How To Support A Crystal Meth Addict

Families play a vital role in helping to support their loved ones who struggle with crystal meth addiction. The support that an individual receives from their family surpasses the treatment phase and helps improve psychiatric disorders and preventative maintenance in aftercare plans.

In addition, family support can go a long way to help their loved ones prevent relapses and build meaningful and sustainable connections. So how can a family support a loved one who struggles with a crystal meth addiction?

Recovering From Crystal Meth Addiction

Crystal meth is the popular slang or street name for methamphetamine. It is a substance that influences the amount of dopamine in the brain and imbalances the central nervous system. Those who have crystal meth addictions primarily use it to help them reinforce a rewarding pleasurable feeling that the natural dopamine produces in the body. However, crystal meth gives the individual large amounts of dopamine within a short amount of time. 

Those who struggle with a meth addiction have difficulty getting sober because of the significant psychological and medical consequences of the withdrawals. Addictions can vary from person to person, but a crystal meth addiction can have long-term health concerns to one's body. In addition, methamphetamine can reconstruct an individual's mindset, and deciding to get help is a considerable challenge. 

Fortunately, friends and family can support their loved one who has a crystal meth addiction to prevent the fatal long-term consequences if addressed in time. Unfortunately, it is not easy to recover from crystal meth addiction because dopamine levels diminish dramatically once the drug leaves the body. The individual may then feel a lack of interest in life because their sense of motivation is now gone.

Friends and family can see how hard the transformation of addiction recovery is on their loved ones, and it can leave them feeling completely helpless and hopeless regarding recovery.

The CDC shares that drug overdoses have dramatically increased in 2020 to over 93,000 individuals. They state that more than 20,000 of these have been fatal. However, the percentage has increased regarding fatalities to over 300,000 in late 2020. This can be unnerving for many families who have someone struggling with crystal meth addiction. 

Fortunately, recovery from crystal meth addiction is now possible with the proper treatment, help, and support from both family and friends. Programs to help individuals recover from methamphetamine addiction can include patient assessments, detox treatment plans, and aftercare services, all tailored specifically to each individual. 

Inside the treatment plans, there are options to combine different strategies to include friends and family as contributing factors to help their loved ones on the road to addiction recovery.

It’s Critical to Avoid the Progression of Addiction

Usually, a friend or a family member is the closest person to the one struggling with a crystal meth addiction. While an individual may not understand that their crystal meth addiction affects everyone else, it becomes even more dangerous to ignore the problem or avoid a loved one—it is imperative to help prevent progressing the harm of addiction. 

Friends and family can take action-based steps to avoid enabling, controlling their loved one's behaviors and actions, and using the substance together with their loved one. Friends and family members are just as affected as those who struggle with the crystal meth addiction and establishing new dynamics regarding support can help create positive recovery strategies.

Tips for Families

Family members and friends usually have questions on how to help their loved ones with addiction and how to support them best. A family member coping with addiction and understanding the addiction at its core is the first element to your support. Some ways you can support your loved one include:

• Educate oneself on the substances

• Contact with others in similar situations

• Engage in family therapy sessions

• Speak with professionals on involvement and engagement

• Consider reactions and responses

• Implement proactive boundaries

• Prepare meals for the entire family

• Address various expectations

• Continue self-care and self-happiness

• Get enough sleep

• Consider private therapy sessions

• Advocate the correct information about crystal meth and volunteer time to share knowledge

How The Forge Implements the Connection to Relationships

The Forge understands how challenging and stressful it is to have a loved one struggle with crystal meth addictions. We know how difficult it is to understand the addiction at its core, and we also know it is common to feel desperate to get them help. However, an individual's support can reach unlimited levels when they focus on taking care of themselves and implementing the proper boundaries and reactions. They will play a critical role in the recovery process by protecting themselves and finding the means of additional support in their life.

If you want to help support your loved one with a crystal meth addiction, talking to a leading provider of treatment services can help you with the struggling addiction and your loved one's recovery options. For more information, please reach out to The Forge now to learn how you can support a loved one who struggles with a crystal meth addiction.

Written by

Brian Moore

Content Writer

Reviewed by

Jeremy Arzt

Chief Clinical Officer

May 9, 2022