Questions & Answers about Meth Addiction and Recovery

• Jul
  17

  How Easy Can One Become Addicted to Meth?

  Question:
  How easy is it to get addicted to Meth? A close relative of mine admits to taking "hits" up to 5 times a week, however states that without a problem he can quit his intake and under no circumstances thinks he is addicted. He says he tried it before and was able to get off it for more than two months.
  
  Is it possible for someone to not be addicted to this drug, despite his "heavy use"?
  
  I want to help him, but am wondering if he really needs help as he clearly thinks it's just a matter of not taking any "hits" any longer.
  
  Any help would be appreciated.
  
  Thank you
  By: Dan

  Answer:
  Hi Dan,
  
  That's a very common reaction most people have that heavily use meth or any other powerful addictive drug. Meth is extremely addictive and maybe in the beginning when your friend stopped for a few months he was able to stay away from the drug for a while. You don't say whether he was using any other stimulant drug during that time instead though. If he wasn't, he probably wasn't a frequent meth user at that time. Most people think they can stop anytime they want to but if your relative is taking hits around 5 times a week, it may not be as easy to stop this time.
  
  Not only is meth a hard drug to stop on your own once a person becomes addicted, there's a very high relapse rate among people who are able to quit, even individuals who receive treatment. Meth changes the way a person's brain functions and even after a person has stopped using meth if they were a heavy long-term user it can take a long time for the changes to reverse themselves, sometimes they don't.
  
  I hope your relative isn't addicted but there's a very good possibility they are. There are a lot of health problems that develop from heavy frequent use of meth and they're definitely not easy to cope with. Your relative needs to prove to themself that they're not addicted to meth and try to stop on their own. Meth withdrawal symptoms vary from user to user depending on the duration and intensity of their use. Symptoms include depression, agitation, anxiety, fatigue, cravings and increased appetite. Meth withdrawal symptoms aren't life threatening but they can be very uncomfortable.

  0 Comments

  Posted on July 17th, 2012

  • Share |