Treatment for Meth Addiction in Maine
Meth use has grown in the United States over the last 10 years. The latest verifiable information shows that 0.9% of the population has used meth in the preceding 12 months, and that information comes from 2021. That equates to more than 2.5 million people. More than 1.6 million of those people have full-fledged methamphetamine use disorder. Of all meth users, 32,537 died, some of them from their first use of the drug.
One of the chief reasons meth is so dangerous is that the high or rush that it produces falls off before the drug is completely metabolized. That means that people with methamphetamine use disorder will often risk a lethal dose just to chase the high or rush. Further, people with methamphetamine use disorder, sometimes, don’t eat or drink for several days, possibly even as long as a week, in their quest to keep achieving the pleasurable effects. While an otherwise healthy human being can live for up to several weeks without food, the general time frame for surviving without water is roughly three days. By foregoing water, or other drinks, for as long as some meth users do, they risk death even when discounting the effects of the drug. The most powerful effects of the drug are from smoking it or injecting it. Eating it or snorting it produces a euphoric effect rather than a powerful rush.
Because of the life-threatening dangers of meth misuse, seeking professional help to manage the methamphetamine use disorder is crucial to long-term recovery. The general philosophy of treatment has morphed from a punitive quest for abstinence into a client-centric model, which still requires oversight by a team of medical professionals. After all, at the most basic level, it’s not possible to monitor yourself if you’re high.
Significance of Rehab for Methamphetamine Use Disorder
Following the model of communication between clients and medical professionals, it’s best if meth addiction treatment happens in a controlled environment. Around-the-clock monitoring is essential for meth detoxification, for example. This ensures that all other required facilities and personnel are available as needed.
Although the short-term effects of meth are bad enough, the long-term effects are worse. They include brain damage and extensive damage to every other major organ, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver. The dental problems experienced by people with methamphetamine use disorder are both extensive and severe as well. There are mental health consequences, too, such as delusions, hallucinations, personality changes, and overly violent behavior. These mental-health consequences can continue for years even after cessation of use.
Also, rehab is an important part of lifelong recovery. Even with rehab, many people return to use within five years. During the first year, the rate of return to use is 61%. From years 2-5, the rate of return to use is 25%. Without rehab or other applicable and appropriate treatment, the return to use rate is 95%, generally within three months. Some meth rehab centers in the Portland area, like Liberty Bay Recovery Center focus on family dynamics. Treating the whole family as clients is effective at helping to prevent clients’ return to use. Family members can help keep them on the right track.
Overview of Common Kinds of Methamphetamine Rehab Programs
There are three general kinds of meth recovery programs: inpatient, outpatient, and residential. Each has its strengths, weaknesses, and appropriateness based on the client’s particular case. According to SAMHSA, outpatient treatment means that you live at home but go to appointments with physicians, psychiatrists, counselors, and other members of your treatment team. Additionally, you’d also go to group therapy sessions, Increasingly, these programs involve telehealth or video conferencing because of the convenience these options offer when people aren’t able to keep regular face-to-face appointments.
Inpatient treatment is when you stay at the treatment center for a short time, which is generally up to three or four weeks. If you need 24-hour care, particularly during detox, this is the best option for you. In many instances, these programs are affiliated with a clinic or hospital so that clients can get same-day emergency treatment if necessary.
Residential programs are essentially inpatient programs but are designed for the long haul rather than just three or four weeks. These professional meth rehab facilities are usually for severe substance use disorders or dual diagnoses. In the most severe cases, clients could be at the treatment center for months.
Sometimes, there won’t be an available spot for you to receive treatment at any of the usual facility types. In that case, interim care is possible. It can be an effective placeholder while you wait for a spot to open up in the kind of care facility you need to treat your methamphetamine use disorder.
Understanding the Meth Detoxification Process
Detox from meth is complex. Meth-induced psychosis is common, and there are a great number of other effects that clients experience while detoxing from meth. These include hypersomnia, exhaustion, anxiety, and symptoms similar to depressive disorder. The cravings become nearly intolerable because of the combination of pleasure dependence and physical dependence.
Mild symptoms during detox include agitation and muscle aches. These are easily dealt with, but the serious symptoms require specialized treatments. Those treatments include using benzodiazepines for anxiety or meth-induced psychosis. Aripiprazole and haloperidol are both used for treatment, as well, in certain cases. These medications should be used in the smallest dosages possible. Additionally, they should be used for as little time as possible. Generally, detox from meth should last at least three weeks, particularly when the client in question has used meth for a long time.
The 24-hour monitoring is necessary because the psychosis can lead to self-destructive behaviors and mistrust of the people giving the treatment. Also, monitoring personnel must watch for comorbid conditions and treat those as they occur. It’s not unusual for clients with severe reactions to meth detox to need sedation.
Overview of Reputable Portland, Maine Rehab Centers
In addition to the aforementioned Liberty Bay Recovery Center, other rehab options in Portland, Maine include:
• Casco Bay Recovery: another client-focused rehab center that provides comprehensive support up to and including residential treatment
• Portland Adult Rehabilitation Center: costs nothing and provides in-client services apropos to a variety of substances
• Pine Tree Recovery Center: focuses on treating the entire family of each client and has earned LegitScript certification
Seeking treatment locally is preferable to seeking it far away because it’s easier for the client’s family to participate in the process. It’s also less stressful to be in familiar surroundings when trying to heal from any substance use disorder.
Choosing the Right Meth Rehab in Portland, Maine
No two people are alike, so no two clients will require exactly the same services or treatments when dealing with methamphetamine use disorder. Therefore, the first thing that prospective clients seeking treatment should look for in a facility is not only client-based treatment but also customized treatment.
Secondarily, the treatments should be evidence-based, even if holistic, and the treatment facilities shouldn’t make claims, outlandish or otherwise, that aren’t supported by such evidence. The staff members should also all have the relevant qualifications, certifications, and licenses to provide the applicable treatments.
There are several factors regarding customized treatments that are crucial for success. The simplest of them is to determine client allergies to medications and not use ones that are contraindicated. Likewise, even if a client isn’t allergic to certain medications, the client could already be taking something with which one of the possible treatment medications might interact poorly. Some medications might not work with certain people, too, so alternatives must be found. This is all part of the process that a reputable treatment center will employ during both detox and ongoing treatment.
Benefits of Meth Rehab
The chief benefit is that it’s more likely that you will live. Having a team of qualified doctors and other medical professionals seeing to your needs during detox will make you more comfortable during an unpleasant process and ensure that you don’t suffer any medical complications. Rehab also focuses on your mental health through a variety of therapies. These include group therapy and various forms of psychotherapy. Your therapy treatments will be customized to your particular case.
What to Expect During Meth Rehab
The short version of what to expect during meth rehab is detox, therapy, and discharge. How long that lasts is fully dependent on factors specific to you. If, for example, you’ve been a heavy meth user for a long time, you could be referred to a residential treatment center where you might go through dialectical behavioral therapy for a year or more. Conversely, if you’ve only recently begun your use, then you might be able to pursue treatment on an outpatient basis.
The goal is to give you coping strategies and skills to manage your disorder effectively. Community support, either from friends or family, is essential for long-term sobriety. As with any substance use disorder, it’s a lifelong journey. Discharge is only the first step toward the rest of your life. The aftercare you receive is important, and the combination of community support and coping skills will aid you with all the rest of the steps along your journey.
Begin Your Recovery With Liberty Bay
There should be no shame in seeking help with your methamphetamine use disorder. In much the same way as you wouldn’t think twice about going to get a splint for a broken bone or an antibiotic for an infection, going for help with your methamphetamine use disorder is just another necessary medical treatment. At Liberty Bay Recovery Center, we’re ready to help you. All you have to do is contact us for an appointment.
