Further Reading

How can I combat my withdrawal from meth?

Dear Stanton:

Why don't they have a drug to help meth users go clean? I am aware that it's not supposed to be physically addictive... although your body is somewhat back to normal after around 2 weeks, it's the brain thing that got me using again... the nightmares, the sudden outburst of tears during a long distance phone commercial. The loneliness is probably the hardest. You feel like you are an outcast — during the time that you abused you limited yourself to only fellow drug users, then straight away you become this anti-drug saint because you finally see what the dope has done to your life, so you hate it and all those who do it.

An outcast is what you are now... not only that but your mental stability is shot, then what? If there were only a sedative that would allow you to cope with feelings that are trying to reappear after being numbed from the dope, I know the abuse of meth would decline, but until then most meth users don't stop and if they go clean they move on to heroin and die...

Shari

Shari:

They're taking heroin to get over meth! That's what using drugs to withdraw gets you. Your description of and insight into withdrawal are outstanding — they're very much like how I described withdrawal in Love and Addiction. Someone with your knowledge can build from it into actually escaping from drugs.

You mention five elements needed to overcome withdrawal:

1. new friends
2. reintegration into society
3. confronting emotions suppressed by the drug
4. avoiding (a) overreacting against your former (drug) life and everything and one associated with it
5. and (b) wishful thinking about a magical solution to all of the above.

Now why don't you propose a plan for dealing with these things?

Yours,
Stanton