Archive for the ‘Crystal Meth Addiction’ Category

Mindful Practice: What it is and How it Can Save You After Crystal Meth Addiction

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Crystal meth addiction is one of the most difficult addictions to fight in the long-term for women, no matter how effective their experience in crystal meth rehab. The women who indulge in crystal meth often do so in order to lose weight or to keep up with the myriad responsibilities on their plate: work, kids, relationship, friendships, community work, et cetera. Working toward learning how to accomplish goals without the use of crystal meth means daily practice – mindful practice – and begins with crystal meth rehab.

What is Mindful Practice?

In terms of crystal meth addiction treatment, mindful practice includes anything that helps you to remain focused on your goal of remaining drug-free and to obtain the goals that you formerly thought were only possible with crystal meth. The specifics of that will vary depending upon what your goals are.

For example, if you began using crystal meth and continued to use it in order to lose weight, mindful practice during your recovery will work toward maintaining a healthy weight in a healthy way. Your mindful practice may include things like creating menu plans a week in advance, preparing a grocery list, shopping for your items, preparing your meals, creating a workout plan, working out regularly, and increasing your physical activity through everyday activities like walking the dog or parking further from the store.

If you used crystal meth to help you check things off an extensive to-do list, your mindful practice might include creating an organization plan that works for you, updating your planner and phone book to include everything you need to get things done, deciding which things on your to-do list are unnecessary or can effectively be delegated to someone else, et cetera.

No matter what purpose crystal meth formerly served in your life, you now have the opportunity to accomplish those same things without the devastating health effects that come with addiction.

Mindful Practice Tips for Crystal Meth Recovery

No matter what the specifics of your mindful practice, there are some general tips that can help anyone in crystal meth addiction treatment and recovery to remain focused on their progress and healing. They include:

  • 12-step meetings. They are free, they are everywhere and scheduled throughout every day of the week somewhere. Taking advantage of a meeting gives you a chance to share what’s going on with your recovery and find support if you need it.
  • Personal therapy. Dealing with the issues that may make you feel like you have to attain a certain body weight or accomplish a certain number of things every day is a big part of real healing. Personal therapy gives you a place to explore those issues and develop an actionable plan of recovery.
  • Support groups. Support groups allow you to put your actionable plan of recovery into practice in a safe environment.
  • Alternative treatments. Yoga, nutritional counseling, acupuncture, massage – all these can help you relax and remind you to find balance before moving forward.

If you need to begin your crystal meth addiction recovery with a stay in crystal meth rehab and you prefer assistance provided for and by women, we can help. Contact us at The Orchid today.

Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment and Weight Gain

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

It’s a common story among crystal meth addicts: women, especially, fall victim to crystal meth addiction or amphetamine addiction because they want to lose weight – or they don’t want to gain it. The added energy is a bonus as well, allowing overworked women to keep up with children, family members, spouses or partners, work and more. One of the biggest obstacles to women in crystal meth rehab is the change in their metabolism when they stop taking the drug and the weight they gain as a result. It can mean serious depression during and after treatment and many women relapse quickly after treatment in order to get their weight under control – simply because they haven’t learned healthier ways to maintain their goal weight.

When crystal meth addiction treatment is woman-centered and addresses the issue of healthy living, women addicted to crystal meth can make great strides in drug and alcohol addiction recovery and remain drug-free for years.

Methamphetamines and Weight Loss History

The effects of weight loss and appetite suppression caused by methamphetamines have long been noticed by the medical community. In the past, it was relatively easy to get a prescription for methamphetamines or amphetamines in the form of diet pills. The problem that the medical community quickly found was that the initial effect of appetite suppression lasted for about 30 days – then, patients needed a higher dose in order to maintain that level of weight loss. After a few months of increases – and the constant need for increases – patients were addicted to the stimulant drug and had no way to stop taking methamphetamines without immediately gaining back all the weight they lost and more. Doctors soon began pulling the prescriptions and now those kinds of drugs are only available to those who are morbidly obese and in serious health crisis due to their weight.

Effective Crystal Meth Rehab Should Address the Issue of Weight Loss

Weight loss is not the only reason that women develop a crystal meth addiction – some want the added stamina to get everything done on their to-do list, others use it for sexual purposes, others feel that it adds to their “badass” image – but even if one of those other reasons is also a part of a woman’s crystal meth addiction, weight loss is often also an issue. Women who are considering crystal meth addiction treatment should make sure that the rehab they choose is aware of the issue of health and body image and provides care designed to increase a woman’s ability to take care of herself properly after treatment without gaining weight.

For some, a certain amount of weight gain may be healthy – most are underweight when they begin treatment – and psychological treatment may be needed to help women to develop a more healthful body image. For others, too much weight gain after crystal meth addiction can mean other chronic health issues including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and more. It’s important that crystal meth rehabs provide health food, incorporate exercise into the treatment plan and address the issue of body image and self esteem in multiple aspects of treatment.

If you would like to learn more about our woman-centered drug and alcohol rehab programs, contact us today.

Surviving After Crystal Meth Rehab

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Crystal methamphetamine is one of the most difficult drugs to fight with drug rehab treatment. The psychological withdrawal symptoms are too easily forgotten a few months after drug addiction treatment and when the urge to get high crops up again, many believe they can use “just once” without fully falling back into addiction. Unfortunately, it seldom works out that way and most who relapse end up living with crystal meth addiction within a relatively short time.

So how do you make crystal meth addiction treatment last after you return home? How can you help yourself to remain clean and sober when the “itch” to relapse hits a few months after your drug rehab graduation?

Surviving After Crystal Meth Rehab: Don’t Follow Your Emotions

The first few weeks and months after crystal meth rehab, many women feel really good. The future looks bright and they are hopeful about rekindling positive relationships in their lives. The feeling of happiness is enough to sustain them and they may or may not have anything more than this and the recent memories of methamphetamine rehab to sustain them from day to day.

Soon, however, feelings change, as feelings are wont to do. A stumbling block will arise, someone will say something inconsiderate, something you were counting on won’t quite pan out the way you had hoped and feelings turn bleak, angry or sad.

Reminding yourself that feelings are by nature a changing force and nothing to base your continued health and recovery on is essential. Reminding yourself to base your decisions on practical matters and goals and making the next right choice you can to get yourself closer to those goals is the only way to move forward.

Surviving After Crystal Meth Rehab: Building a Support System

For many, support in recovery after drug addiction treatment starts with a 12 Step program. Here you will find recovering addicts with months and years of experience in living without drugs and alcohol. You’ll find other newcomers in their first few days without their drug of choice. You will find mentors ready and willing to provide you with one on one guidance and support as you navigate your way through the pitfalls of early recovery. Many find everything they need in the meetings, the sponsorship and the literature that accompanies a 12 step program.

Others may add to this by incorporating strong friendships and family relationships. Though it is not advocated that you embark on a new romance right after rehab-many even suggest that you don’t focus on an old romance unless that person has always been clean and sober while you were using-relationships with young children, support parents or siblings, and extended family can help keep you grounded when the going gets rough. New friendships will certainly form as you continue to attend meetings, find a new job, take classes, get involved in new hobbies and little by little you’ll build a world for yourself that doesn’t include drug use.

If you’d like to get started building a life for yourself that doesn’t include crystal meth addiction, contact The Orchid today for more information about our crystal meth rehab program for women.