This is the final installment in a series touching on the problem of methamphetamine addiction in the City of Magnolia and Columbia County. The series focuses on issues within the city and county, highlighting organizations in place to help, and seeking answers to an ongoing dilemma throughout the country.
An addiction to meth is marked by several symptoms. The obvious is that the addict has difficulty controlling the use of the drug, with excessive and frequent use. The drug is causing problems in the user’s life — such as withdrawal from family, difficulty keeping a job, financial strain, and a number of other negative consequences including exposure to the criminal justice system. Physical and psychological symptoms add to the problems.
There are unique physical and psychological consequences of prolonged meth use. Physically, the drug can cause a rapid and irregular heart rate, an increase in blood pressure, stroke, convulsions, inflammation of the lining of the heart, weight loss, extreme dental problems, and damage to blood vessels, along with skin abscesses for those who use needles to inject the drug.
Psychological effects include paranoia, hallucinations, mood disturbances, depression, delusions such as formication (the sensation of insects crawling on the skin), suicidal thoughts, and insomnia. Lack of sleep contributes to the physical and psychological effects of the drug. Because of the mental problems associated with the drug, it’s imperative to have some form of psychiatric oversight during the treatment regimen.
Rehabilitation from drug addiction in its most general terms refers to a broad range of services that are available, provided, or court-ordered for people who are suffering from drug abuse. These services include intervention, assessment, diagnosis, health care, counseling, and a number of follow-up procedures to help the user separate from the drug. The overall goal of treatment is to eliminate the use of the drug and to restore a person to a productive life. However, addiction in many cases is a lifelong disease, with relapses possible, making the process of recovery lifelong as well.
One of the problems with treating meth addiction is that traditional methods used to treat drug abuse tend to be ineffective when applied to meth addiction. Successful treatment of the meth addict requires a new approach. A critical factor when dealing with meth treatment is something known as “the wall,” which is an event that occurs from 45 to 120 days into the treatment regimen. Psychological changes have occurred that often lead to a return to meth use, including increased depression and an extreme craving for the drug. Many times an addict is not kept in a rehab program long enough to get through this difficult period, which can lead to a relapse.
For meth treatment to be successful, it has to meet the demands of the addiction. Recovering meth addicts require a longer and more intense recovery program. Because of changes the drug has caused in certain parts of the brain, it can take a long time for normal brain function to return. Psychological changes caused by the drug also add to the difficulty of treatment, experts say.
Most treatment regimens begin with detox, which is the period of time when the substance is slowly weaned out of the user’s system. This has to be done under the supervision of medical professionals to assure the safety of users, and to help them remain as comfortable as possible during the process.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, behavior therapies are some of the most effective treatments for meth addicts. The Matrix Model, a 16-week comprehensive behavioral therapy treatment approach that combines family education, individual counseling, 12-step support, drug testing, and encouragement for non-drug-related activities are the most effective.
Another program, called a contingency management intervention, is based on a reward system to motivate the user. Incentives are given to recovering addicts in exchange for their participation in a treatment program and for maintaining abstinence. This program has proven effective in helping users recover from the abuse of meth.
Post detox behavioral therapy is used to treat those addicted to meth. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are three different methods that fall under that category, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, The Matrix Model, and Contingency Management Intervention.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based on the assumption that the learning process plays a central role in the development of maladaptive behaviors such as drug abuse. Therapy sessions focus on learning new, drug-free ways to cope with life stressors that trigger a desire for meth. A recognition of one’s reaction to environmental or emotional cues can stop an impulsive response such as drug use. The introduction of healthy behavior, such as taking a walk or just leaving a party where there’s drug activity, is a focus of this therapy.
The Matrix Model involves a 16-week program of behavioral treatment that includes therapy, individual counseling, group counseling, family education, drug testing, and motivation to opt for non-drug-related activities.
Contingency Management Intervention is based on motivation through a reward system. This program gives incentives to recovering persons in exchange for their agreeing to treatment and staying drug free.
There are a number of barriers to treatment, including affordability (or lack thereof), privacy, employment, family, and the addict’s belief that they can handle addiction problems on their own. Many times what happens when barriers to treatment prevent a user from getting help is that they sooner or later have an encounter with law enforcement. This creates a whole new set of problems for the addict.
However, there are times when court-ordered rehab under drug court programs that exist in many places, including Columbia County, turns out to be the best option. Longer stints in rehab have proven to be the most effective for the average meth user and are more likely to put the addict on the road to recovery. It’s a long process, lifelong in most cases, and it’s the commitment that really matters.
It will take a commitment from the user, from the rehab centers, from the families, from law enforcement, and from all who have been affected by this deadly epidemic to overcome it. In Magnolia and Columbia County, those seeking help can contact Mitch Francis at Southwest Arkansas Counseling and Mental Health Center in Texarkana at 870-774-1315.