Crystal methamphetamine addiction has been described as an epidemic. The problem with drug addiction is that it is often misunderstood, is not adequately treated, and a person is generally heavily stigmatized because of their use. Crystal methamphetamine is also called meth, ice, tweak, shards, glass, poor man’s cocaine, g, and speed. Every addict who decides to get clean will have a different recovery path ahead of them. People who have used crystal can face some different issues, so it’s important to not only get the addicted person off of drugs, but also to rehabilitate them personally.
Change as many of your old habits as you can. This means staying away from people who are getting high either on meth or other drugs. A lot of people who have only been addicted to crystal meth but not had a problem with alcohol will often end up drinking. Consider whether or not this is a good decision for you. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and decreases decision making ability which can increase the likelihood of a drug use while under the influence of alcohol. It’s a good idea to stay away from the liquor.
If you are able to find clean and sober housing or a halfway house with a zero tolerance to alcohol and drugs then this can be very helpful because you end up putting boundaries around yourself. Anything you can do that will make it harder for you to get high but is also supportive is very empowering and can help you stay clean off crystal.
Eat a healthy diet. This is really important. Most people don’t or can’t eat when using meth. Between malnutrition and the damage done by the drug the brain and body need a lot of healing. Eat a diet that is high in Omega 3-6-9 fatty acids (walnuts, flax seed, fish) and/or take a supplement. Getting the healthy fats are very important for brain and overall health. Take a multivitamin as well.
Keep track of your money. Have someone you trust help you manage your money. While out gacked and tweaking money is a big factor in getting high. A big relapse trigger for people is getting a paycheck because for some that is so tightly related to getting high. If you are receiving welfare or are on disability then consider getting a payee for a little while in the beginning of your recovery. Make sure that this person is someone who supports you and will not steal from you. Since you are getting in recovery from using meth you know that people will do just about anything to feed their addiction. Listen to your gut. Not everyone needs help managing their money. Sometimes just talking to a friend, spouse, or sponsor if you choose to go to 12 step meetings can be enough of a support around money.
Get enough sleep. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. This will help reset your body’s clock. Crystal meth use interrupts the sleep cycle and causes various problems because of sleep deprivation. Not getting enough sleep can lead to weight gain, depression, irritability and a whole lot of other emotional and health problems.
Understand that you are not going to go back to “normal” overnight. Educating yourself about addiction as a brain disease can be very helpful. Using meth changes the way your brain works. Some of these changes can be damage that will take weeks to months to years to heal.
Go to the doctor if you are still having hallucinations. It is very common although rarely talked about outside of a community of recovery (and even then it’s hard to discuss) that people who have been addicted to crystal meth tend to have paranoia, high anxiety, depression, and will often have a continuation of auditory and sometimes visual hallucinations.
Find something that you like doing that makes you feel good (except dope, of course). Try something new or pick up a hobby that you dropped when you picked up the pipe, etc. The more things you can find to replace the time you spent getting high the better your chance of staying clean.
Volunteer. Do some work with other people. Volunteer work is very rewarding and can be incorporated into your life. There are so many ways that you can give back to the world and it doesn’t take a lot to make a difference.
Don’t give up even when the voice in your head are telling you that life isn’t going to get better and going back is the solution. People will have expectations that you should be getting better now that the drug is out of your life. It takes a lot more time that anyone realizes for some addicts to recover. Find a place where you can breathe.