We help treat meth addiction in Phoenix at our Scottsdale center. Learn more
With all the harmful drugs available out there, meth is often considered one of the worst, and increasingly it is a problem in the Phoenix Valley, Scottsdale, and Arizona overall. There is a key reason why meth is so addictive: dopamine. In order to understand why meth is so addictive, it’s important to understand how dopamine works.
Dopamine is a chemical found in the brain that acts as a neurotransmitter. It’s dopamine that is responsible for that satisfying feeling you get when you achieve success at something you have been working on. Meth forces that part of the brain to produce more dopamine than normal. This is the way most drugs work and that’s why meth is instantly habit-forming.
This resulting long-term use of meth leads to addiction that begins to destroy the ability of the brain to produce its own dopamine. We see this at our healing center in Scottsdale. This means that the users cannot find pleasure in anything else except through the use of meth. The meth user’s primary objective in life becomes obtaining more meth at the expense of everything else. Careers are destroyed, relationships are ruined and friends and family are alienated through constant meth use. Meth users must get the treatment and rehabilitation they need as soon as possible before there is permanent damage to their cognitive abilities.
Due to the highly addictive nature of meth, an extensive detoxification process might be necessary. The idea of detoxification from meth is to expel the terrible toxins out of the body and then to get the body used to operating without the presence of the chemicals found in methamphetamine.
This can be a painful and arduous process that should never be attempted alone. There are simply too many dangers associated with the withdrawal symptoms. The emotional withdrawal symptoms alone can trigger a relapse. These can include feelings of hopelessness, extreme anxiety, depression and insomnia.
The more serious withdrawal symptoms are not necessarily life-threatening, but they might lead to life-threatening situations. For instance, some people who go through meth withdrawal might be sent into psychotic episodes without proper medication. The brain’s attempts to return it’s chemistry back to normal can be a terrifying and confusing experience. Professional medical staff is needed to monitor a person’s vital signs and administer the right medications in order to avoid more serious complications, so it’s crucial to find the right care in Arizona.
However, the extensiveness and the length of the actual detoxification treatment depends on the individual’s level of meth addiction. If the addiction process is in its infancy and there hasn’t been significant use of meth, an outpatient program might be an option. This is when a person is provided with medications from a rehabilitation facility or hospital in order to detox at home.
The mental health issues associated with or that have developed over the course of time need to be addressed during treatment also. Recovering meth users in Phoenix must learn to live their daily lives without thinking of using or acquiring meth. Psychiatric counseling is often necessary to deal with these issues. Group therapy sessions with other meth users in recovery are also very helpful.