Methamphetamine Addiction Intervention Treatment in Florida
Methamphetamine is a serious and ever-increasing threat to Florida and is a major public health problem. Drug addiction intervention and drug rehab centers in Florida are equipped to manage all severity of methamphetamine addiction. The drug is readily available and abused in rural areas and is becoming increasingly available and abused in suburban and metropolitan areas. The production, distribution, and abuse of methamphetamine often go hand in hand with violent crime. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that changes the brain, producing short and long-term consequences, making drug intervention and drug rehab in Florida essential for anyone struggling with methamphetamine addiction.
What Is Methamphetamine, and How is the Drug Used?
Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. Crystal methamphetamine is a form of drug that looks like glass or shiny bluish-white rocks. Methamphetamine is chemically similar to amphetamine, a common prescription drug.Methamphetamine can be smoked, snorted, injected, or ingested orally.
Smoking or injecting the drug causes an immediate rush that lasts for a few minutes. Because the high from the drug starts and fades quickly,people take repeated doses in a “binge and crash” pattern. In some cases, people take methamphetamine in the form of binging, known as a run, giving up sleep and food while taking the drug every few hours, staying up for several days at a time.
What are Common Street Names for Methamphetamine?
Some of the more widely used street terms for meth are speed, crank, tweak, chalk, Tina, and gak. There are many other street names and nicknames for meth, and the list continues to evolve as the abuse of this drug continues. Nicknames change daily to keep the drug use discreet. Current popular slang terms for meth include Speed, Crank, Tweek, Uppers, Chalk, Christina, Tina, Go fast, Cookies, Cotton candy, Dunk, Gak, Go-go juice, No doze, White cross, Pookie, Rocket fuel, ScoobySnax, Wash, Trash and Garbage. When meth is combined with other drugs, such as ecstasy, cocaine, crack, and coffee, there are slang terms for these combinations. They include Twisters, Huge & Kisses, Fire, Shabu, Biker Coffee, and Party & Play.
How Does Methamphetamine Affect the Mind and Body?
People take methamphetamine for its pleasurable effects. Methamphetamine does this by increasing the amount of the natural chemical dopamine in the body. Dopamine is a brain chemical that is involved in motivation, pleasure, and motor function. The drug acts on parts of the brain involved in reward, making another dose very tempting. Methamphetamine is more dangerous than other stimulants because a larger percentage of the drug remains unchanged in the body. This allows the drug to be present in the brain longer, extending the stimulant effects.
People take methamphetamine because they enjoy the pleasurable effects, but it can have some dangerous side effects. Common side effects include increased distractibility, nausea, dry mouth, tremors, muscle twitching, memory loss, aggressive behavior, weight loss, skin sores from intense itching, rapid/irregular heart rate, increased blood pressure, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. There is also an increased risk of heart problems, tooth decay, a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease and hepatitis for those who inject the drug.
Methamphetamine abuse can also create symptoms of psychosis which include: paranoia, aggression, visual and auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions. These psychotic symptoms can last for months or years after discontinuing methamphetamine use.
Methamphetamine can also lead to several other health problems, including dependence, heart problems, and other physical and mental health issues. Methamphetamine has a high potential for abuse and dependence; tolerance develops quickly, and psychological addiction can develop rather quickly. After prolonged use, the user cannot produce dopamine naturally and requires the drug to feel normal. Drug detox and drug rehab programs provide the necessary support to manage and treat the physical and psychological damage caused by methamphetamine addiction.
Methamphetamine Drug Addiction Treatment and Detox in Florida
Drug detox and drug rehabilitation programs in Florida are equipped to treat methamphetamine addiction. Treating the addiction begins with a proper detox. Detoxing from meth is intended to stop the abuse as quickly and safely as possible. An initial assessment and medical screening for other conditions and drug interactions will be conducted when you enter a detox program. Being in a drug rehab center with medical monitoring will help ease the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can vary from mild to severe once the addict stops taking the drug. Common withdrawal symptoms can include anxiety, cravings, depression, sleep problems, increased appetite, lack of energy, hallucinations, paranoia, nausea, and dehydration.
Methamphetamine addiction treatment is very complex and needs to be different for each patient. Detoxing is only the beginning. People who detox and don’t continue in an ongoing treatment program are more likely to relapse in their recovery. Examples of therapy offered to addicts include cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management therapy, and family therapy. Cognitivebehavioral therapy involves efforts to change thinking patterns. The patient works with a therapist to develop a set of strategies to cope with reality.
Contingency management therapy is a reward system for drug rehab, maintaining abstinence, or a clean drug test. Family therapy is usually a short-term therapy that helps family members improve communication and resolve conflicts. The therapies listed above are offered in inpatient residential and outpatient drug rehab programs in Florida. Inpatient means living at the treatment facility during their rehab, while outpatient treatment means living at home and attending counseling sessions during the day.
Lastly, addicts need to have proper support after drug rehab in Florida. This can look like 12-step programs, sober living homes,or peer support groups. It is important to consider which recovery options are best suited for each individual; no one plan works for everyone. Staying connected to positive support and sober individuals is very important during recovery.
Family Intervention for Methamphetamine Drug Addiction in Florida
Methamphetamine is highly addictive, and most addicts are unwilling to accept that they need help or are unable to recognize that they do. Family intervention in Florida motivates the individual to recognize the seriousness of their addiction and seek the help they need. When performing a family intervention for methamphetamine addiction, it is imperative to hire a professional interventionist.
Hiring an interventionist allows the family to organize and execute an intervention properly and allows them to confront the addict and explain the impact of their addiction on their lives and the lives of loved ones. A poorly executed intervention can have the opposite effect intended, causing the addict to feel attacked. Hiring a certified family interventionist in Florida enables the family to navigate the stressful days leading up to and properly execute the intervention.
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