Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment Center

Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment Center

Crystal meth is a highly addictive stimulant. The drug has destroyed families and lives, and overcoming dependence requires a combination of will and intensive, long-term rehabilitation at a crystal meth addiction treatment center. Is someone you love addicted to crystal meth? If so, learn more about the crystal meth addiction treatment program in Jacksonville, FL.

What is Crystal Meth?

White rocks pouring out of a bottle may mean you or someone you love needs treatment at a crystal meth addiction treatment centerExperts classify all forms of amphetamine as Schedule II drugs. This classification means that under a doctor’s supervision, they have some medicinal or therapeutic properties but offer a high risk of abuse. The most common clinical indications are for treating obesity or managing chronic disorders like narcolepsy and (ADHD).

The street drug methamphetamine has been around since the 1960s. It’s a white or brownish powdery substance derived from amphetamines. People create it mainly by extracting it from the Benzedrine inhalers used to treat congestion. Then they boil it down to a crystalline powder that can be chopped or crushed and snorted or smoked. Meth can also be dissolved in water and injected.

How Does Crystal Meth Look?

Crystal meth is a newer, purer form of the drug that made an appearance in the 80s. Like meth, people can cook it at home, but they typically synthesize it in a laboratory setting. As the name implies, crystal meth looks like large chunks. It’s also cheap and readily available. It’s trendy on the club scene. Various crystal meth ingredients and the appearance contribute to crystal meth street names like glass, ice, and crystal. Smoking crystal meth through a glass tube is the most popular mode of delivery, but it can also be dissolved and injected or crushed and snorted.

The crystal form of meth delivers a potent high that begins almost immediately after ingestion. That first rush induces feelings of euphoria and extreme confidence, which quickly settle into a hyperactive, agitated state. In some cases, it can suppress painful recollections and replace them with a temporary feeling of happiness. The effects can last for 6 to 12 hours after use, and it isn’t uncommon for a binge to last for several days.

At the crystal meth addiction treatment center, we are aware of crystal meth and its danger. Come to us for help in beating your addiction.

How Addictive is Crystal Meth?

According to crystal meth facts and statistics from various reporting agencies, it rivals heroin and crack cocaine for rates of addiction, destructiveness, and relapse. Snorting or smoking crystal meth quickly leads to addiction, sometimes after just one or two uses. It is occasionally mixed with heroin and injected, which reduces some of the more frenetic side-effects but increases the odds of overdose and death.

The signs of an overdose include high body temperature, hypothermia, convulsions, and death. Chronic use leads to severe, sometimes irreversible health problems like advanced gum disease and inflammation in the lining of the heart.

Because reporting agencies don’t differentiate between methamphetamine and crystal, it’s challenging to isolate statistics to one form of the drug over the other. Both are addictive and highly destructive. Crystal meth hooks users slightly faster due to its high concentration of amphetamine. Then they follow the same path to addiction and relapse. They also share similar abuse and withdrawal symptoms, and indications for treatment are the same. The main difference seems to be the appearance, purity, and contaminants added or used to process the drug for consumption.

What Are the Effects of Trying Crystal Meth?

According to research obtained by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health from the British Medical Journal, more than half a million Americans use meth each week. Over 12 million have tried it at least once in their life. The death rate from overdose rose by 225 percent over a year, from 2014 – 2015. Worldwide, we estimate at around 35 million people use crystal meth.

Meth and its derivatives hook users by causing a flood of the feel-good chemical dopamine into the brain, which exaggerates feelings of happiness and well-being. Chronic use affects normal brain function, which can take almost a year to restore after detox and rehabilitation. In areas where meth usage is high, crime rates have risen proportionately. This rise in crime has led law enforcement to label meth and crystal addiction as one of the most significant challenges to public safety.

In short, you need to get treatment at a crystal meth addiction treatment program in Jacksonville, FL. We can help you beat your addiction.

Detecting Crystal Methamphetamine Use and Addiction

We estimate that crystal meth is up to three times stronger than cocaine, and it’s one of the hardest drugs to quit permanently. Women, who were the primary marketing demographic for prescribing and selling amphetamines in the 50s and 60s, make up close to 42 percent of all emergency room admissions for meth-related treatment. That’s more than for any other illicit drug.

Modern recreational use often begins in the teens and accelerates in the college-age demographic. Abuse is more prevalent in rural areas, possibly because one of the chief ingredients is fertilizer. Knowing the symptoms of use can help with early intervention and a complete recovery.

The signs of meth use include:

  • Aggressiveness, agitation, and irritation with no apparent cause
  • Wild mood swings
  • Insomnia
  • Reduced appetite and weight loss
  • Tooth decay and bleeding gums
  • Paranoia and hallucinations
  • Picking at the skin and hair
  • Changes in habits, appearance, and peer groups
  • Dilated pupils and rapid eye movement

There’s also a very characteristic symptom called “tweaking.” This symptom is the result of a meth binge. The user has achieved a maximum state of euphoria, and no amount of the drug can satisfy their cravings. They begin to feel desperate and panicked and may experience the sensation of bugs crawling on or under their skin. During this phase, they may remain awake for days, exhibiting a combination of drug-induced psychosis and sleep deprivation. They’ll become increasingly paranoid, lose touch with reality, and are prone to inflicting harm on themselves or others. The following phase is a crash from exhaustion and deep sleep, which can last for up to three days.

Overcoming Crystal Meth Addiction

The good news is that crystal meth dependence and addiction are treatable. But, you can’t beat addiction without help. Programs providing secure residential rehabilitation with medical detox is the best hope for a lasting recovery. The crystal meth addiction treatment center in Jacksonville, FL could be your last hope.

In addition to crystal meth addiction, Stepping Stone Recovery also treats

We want to help you through your addiction. Contact the crystal meth addiction program in Jacksonville, FL today.