Meth and Mental Health

Methamphetamine, or meth, is an extremely prevalent stimulant drug that can wreak havoc on the body and mind. Many people who take meth use its stimulating properties to allow positive feelings to wash over any real crises rather than actually dealing with them outright. This avoidance of reality is, while relatable, something we can acknowledge as a setup for failure, no matter how prolonged the relief feels.

An addiction to meth and mental health problems are often co-occurring among many patients. Treating one without addressing the other is, essentially, incomplete treatment. That’s why at Greater Boston Addiction Centers, we can help provide the support necessary to not only overcome an addiction to meth but also teach the skills needed to resolve or manage the mental health aspect of addiction. No matter your story, we can help you become your best self through recovery. Contact us by calling 877.920.6583 today to learn about our meth rehab near Boston, Massachusetts.

How Meth Affects Mental Health

Meth introduces a fundamentally unsustainable way to live. For how often it’s used, the analogy of life to a roller coaster still does have its merits—no roller coaster is comprised only of peaks. The gradual ups and downs of life are natural and, moreover, healthy. Many people find themselves in situations where it only ever feels like a downslope, and as a result, take to using meth to experience the opposite.

Both are disastrous for the psyche. While using meth to elevate one’s mood seems like a fix, it’s only an additional problem that coats the underlying core issue. These are a few ways meth can seriously damage mental health instead of repairing it:

Depression

Meth can deplete the brain’s natural stores of dopamine and serotonin. These neurotransmitters play a key role in keeping mood stable, so when they’re expended by meth, depression often ends up worse than before the use of meth.

Anxiety

One of meth’s secondary effects is heightened awareness, which can make existing anxiety considerably worse. Meth can also induce paranoia, which may last for hours before wearing off. The likelihood and severity of paranoid incidents increase with prolonged meth use.

Cognitive Impairment

Using meth can cause significant cognitive impairment, including memory loss, confusion, and difficulty making decisions or solving problems. These effects are often temporary but may require medical or psychological intervention to revert.

Addiction

Addiction itself can become a major contributing factor to each of the previous mental health-oriented conditions. Becoming addicted to meth can result in risky behavior, behavioral changes, and social disruptions. For example, losing a job due to meth use could snowball into financial disarray, which in turn increases the likelihood of using meth as a coping strategy.

Other Effects of Meth Abuse

Meth and mental health are deeply intertwined, far past the direct consequences that meth can have on the mind. It can be extremely challenging to stop this kind of cycle once it has started, but the alternative is letting it persist. The only real solution to the problem of addiction is to make a major lifestyle change.

Participation in a treatment program is always a choice. For outsiders looking in, going to treatment seems like a fairly easy one, but sufferers of certain mental health disorders will find the decision more complicated. It can be anxiety-inducing to put yourself out there as someone seeking help. Treatment involves moving in an entirely new direction, which puts people with depression at lower odds of attending.

Meth Addiction Treatment at Greater Boston Addiction Centers

Considering how many people with substance use disorders struggle with a type of mental health disorder, making treatment easy is a top priority at GBAC. If you or someone you know is battling an addiction to meth and mental health disorders, it’s time to consider rehabilitation.

Begin learning about what our meth rehab near Boston can do for you. Call Greater Boston Addiction Centers at 877.920.6583, or connect with us online today.