Methamphetamine Addiction

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing condition, characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and drug use which is accompanied by functional and molecular changes in the brain. In addition to being addicted to methamphetamine, chronic methamphetamine abusers exhibit symptoms that can include violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. They also can display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions. The paranoia can result in homicidal as well as suicidal thoughts. With chronic use, tolerance for methamphetamine can develop. Users may take higher doses of the drug, take it more frequently, or change their method of drug intake. In some cases, abusers forego food and sleep while injecting as much as a gram of the drug every 2 to 3 hours over several days until the user runs out of the drug or is too disorganized to continue. Chronic abuse can lead to psychotic behavior, characterized by intense paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and out-of-control rages that can be coupled with extremely violent behavior.

Addiction clinics are generally out-patient facilities which offer various services to aid in addiction recovery. Some, such as methadone clinics, are actually involved in simply substituting one drug or another. This is misguided help as replacing one drug with another is never a long term solution to drug addiction. This is not to say that addiction clinics don’t offer some valuable services, most of them do. An addiction clinic can be a starting point in confronting addiction. Following up clinic services with a comprehensive long term, impatient drug rehabilitation program is the best insurance for a drug free productive life. Narconon Arrowhead is such a facility.

Narconon Arrowhead is an adult drug rehab, meaning the minimum age for enrollment in our program is 18 years old. Other than that age limitation, individuals come from varied backgrounds and experiences. We range in age from 18 to 80; individuals hail from all around the world, and run the entire gamut of educational, financial, and career backgrounds. We find the melting pot to be extremely advantageous in handling the addiction problem. Addicts and alcoholic are generally very selfish and self centered at the height of their addictions. As the new person moves through our program they find addicts helping addicts, which is a very strong force, as nobody knows the condition better than someone who has been there. Gaining the ability and desire to help another is a key point in extroverting the addict once again in preparing them to re-enter home or society.

A drug or alcohol rehab center could be many different things. It could be a meeting center, a medical facility, a 12 step program. It could be in-patient, or out-patient. It could also be a drug free facility or one which embraces further medication in an attempt to handle current drug effects. If you are looking for a long term residential rehab center whose program is drug free and empowers the individual rather than breaking him down then Narconon Arrowhead is the rehab center you are looking for. Our rehab center is a full service center that handles all aspects of addiction from a mild drug free withdrawal, full detoxification and health building, all the way to an ex-addict who knows he has the abilities, desire, and skills to repair the damage done to self and others. They have also acquired the abilities and outlook needed to pursue a drug free life with vigor and enthusiasm.

Drug abuse begins with a problem, discomfort or some form of emotional or physical pain for which the individual does not have an immediate answer. The person feels that his problem or pain is major, persistent, and without solution or relief. For these reasons, some people, young or old, male or female, high income or low, begin to use potentially addictive drugs or alcohol in an attempt to relieve the pain or discomfort. These drugs may even offer temporary relief. At this point the individual will continue to use in an effort to find continuing relief. Tolerance for the drug or alcohol sets in requiring larger and larger doses more and more often to obtain the same results. At this point the door has been opened to drug abuse and it is only a short walk to full blown addiction.