KCI The Anti_Meth Site

Home  |  Meth Topics  |  Letters & Stories  |  Message Board  |   Slang Names  |  Anti-Meth Sites  |  Cleaning up Labs  |  Physical Damage  |   Resources for Teachers  |  Research Articles  |  Recommend Reading  |  SEARCH




Help with my early stages of meth recovery


   I recently just began my sobriety and would appreciate any kind of feedback to help me stay sober

- Yvette

Replies...

amom - 
   I hope you will stick around in this board and chat room. You might see some bickering but most everyone here wants to help you and see you succeed...just be patient when "the kids" start to argue (ok now...don't get mad at my remark guys, it was in jest)
   Seriously, you need help in your fight for recovery and these folks here really do care. God bless.


tom -
   Yvette, seems like your off to a great start, getting sober is a wonderful thing.


Angie in cali -
   Yvette ... thats great ... just remember stick with it no matter what... bad days , good days ... boring days ... just no matter what stick with it .... avoid your using friends ... I have been sober almost 19 months ... so i know how hard it is ...But i gurantee you it'll be the very best thing you could have ever done for yourself ..... email me if ya ever need someone to talk to ...


bugs -
   Hi~~ Welcome to the board. My daughter is/was using meth. I'm not really sure of her current condition, and I've collected some information while I've visited here on the board, which I'm more than happy to share with you. You may have to pick and choose what helps and what doesn't since I have never actually used meth and am definitely no expert, but here it is anyway...my thoughts are with you...

GOOD SIGHTS FOR INFO

Basic facts about meth: http://www.acde.org/common/Meth.htm

SFJ's sight lots of good info: Including how a Meth addict feels and thinks. http://sfjaye.freewebspace.com/favorite_links.html

Doug's sight for crystal recovery also has Go ask Alice that has lots of answers to former questions about pregnancy and meth, bi-polar, to speed bumps, and the smell of meth. http://www.crystalrecovery.com/

LOTS OF PEOPLE ASK WHAT ARE THE WITHDRAWALS OF THIS DRUG. EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT AND SOMETIMES UNPREDICTABLE. IT IS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE ON HOW THEY RECOVER BUT HERE IS TWO LIST, AND PRETTY GOOD GUIDELINES WHAT TO EXPECT IN MOST PEOPLE. Good Luck.

WITHDRAWS LIST 1

WEEK 1: Depending on how much the person had been doing up until quitting time and how many nights they had been awake, if any, the first couple of days will be spent sleeping non-stop. After that, the person will still prefer sleep but will eat and go to the bathroom whereas before they probably didn't. They will be moody, cranky, lethargic and sometimes violent. After the fourth day, the meth will technically be out of their system. However, it's the damage that the meth has caused that is where the problem lies and the fact that your system is clean of it, does really mean a whole lot. Cravings will be setting in towards then end of the first week and will more than likely intensify. Anxiety will set in around the third day, which can be unbearable especially to a long time user who is trying to quit.

WEEK 2: The person will still be moody, cranky and sometimes violent. The cravings will be worse than week one and can become unbearable. They will have no energy to do anything, sleeping is still preferred unless they break down and get more dope. The second week is where a lot of people slip up.

NOTE: If the person was experiencing drug induced psychosis while doing meth, these episodes will start to subside during the second week, if not the first. If it doesn't and last any longer than four weeks, that could be a sign of a real mental disorder and the person should see a doctor as soon as possible.

WEEK 3: Sleeping a lot should start to diminish although the user will not have a lot of energy and probably will not feel like doing anything. Depression sets in for the majority of the people around the third week, if not sooner. Anti-depressants really help if this happens. Cravings should be leveling off around this time.

WEEK 4: Every thing aside from the depression and feeling lethargic should start to subside a little. As time goes on from here if the user stays clean, eventually, all these things will ultimately disappear.

It's important to note though, that different things can trigger cravings for years after the user has quit doing meth.

WITHDRAWS LIST 2:

W+1-7 Days HIBERNATION: (Fatigue and Hunger) as your body detoxifies and violently downshifts from 10th gear to 1st - acute fatigue sets in. Periods of sleep ranging from 12-24 hours are not uncommon with brief periods of wakefulness still accompanied by lethargy and inability to perform the simplest of tasks.

W+8-21 Days - DEPRESSION: (Low and Lethargic) you are indeed now much more awake, but you will find your current un-stimulated dopamine levels to be insufficient. Matter of fact, you could win the lottery tomorrow and still feel suicidal. Ride the storm out - this phase is short. Now might be a good time to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist. Don't be ashamed. No one need know but you. One session costs no more than your average eight ball. And a psyche is still the only therapist that can prescribe medication if it is needed. Buproprion, Citralopram and Bromocriptine have all had good results in dealing with depression brought about via drug withdrawal from cocaine and amphetamines.

W+22-60?? Days - FRUSTRATION: (Irritability & Anger) the length of this phase is somewhat proportional to how long and how much you've been using...But it is accompanied by irritability (at the slightest annoyances), "cravings", and absent-mindedness. This period will be harder on those around you-than you! Be sure to remove anything in the way of visual "triggers" that can facilitate relapse. If you find yourself tempted to use, go to NA meetings. Even if you just sit, listen, and don't ever participate, you'll be surprised at what "rubs off".

W+60-90?? Days - READJUSTMENT: (Transition & Happiness) every day the cravings, depression and irritability lessen. But you're not "cured" yet. The use of meth carries with it a myriad of activities both mental and otherwise that may be loads of fun while you were on the drug but will seem about as exciting as watching grass grow while straight. Unless you replace these activities with productive and meaningful tasks, you are setting yourself up for relapse. Try and reinvigorate "pre-drug" hobbies, habits and activities. Try some new things as well. You were enough of a pioneering spirit to get into hard drugs. Be adventuresome and try some things you have never done before.


HOME TREATMENT FOR WITHDRAWALS

bigdaddy444 -
  How many hours in to the withdrawal is your friend? Sometimes the older the person the rougher the detox. Much depends on how long and how much your friend used. In addition to the vitamins Blvr suggested which are B-1, B-6, B-12, C, E and multiples, get Cranberry Extract in pill form specifically to help with the urinary tract and kidneys which have been working overtime. Its available at most drug stores. Check the dosages recommended. Most people take too little extract and not enough, so be sure to administer every day. I took it twice a day with meals. Be sure the subject eats with the vitamin intake. If they are not diabetic, have them drink cranberry juice, especially with reduced sugar like Ocean Spray offers. Have 'em drink spring or distilled water as much as possible to help flush toxins. I drink detox tea with goldenseal hot at night to help the liver sometimes with chamomile to relax, and green tea during the day cold for energy. Your friend will want to sleep, crave sweets and possibly salty foods like chips to offset the sweets. Watch out for mood swings, as the first 72 hours are the roughest. Good luck and let us know how it's going.
   As I've said, these are just some things I've collected while being here...hope it helps. If you want more specific questions, just post a question, or better yet go to the chat room, but keep coming back.


See also:

What are the meth recovery stages?

Stages of stimulant recovery


Back to Crystal Meth & Methamphetamine Questions, Answers & Advice


THIS SITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your health care professional if you have a specific health concern.

HOME  |  ABOUT US  | PRIVACY POLICY  |  CONTACT US  |  SEARCH

KCI The Anti_Meth SiteKCI The Anti_Meth Site

Copyright 1999-2019 by KCI The Anti-Meth Site
All Rights Reserved

Legal Disclaimers and Copyright Notices