Can you recover from meth

Answer 1

It is possible however the chances, if you mean statistically, are poor. This is not because it is not possible to recover, but because most addicts will not do what is necessary to recover - do hard rehabilitation exercises and seek medical attention, but you can recover.

But preventing is easier than curing so don't start. You may think you can stop anytime but it's not that easy and most people after a while develop a need for them and that means stopping could kill you, but continuing could kill you too, so don't start.

Unfortunately, coming from a former addict myself, the bottom line is that there's nothing you can do until the person ready to quit for himself 100%. With a strong support system that wants to help, recovery is completely attainable.

The majority of meth users end up becoming completely different people (figuratively). When I was using, I did things that I would never have done if I wasn't using. I stole from my mother, sister, brother, friends, stores, & basically anyone I came in contact with. And these were people who loved me, and who I loved back, but at the time, I was only thinking of finding ways to get more dope. "Surely they'd never miss that change laying on the table, or that dollar bill in the center console... and it's more than I've got right now." So I'd end up rationalizing my actions, even though deep down I knew what I was doing was wrong. It just didn't matter anymore. So even if the addict ends up doing some of these things, or ending up in jail, or even worse - the hospital (god forbid, the morgue...), just remind yourself that it's the drug that's affecting their behavior - it's not a reflection of their true self nor does it mean that they don't love you anymore. Just whatever you do, it's important not to abandon an addict seeking help. There's a fine line between enabling an addiction, and being available to help when they find themselves at rock bottom and wanting to get help. I personally witnessed several of my old associates beg their parents to let them come back home, and to come pick them up, or send them a bus ticket. Whatever they needed to get the help they needed. And time after time, I listened to their parents refuse - "they'd had enough", "heard the story before", "didn't trust them enough to let them come back home", "what about your influence on your brother/sister?", "I've already given you everything I can, and it's never worked. I've given up trying anymore". These are just a few of the reasons that parents gave. While they're valid points, especially considering the amount of damage and pain caused by a loved one with an addiction, you must try to never find yourself repeating these words if someone is asking for help. Everyone doing this drug ends up with nothing - not a penny to their name - at one point or another, so a simple bus ticket is so vital to someone who has no means to buy one themselves. If they ask you for help, do whatever you can to be there. That doesn't mean giving them cash, or paying bills, or letting them live with you & continue to use. Those are actions that just allow their using with slightly less effort on their part, and doesn't provide any motivation to want to quit. Unfortunately, and especially with meth, I've learned that it takes hitting "rock bottom" for most addicts to make the decision to quit. Everyone's "bottom" is different, but this drug is so powerful that it takes extreme circumstances to finally make the lightbulb pop on & think "Maybe I don't want to live like this anymore & should quit?".

Even after seeking help the first time, remember that relapse is a part of recovery, and with meth, is highly likely to occur. Find local Nar-Anon or NA meetings in your town and attend them with your addict, or even alone, to educate yourself on the recovery process and how you can help them stay clean. It may involve rehab, outpatient therapy/drug counseling, long-term residential rehab, sober living homes, and others. If the addict is still in high school, there are schools out there that allow kids to earn their High School Diploma while also being treated for drug addiction. It's sort of like a boarding school with classes on drug education, 12-Step programs, recovery & Families of Addicts. My stepbrother ended up being sent (literally, ambushed in the middle of the night in our house and put in a car and driven from Southern California to Utah, against his will since he was still 17 years old, and placed at a school called SunHawk). While he fought tooth & nail at first, it ended up being a blessing (in his own words), since he was able to obtain his High School Diploma and get on the road to recovery early on. I wish I could say that he never relapsed after graduating from this school and coming home, but I'd be lying. Once he returned home, he had to learn how to apply everything he'd learned and figure out how to re-enter his old life, friends, family, town, etc. and still stay clean. It took him a few years and a few relapses, but thankfully, since our parents never gave up on him, and never turned him away when he was asking for help, I'm happy to report that he has over 2 1/2 years clean as of today.

Bottom line, recovery is completely possible - but requires a strong support system, including family and non-using friends, and it requires 110% effort from the addict and they must be completely in favor of recovery and willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Regardless of the bumpy road ahead, if you keep working at it, one day it will all fall in place. Without past experiences, education, recovery attempts, relapses, etc., all of these things will come together to help an addict create a personalized program of their own to stay clean for good.

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I agree with the above response... the only way to quit meth is for you to 100% WANT to quit. If you're not 100% dedicated to quitting, then you won't be able to. It doesn't matter if you're quitting on your own or in a rehab center. If you go to rehab, and you don't want to quit, no matter how long you stay there, as soon as you get out, you'll use again.

In terms of "recovery" from meth.... if you're referring to the psychological stuff that comes with meth use, then YES, you can recover from it. My main reason for quitting was the torture of the voices in my head. I had smoked several times daily for 2+ years, and when I quit, the voices remained. I thought they'd be there forever, but after about 1.5 years of sobriety, they finally went away. I'm so grateful that the voices are gone that I'll never touch meth again. It gives a good high, but the consequences are horrendous.