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Suggest Treatment For Methamphetamine Addiction

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Posted on Mon, 1 Jun 2015
Question: need help getting off meth without going to rehab
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Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (23 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
First the good news....

Detailed Answer:
Methamphetamine has no seriously toxic withdrawal. There is no fatality risk from stopping it. There is not the same horrible discomfort there is with opiate withdrawal.
Here's the bad news.
It is addictive. It is a stimulant. There is a withdrawal characterized by not feeling as good as when taking it and there is intense cravings to take it. There is sleep disturbance, depressions, sadness when not taking it.

As with every addiction there are some principles on getting past it:
avoid: being in a different city with a set of friends/relatives would be ideal to move away from the milieu/ the sources/the triggers/the associations that trigger cravings and reuse.
Certainly do not have money, the drugs, the paraphenalia around.

Substitute. Other things that are rewarding. Relationships, trips, food. but not other addictions such as other drugs of abuse/cigarettes/alcohol.

Transcend. Share with others what you are going through. Outpatient free 12 step programs. Get a sponsor. Tell family and friends that you are changing and solicit their support.
Diary. Visualizing the very likely possibility of ruin and death if one continues to use a very dangerous drug and Visualize being progressively over it and having more money, job, family, etc. as one is further from the addiction

best of everything to you.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1985

Answered : 4214 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Methamphetamine Addiction

Brief Answer: First the good news.... Detailed Answer: Methamphetamine has no seriously toxic withdrawal. There is no fatality risk from stopping it. There is not the same horrible discomfort there is with opiate withdrawal. Here's the bad news. It is addictive. It is a stimulant. There is a withdrawal characterized by not feeling as good as when taking it and there is intense cravings to take it. There is sleep disturbance, depressions, sadness when not taking it. As with every addiction there are some principles on getting past it: avoid: being in a different city with a set of friends/relatives would be ideal to move away from the milieu/ the sources/the triggers/the associations that trigger cravings and reuse. Certainly do not have money, the drugs, the paraphenalia around. Substitute. Other things that are rewarding. Relationships, trips, food. but not other addictions such as other drugs of abuse/cigarettes/alcohol. Transcend. Share with others what you are going through. Outpatient free 12 step programs. Get a sponsor. Tell family and friends that you are changing and solicit their support. Diary. Visualizing the very likely possibility of ruin and death if one continues to use a very dangerous drug and Visualize being progressively over it and having more money, job, family, etc. as one is further from the addiction best of everything to you.