To be considered addicted to methamphetamines or amphetamines, at least 3 of the following must manifest themselves over a period of 1 year and lead to a significant decrease in functioning:
- Larger than desired size or long-term use.
- Unwillingness or fruitless efforts to quit or control the substance.
- Spending too much time on activities necessary to obtain, use or recover from the effects of the substance.
- Having an overwhelming desire to use substances or feeling compelled to do so.
- Failure to fulfill responsibilities as a result of repeated use.
- Continued use despite adverse effects.
- Cessation or reduction of daily activities due to use.
- Do not continue to use it even in potentially dangerous situations.
- Continued use despite knowledge of adverse physical or mental effects.
- Developed tolerance for the substance.
- Increased substance requirement for the desired effect to occur.
- A condition in which the effect of the same amount of a substance decreases with continued use.
- Withdrawal symptoms (depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, weakness, fatigue, nightmares, sweating, stomach cramps, hunger, increased appetite, excessive sleep or insomnia and depression).
There is no clear time period between methamphetamine use and the development of addiction. Factors such as the pattern of use, the purity of the methamphetamine, the physical and psychological state of the person and the interaction of these factors can cause a person to become addicted faster or slower.
What are the Risk Factors for Amphetamine / Methamphetamine Addiction?
As with many psychiatric disorders, a number of risk factors can increase the likelihood of developing methamphetamine and amphetamine addiction. Individuals with all of these risk factors may not develop addiction, and similarly, individuals with none of these risk factors may develop an Amphetamine/Methamphetamine use disorder. These risk factors are:
- Age of onset. The earlier a person starts using Amphetamine / Methamphetamine, the earlier and more severe the addiction will develop.
- Genetic factors Like many other diseases, addiction is a disease in which genetic transmission plays an important role. Having a family member with a substance use disorder is one of the factors that increase the risk of developing addiction.
- Environmental factors. If substance use is widespread, acceptable and/or supported in the environment in which the individual lives, and if the substance is easily available, the risk of addiction is higher.
- Personality traits. Individuals with impulse control problems, a tendency to engage in risky behaviors, difficulty in establishing close relationships, anxiety in their interactions with people, problems in emotion-thought and behavior control, obsessions and compulsions, and thought and behavior patterns dominated by obsessions and compulsions are at higher risk of developing addiction.
- Comorbid psychiatric disorders. Addiction is more likely to develop if a person is struggling with pre-existing psychiatric disorders.
How to recognize if a person is addicted to amphetamines/methamphetamines?
Methamphetamine and amphetamine users may experience alertness, increased energy, decreased appetite, outbursts of anger, anxiety, suspiciousness, delusions and hallucinations, teeth grinding, dilated pupils, sweating and palpitations. Abnormally high levels of alertness may be followed by longer than normal periods of sleep. Due to methamphetamine use, tooth decay occurs in an average of 1 year and this phenomenon is popularly called “meth mouth”. At the same time, during methamphetamine use, individuals may develop sores on various parts of their body due to intense itching, decreased blood circulation and weakened immune system. The presence of materials used for methamphetamine use (e.g. foil, glass or metal pipes, spoons with burn marks, the outer parts of plastic pens, syringes, razors, cotton balls or cigarette filters) may also indicate that the person has used methamphetamine.
What are the Problems Caused by Amphetamine / Methamphetamine Addiction?
Once amphetamine/methamphetamine addiction develops, almost all aspects of the addict's life are radically altered. Brain imaging studies show that long-term methamphetamine and amphetamine use can cause impairment in areas of the brain associated with decision-making, memory, pleasure, learning, attention and impulse control. In addition, some studies also indicate that Parkinson's disease may be more common in people with methamphetamine addiction. As mentioned in the previous sections, methamphetamine addiction can cause “meth mouth” and skin sores. The delusions of suspicion and auditory and/or visual hallucinations that can result from methamphetamine and amphetamine use can become permanent and require long-term treatment that can be prolonged and often financially draining. Individuals who are addicted to methamphetamine are more likely to be violent and/or involved in violent incidents due to the outbursts of anger they experience. Violent behavior, starting to sell or committing crimes to obtain substances after financial means to obtain substances have been exhausted, using or possessing substances, driving under the influence of methamphetamine in a manner that may be dangerous to the life, health or property of others, and similar behaviors can all lead to legal problems. Amphetamine / Methamphetamine addiction also leads to impaired interpersonal relationships. As increasing amounts of time, attention and financial resources are diverted to finding and using methamphetamine, the amount of time spent with family and friends decreases. As the individual's interests become focused solely on seeking, finding and using the substance, all non-substance related activities will begin to lose their interest. As a result, the person will enter into an unsustainable cycle where nothing but substance use gives pleasure.
How is Amphetamine/Methamphetamine Addiction Treated at Moodist?
Methamphetamine and amphetamine addiction is a disease that progresses in fits and starts. Addiction is like diabetes or blood pressure. It is not completely cured, but it can improve. As long as the person does not use methamphetamine or amphetamines, they are fine. But when they start using the substance, addiction becomes a problem again.
Amphetamine/Methamphetamine addiction treatment at Moodist consists of several stages. The first step starts with detoxification. Decontamination is aimed at the withdrawal symptoms that occur when the substance is withdrawn from the body. Following the detoxification treatment, medication and individual psychotherapy tailored to the needs of the person continues. Along with medication, therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapies and motivational interviewing support the patient to stay in treatment.
Psychotherapy is a necessary and continuous treatment method in the treatment of substance addiction. The supportive relationship between the patient and the therapist allows patients to see themselves and their problems more clearly. It also helps them develop new coping strategies to deal with these problems.
What Are the Most Common Psychological Problems Associated with Amphetamine/Methamphetamine Addiction?
Depression is the most common psychological problem associated with methamphetamine addiction. It is known that approximately of individuals who use Amphetamine / Methamphetamine have a lifelong history of depression, intravenous methamphetamine users show more depressive symptoms compared to inhaled meth users, and the person's capacity for pleasure decreases due to decreased dopamine levels due to long-term Amphetamine / Methamphetamine use. Due to the depression associated with methamphetamine addiction, people may experience a decrease in the desire to start and continue any work, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Methamphetamine and amphetamine use can cause auditory/visual hallucinations and delusions. These symptoms may persist after methamphetamine use and may be permanent.
Amphetamine and methamphetamine addicts may commonly struggle with anxiety disorders. Research shows that of individuals with methamphetamine dependence still meet criteria for generalized anxiety disorder 3 years after hospitalization. People with anxiety disorders and methamphetamine use disorder have a much higher hospitalization rate and lifetime suicide attempt rate than people with methamphetamine dependence alone.
Research has shown that children and adolescents diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are at higher risk of developing methamphetamine addiction in the future compared to the general population. One study shows that the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in methamphetamine users is . This rate is %6 in individuals who do not use methamphetamine.
Information for People with a Relative with Amphetamine / Methamphetamine Addiction
Treatment is a process of change and change takes time. It is important to be patient and maintain your support. If you have a loved one who has been treated and discharged from treatment for Amphetamine / Methamphetamine addiction;
- Structure Time Amphetamine / Methamphetamine use causes a person not to use their time well and creates free time. This free time leads to reuse. Help him/her to create activities. Make him/her do something with you.
- Do not take responsibility for him/her. Treat him/her like an adult and let him/her take responsibility for his/her behavior and see the consequences. Give him/her tasks and support him/her to fulfill them, and do not do things that he/she should do for him/her.
- Sustain Your Life Amphetamine / Methamphetamine users often become a family problem. If all family members take care of the addict, after a while the addict gets bored with the excessive control and goes back to his/her old environment. Take care of other family members, make time for yourself, don't always talk to him/her about the addiction. Remember that if you neglect yourself, you cannot help him/her.
- Change the environment in which you live: The risk of encountering reminders in an environment where methamphetamine use is high is very high. Before changing your environment, it is important to consult with someone close to you who is struggling with methamphetamine addiction.
- Don't rush to change: Changing behavior and habits takes time and is not easy, give it time to change.
- Base your suspicions on concrete data: If your relative with amphetamine/methamphetamine addiction comes home late, spends time away from you, sleeps for long periods of time after days of not sleeping, his/her suspiciousness may worry you. At a time when you think he/she is not under the influence of the substance, agree with him/her to have a urine test to detect substance use.
- You change too: The family needs to change just like the addicted individual. To change:
- Learn to control emotions.
- Improve your communication skills.
- “Learn to say ”no".
- Forget the past, focus on the future: It is useful to forget previous conflicts, or at least to postpone them for the time being. If he or she has stopped using methamphetamine, it is a mistake to watch him or her like a criminal, to see him or her as a potential danger, or to blame him or her for the past.
If your relative who is addicted to methamphetamine does not want to stop using:
- First, try to understand the person's reasons for not stopping substance use.
- Learn about the effects of methamphetamine and amphetamines and Amphetamine/Methamphetamine dependent behaviors.
- You should not burden him with his responsibilities and you should make him take responsibility for his behavior as an adult.
- If no solution is working, you may need to corner the Amphetamine/Methamphetamine addict by withholding money or letting them know that you want them to leave the house. If the conversation takes place during an argument and you are nervous, wait until you have calmed down to talk to your relative before reacting immediately and postpone the conversation.
- It will take time to resolve the problem and it is important to be patient.
If your relative who is addicted to Amphetamine / Methamphetamine says that he/she can quit on his/her own without treatment:
- Understand why he/she does not want to seek treatment.
- Understand whether his/her goal is to reduce or stop substance use. Give him/her the opportunity to do this himself/herself within the framework of a plan.
- Ask him/her to give a specific deadline and agree to seek professional help if he/she fails to achieve the goal within that time.
- You can talk to a professional about family Amphetamine / Methamphetamine addiction and follow his/her guidance. You can ask to see a professional for a general assessment.
- You can limit the opportunities you give him/her.
- Let him/her know that it is his/her responsibility whether he/she uses it or not, but calmly and firmly state that you will withdraw your support if he/she uses it again.
There are some points that are important to be aware of when communicating with an Amphetamine / Methamphetamine addict. These are
- Being open Addiction loves secrecy and secrecy feeds addiction. Hiding from others is a common behavior and should be stopped after a while.
- Use the I language. Express your own feelings and thoughts. Instead of saying “You made me angry” you can say “I am angry with you”.
- Do not judge, scare or blame him/her when you talk to him/her.
- Listen to him/her when he/she talks. Try to put yourself in his/her shoes.
- Let her know that you will always be there for her, whatever happens.
- Arguing does not solve the problem, but only makes it worse. Talk to your relative when you are calm and ready. Don't give opinions about things you don't know about and don't try to talk to him/her when he/she is not sober.
- Set boundaries. Set clear and specific rules within the family. Be as neutral as possible in applying sanctions when rules are not followed.
- Offer choices. When you want your addicted relative to do something, give them options instead of giving them a direct order. If your relative chooses to do one of the options you offer, he or she will actually be making his or her own choice and will not have anything to blame you for.
