the best drug rehab possible? In putting together the Narconon Arrowhead program with success rates far and above the current norms we have isolated what we consider some key components. First is a full handling of cravings, guilt, and depression which are the three blocks to any addiction recovery and statistics show that without these three handled the individual has a much greater risk of relapse. Narconon technology handles each of these. Also important is a long term residential treatment facility where the individual is able to attack each of these points to a full resolution as opposed to have a couple of weeks or 28 days of clean time. A drug free environment is also essential. Substituting one drug or substance in hopes of handling another drug or substance makes no sense and is an endless downward spiral leading to more addiction. A drug free productive life should be the goal of anyone claiming to be the best drug rehab, not simply changing drugs.

The 12 step program has been around in various forms since the 1920’s. It basically involves 12 different steps done by the addict or alcoholic in an attempt to gain control over the addiction or alcoholism. There are thousands of local meetings throughout the world whose membership uses the 12 steps as their basic approach. Many of the short term drug rehabs also use the 12 step approach to solving addiction or alcoholism. There is absolutely no doubt that this approach works for some and works well. However, overall success rates tend to be dismally low. For instance AA reports a meager 5-7% retention rate for those attending these meetings. All is not hopeless for you or a loved one who has found a 12 step program not fully handling addiction or alcoholism. There are more non-traditional alternatives available with significantly higher success rates; Narconon Arrowhead is one of these.

With chronic use, tolerance for methamphetamine can develop. In an effort to intensify the desired effects, users may take higher doses of the drug, take it more frequently, or change their method of drug intake. In some cases, abusers forego food and sleep while indulging in a form of binging known as a ‘un’, injecting as much as a gram of the drug every 2 to 3 hours over several days until the user runs out of the drug or is too disorganized to continue. Chronic abuse can lead to psychotic behavior, characterized by intense paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and out-of-control rages that can be coupled with extremely violent behavior. Although there are no physical manifestations of a withdrawal syndrome when methamphetamine use is stopped, there are several symptoms that occur when a chronic user stops taking the drug. These include depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia, aggression, and an intense craving for the drug.