A Meth Withdrawal Symptom Timeline??

STAGE ONE

Days 0 to 15

According to different sources, the withdrawal stage of meth from days 0 to 15 can involve various symptoms that can be acute or post-acute. Acute symptoms are those that appear shortly after the last use and peak within 24 hours. Post-acute symptoms are those that persist for longer periods of time and tend to be less severe. According to Thomas (2022), the following symptoms can occur:

Anxiety

Fatigue

Irritability

Lack of energy

Weight gain

Dehydration

Chills

Insomnia followed by hypersomnia (sleeping too much)

Dysphoria (low mood) could progress to clinical depression and suicidal thoughts

The inability to think clearly

Anhedonia (loss of ability to feel pleasure)

Withdrawing from others

Drug cravings

Honeymoon Phase

Days 16 to 45

The honeymoon stage of meth withdrawal is the second phase of recovery, which usually occurs from days 16 to 45 after quitting meth. However, this stage can also be risky, as some people may falsely believe that their meth problem has ended and that they no longer need treatment or support (Meth Recovery, 2018).

 

The Wall

Days 46 to 120 of meth withdrawal are known as the wall stage, which is the third phase of recovery.

During this stage, people may experience a decline in their mood and motivation, as well as an increase in their cravings and difficulty. They may find little pleasure in life and struggle with low energy, poor concentration, irritability, and insomnia. This stage can be very challenging and make people vulnerable to relapse, as they may be tempted to use meth again to escape their negative feelings or to cope with stress. However, this stage is also temporary and will eventually pass, as the brain continues to heal and adjust to the absence of meth (SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT of METHAMPHETAMINE ADDICTION, n.d.). 

Adjustment Stage

The adjustment stage of meth withdrawal is the fourth phase of recovery, which usually occurs from days 121 to 180 after quitting meth.

During this stage, the risk of relapse decreases, as the brain continues to heal and the cravings become less frequent and intense. People also feel more accomplished and optimistic about their recovery and their future. However, this stage can also present some challenges, as people may face stress, conflict, or temptation in their daily lives. They may also struggle with some residual symptoms, such as mood swings, fatigue, or insomnia (Falconberry, 2016). They may need to deal with the consequences of their past meth use, such as legal, financial, or health issues.

Resolution Stage

 During this stage, people have successfully overcome the most difficult challenges of meth withdrawal and recovery. They have learned new skills to sustain their sobriety, such as coping with triggers, managing cravings, and preventing relapse.                                   

     However, this stage does not mean that the recovery process is over or that the risk of relapse is gone. People may still face stress, conflict, or temptation in their daily lives that could challenge their sobriety.                                                           

                                                                                    

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Struggling with Meth cravings?? Wanting to use it again??? 

I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling with meth cravings. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that can cause changes in the brain's reward system and make it hard to quit. There are some ways to combat feelings that lead to meth cravings, such as: 

1. 
   - Managing stress by using coping skills like deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or listening to soothing music.
2. Exercising regularly releases natural endorphins and improves your mood and health.
3. Distracting yourself with hobbies, activities, or goals that give you a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
4. Avoiding triggers that remind you of meth use, such as certain people, places, objects, or situations
5. Eating a healthy and balanced diet to nourish your body and brain and reduce cravings for unhealthy substances.
6. Seeking professional help from a doctor, therapist, or addiction treatment program that can offer you medication, counseling, or other forms of support.
7. Joining a support group where you can share your experiences, feelings, and challenges with other people who understand what you are going through and can offer you encouragement and advice.
8. Calling a trusted person like a friend, family member, or sponsor who can listen to you and help you stay on track with your recovery.

These are some suggestions that may help you cope with meth cravings. However, everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another. You have to find what works best for you and stick with it. Remember that you are not alone and that there is hope for recovery. You can do this! 💪

 Neurobiological Research: Understanding Loss of Control and Continued Use 

• neurobiology research also investigates the loss of control.
• defined as continued drug use despite significant adverse consequences.
• 2 frontal areas of the brain are key components of the inhibitory pathway of the brain
• 
  the pathway that allows us to control our impulses. Neuroimaging studies suggest that compulsive behavior requires dysfunction within the ACC - Anterior cingulate cortex and OFC - Orbitofrontal cortex.
• neuroimaging studies suggest that compulsive behavior as seen in both intractable addiction and OCD requires dysfunction within the two highly interconnected cortical systems  ACC and OFC
• results from neuroimaging studies examining the effects of mindfulness practices on the brain have suggested future directions for addiction treatment and brain healing.
• Corticocobasal ganglia network
• Dorsal striatum
• plays a role in executive functioning and decision making 
• experiences increased dopaminergic signaling in the presence of drug abuse
• the brain pathway that begins from the VTA to the dorsal striatum is referred to as the habit circuit
• because of its role in conditioned learning
• Anterior cingulate cortex
• orbitofrontal cortex
• Mindfulness-based relapse prevention
• targets a reduction of cravings and relapse
• shows promise as an effective modality to be used in conjunction with other types of addictions treatment
• 
  
  
  As compulsive using and drinking continue the brain sustains physical damage and becomes less capable of unlearning
• continued emphasis on brain circuitry alteration can assist counselors in improving their understanding and empathy when the addict can not " just learn to stop"
• Neuroimaging has revealed a number of additional findings related to the effects of drug and alcohol use on the brain
• cue reactivity
• the array of psychological, physiological, and behavioral effects elicited by drug-related stimuli.
• Imaging studies have identified the visual cortex as an important part of drug cue reactivity and demonstrated with remarkable consistency that substance-dependent individuals have significantly higher activity in the primary and secondary visual cortices when exposed to drug versus nondrug cue
• this finding is supportive of the hypothesis that attentional bias to drug cues may be a biomarker for addiction and has implications for the ability to predict relapse.
• Other neuroimaging studies have supported the relationship between drug cue reactivity and length and intensity of drug use, addiction severity, relapse risk, use-associated problems, and treatment outcomes and highlighted the role that individual factors play in neural reactivity to drug cues.
• Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated the effect of drugs on the brain's functioning long after substances have been eliminate from the body
• about 20 million people with alcoholism in the USA have some degree of brain damage
• highlighted imaging studies that determined relapsers showed increased atrophy in the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex and in the right medial prefrontal cortex and ACC
• Brain areas associated with error monitoring
• 
  
  
  researchers have determined that some alcoholics seem to exhibit more damage to the right hemisphere of the brain than the left hemisphere and significant brain volume shrinkage.
• cocaine dependence appears to result in a marked reduction of gray matter  in the prefrontal cortex, especially the orbitofrontal cortex
• research also suggests that depending on age the brain of the detoxified alcoholic appears as ravaged as that of a patient with Alzheimer's disease
• substantial changes have been noted in the hippocampus of youth who engage in binge drinking.
• the brain's ability to form new cells is disrupted by addiction
• new brain cells are created from the division of neural stem cells
• a process called neurogenesis
• alcohol can significantly disrupt neurogenesis
• Promising new approaches in the treatment of cocaine addiction may involve neurosurgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation.
• currently used with certain patients with Parkinson's disease
• the effect of deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus of rats has found evidence of a decrease in motivation for further cocaine
• extensive research with PET scans and other neuroimaging technology will add to the knowledge of the cause's effects and treatment of addiction
• these imaging tools are adding to the addiction specialist's treatment toolbox and may make it possible to develop biomarkers to predict disease trajectories and therapeutic outcomes that are necessary for individualized medicine and optimal patient care.
  

                                                      

  Resources

Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (2019). Foundations of Addictions Counseling (4th ed.). Pearson Education                  (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780135169858 

Neurotransmitters and Addiction

 

Neurotransmitters

Neurobiological Components of Addiction: Understanding the Reward Pathway

 Neurobiological Components of

Addiction: Understanding the Reward

Pathway

Reward pathway

The basic concept in the neurobiology of addiction is the reward pathway which comprises the areas of the brain most involved in addiction. 

The limbic system

Home of the areas of the brain thought to make up the reward pathway. When stimuli activate particular areas of the brain then pleasurable sensations are produced. Neurotransmitters play critical roles in transmitting information between neurons through synapses. A synapse measures twenty to fifty nanometers.

Dopamine

Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter involved in reward and euphoria experiences. Dopamine is made by very few brain cells and acts mainly within a subset of brain regions. Dopamine seems to have a disproportionately large impact on brain function.

Cocaine

Cocaine interferes with the normal action of dopamine by blocking the removal or reuptake of dopamine which results in an increase of dopamine in the neurons, resulting in overstimulation of receiving neurons called neuroreceptors. This is experienced by the user as a pleasurable euphoria. An addict seeks to continue experiencing this sensation which results from an abundance of powerful neurotransmitters including dopamine. In the brain, this dopaminergic transmission and reward pathway is a primary feature of addiction.

The areas of the brain involved in the reward pathway

VTA

The VTA has emerged as a new research interest in understanding how addiction and drugs affect the brain. The stress of VTA may be a potential factor in relapse. Advanced research will unlock more keys to understanding the VTA and GABA's role in inhibiting or slowing the dopaminergic surge.

References 

     Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (2019). Foundations of Addictions Counseling (4th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780135169858 

 Neurobiology and the Physiology of

Addiction

                                    References

Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (2019). Foundations of Addictions Counseling (4th ed.).Pearson                         Education (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780135169858 

 Combating Negative Self-Talk

Negative self-talk is the inner voice that criticizes, doubts or belittles yourself. It can affect your mood, confidence, and performance at work. Negative self-talk can also lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. But how can you combat negative self-talk and replace it with positive affirmations? Here are some tips to help you:

• 
  Identify the triggers. What situations or events make you feel insecure, frustrated, or inadequate? Is it a difficult project, a demanding client, a challenging colleague, or a personal issue? Try to notice when and why you start to talk negatively to yourself. 
•  Challenge the thoughts. Don't accept your negative thoughts as facts. Ask yourself if they are realistic, helpful, or fair. For example, if you think "I'm not good enough for this job", ask yourself "What evidence do I have for this? How would I respond if a friend said this to me? What can I do to improve my skills or confidence?"
  
• Replace the thoughts. Once you have challenged your negative thoughts, replace them with positive ones. Use affirmations that are specific, realistic, and empowering. For example, instead of saying "I can't do this", say "I can do this if I work hard and ask for help when I need it".
• Practice gratitude. One way to combat negative self-talk is to focus on the positive aspects of your life and work. Make a habit of writing down or saying out loud three things you are grateful for every day. This can help you appreciate what you have and what you have achieved. 
•  Seek support. You don't have to deal with negative self-talk alone. Talk to someone you trust, such as a friend, family member, mentor, or therapist. They can help you gain perspective, offer encouragement, and provide feedback. You can also join a support group or online community where you can share your experiences and learn from others