Drug Addiction Treatment Blog

The images in my last month local newspaper was enough to make anyone stop for a moment and see the devastating effect of crystal meth (Crystal methamphetamine) now becoming more mainstream and reaching epidemic proportion.

The newspaper featured stories about young men and women who went from being excellent students, good mothers, good fathers, all in all good citizen to becoming shameful addicts who won’t stop at anything to get their next fix.

What really captured my attention was the transformation of these beautiful men and women. How they went from being handsome to find themself looking old and sickly after they have started using crystal meth. Beside looking old and sickly, they had all kinds of lesions on their bodies, which I later found out is called crank bugs (feeling that bugs are crawling on your skin). The lesions are caused by constantly scratching your body from the itch.

Interestingly enough, the one common denominator was that all of the people interviewed for the article said that they were hooked on crystal meth after only their first try. One of the guys went from being a well respected attorney earning about a thousand dollars a day to owing his credit card company $25,000 dollars six months later due to his addiction.

Another one of the subjects, a girl with the youthful good looks of a model before she became addicted was nothing more than a skinny looking lady that looked as though she aged 15 or 20 years once she became hooked on crystal meth.

The effect of the drug is a feeling of euphoria and a high that can last anywhere from 2 to 16 hours. The user then have more confidence, more energy and become very happy and uninhibited, which can lead to risky behaviors such as needle sharing that brings the risk of contracting hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV and possibly AIDS.

Crystal meth (Crystal methamphetamine) can be either snorted, injected, or smoked in a pipe and is made of many toxic substances such as:

Lye
Ether
Iodine
Draino
Ephedrine
Brake Fluid
Lighter Fluid
Cold remedies
Lithium Metals
Hydrachloride
Hydriotic Acid
Red Phosphorus
Anyhdrous Ammonia

The side effects of crystal meth like any other street corner drug, are insomnia, agitation, irritability, dry mouth, sweating, and palpitations. The body temperature also increases, as does breathing and heart rate. The drug can also cause behavioral problems, paranoia and psychosis, especially after frequent use and in individuals with a predisposition to mental illness.

The addiction can lead to mood swings, paranoia, anger and depression that have an impact on relationships and general social interactions. Beside the permanent life-altering changes that the drug can inflict on the user such as work, relationship and job prospect, there is the ever present risk of an overdose that leads to convulsions, respiratory collapse, coma and ultimately death.

The tell-tale signs of crystal meth addiction are, lack of concentration, depression, insomnia, worrying about the next fix, etc. Crystal meth is so addictive that most users get addicted on the first try. The first thing is to acknowledge the problem and treat it as serious then seek help, which is available in every cities and smaller communities.

If you are looking for a drug rehab or addiction treatment program specializing in the treatment of crystal meth addiction call 1-800-511-9225 or go to www.lakeviewhealth.com

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What is Dual Diagnosis?

Dual diagnosis occurs when an individual is affected by both drug addiction, alcoholism and a psychiatric or emotional illness. These illnesses can both affect a person physically, socially and psychologically. And both illnesses have symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to function effectively. The dual disorders may affect each other, and each disorder predisposes relapse in the other disease. At times the symptoms can overlap and even mask each other, making treatment and diagnosis difficult. To fully recover, a person needs to treat both disorders equally-and at the same time.

Other names for this illness are:

co-morbid disorders
co-occurring disorders
concurrent disorders
co-morbidity
dual disorders

Dual diagnosis can be difficult to identify. Many of the symptoms of drug abuse (such as extreme anxiety, depression, paranoia, delusions and hallucinations) are similar to those of mental illness. Many of the effects on one’s life (severe decline in self-care and functioning) may also be similar. Often, one problem is blamed on the other.

Substance abuse complicates almost every aspect of care for a person with a mental illness. Mental health professionals and families of mentally ill may underestimate the amount of drugs and/or alcohol dependency among people in their care. There may be several reasons for this:

People with a mental illness may abuse drugs or alcohol covertly without their families knowing it. It may be difficult to separate the behaviors due to mental illness from those due to chemical dependency. It takes time to unravel the interacting effects of substance abuse and mental illness.

If you are looking for a drug rehab or alcohol rehab with a dual diagnosis treatment component, go to www.recoveryconnection.org or call 1-800-511-9225 to locate one in your area.

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Why is there an association between crystal meth and viruses like HIV and Hepatitis?
The association between crystal meth and HIV transmission is related to: 1) the tendency of many people to engage in unprotected and uninhibited sex while under the influence of crystal meth and 2) the risks associated with injection drug use for those who shoot speed. In terms of sexual transmission, many people when high on crystal meth do not use condoms and may have sex with many different sex partners during a speed run. And even if they do use condoms, the lengthy and rougher sex that often results in a much higher likelihood that the condom will break. Additionally, some men who have receptive anal sex while on speed are less sensitive to pain responses and may be inclined to have more aggressive sex for longer periods where injury is more likely to occur and the risk of HIV infection is increased.
There is also a high risk for transmitting Hepatitis B and C for many of the reasons mentioned above. Like HIV, Hepatitis B can be transmitted through unprotected sex or through sharing of syringes and injection supplies. Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through blood to blood contact, usually by sharing syringes or other injection equipment.
The risks of HIV and Hepatitis B and C transmission for those who shoot crystal meth is the same as with any injection drug use. Any sharing of syringes or the various items used in preparing to inject the drug can pass these viruses.
Further increasing the likelihood of HIV transmission among crystal meth users is the fact that gay men who use crystal meth have a much higher rate of HIV prevalence than gay men who don’t use speed. Different studies have found that gay men who use crystal methamphetamine are two to three to four times more likely to be infected with HIV.
For people infected with HIV, even occasional use of crystal meth can lead to a lapse in taking HIV medications, weight loss and vitamin depletion. With crystal, you can stay awake for days. Sleep, however, is essential to maintaining the immune system. Lack of sleep and poor nutrient intake aside, crystal use itself causes a drop in T cells and NK cells, and recent research suggests that crystal takes a major toll on people who are immune compromised.

Looking for a drug rehab or addiction treatment program capable of treating meth addiction and chronic medical problems…….www.lakeviewhealth.com

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Alcohol Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by a strong craving for alcohol, a constant or periodic reliance on use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, the inability to limit drinking, physical illness when drinking is stopped, and the need for increasing amounts of alcohol to feel its effects.

Drug Rehab is an umbrella term for a variety of processes by which a person addicted to a drug stops using that drug. These processes can vary from cold turkey to the use of substitute drugs which do not have the same action upon the state of consciousness as the original drug to which the person was addicted

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