{"id":11901,"date":"2021-10-20T13:29:44","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T13:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/?p=11901"},"modified":"2021-10-20T13:30:54","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T13:30:54","slug":"crazy-crystal-meth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/crazy-crystal-meth\/","title":{"rendered":"Crazy Crystal Meth"},"content":{"rendered":"<header><div class=\"contained\"><div><div><\/div><div class=\"content\"><h1>Crazy Crystal Meth<\/h1><a href=\"#recoveryModal\" class=\"btn submit\" data-toggle=\"modal\">Reach out now, we can help<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/header><div id=\"crumbs\" class=\"contained\" data-is-podcasts=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\">Home<\/a>  \/  <\/div><h3 data-date='20 October 2021' class='article-title'>Crazy Crystal Meth<\/h3><div class='info'><span>20 October, 2021<\/span><span>Articles, News<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Over the recent past, most rehabs in South Africa, have seen an  exponential growth in the number of clients who present with paranoid  thoughts and behaviour as a result of the abuse of crystal <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/drug-addiction\/meth-addiction\/\" target=\"_blank\">meth<\/a> as it is commonly called.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where did it originate<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Methamphetamine is a man-made stimulant that&rsquo;s been around for a long time. During World War II, soldiers were given meth to keep them awake. People have also taken the drug to lose weight and ease depression.  It has also been used for the treatment of obesity and in the treatment of ADHD.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crystal meth is made with the ingredient <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/druginfo\/meds\/a682619.html\" target=\"_blank\">pseudoephedrine<\/a>, which is found in many flu and cold remedies. It was mainly produced in labs in Mexico however many small labs  appear to have sprung up in South Africa. The ingredients are usually  variable-depending on that is cheap and accessible at the time,  therefore the user never quite knows what they are getting. There is  some indication from users that they believe it to be laced with what they refer to as  &ldquo;spiritual stuff&rdquo; (muthi).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #767676;\" class=\"ugb-highlight\">What Are the Effects?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Meth can make a user&rsquo;s body temperature rise so high they could pass out or even die. <\/li><li>A user may feel anxious and confused, be unable to sleep, have mood swings, and become violent. <\/li><li>A\n user may age quickly. His\/her skin may dull, and he\/she can develop \nhard-to-heal sores and pimples. They may have a dry mouth and stained, \nbroken, or rotting teeth  (meth mouth). <\/li><li>They may also become paranoid and hear and see things that aren&rsquo;t there.   <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It is this last point that seems to be the most prevalent and most concerning for rehab and addiction practitioners.  An almost entrenched paranoia that seems to last for many months even though the toxic effects of the methamphetamine should, theoretically, no longer be present in the body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The research<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The link between crystal meth use and symptoms of paranoia is well  known and well documented in the relevant literature.  The real concern  for practitioners in the rehab field is being able to differentiate what is crystal meth induced paranoia and what is possibly a psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia or even <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/bipolar-disorder\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20355955\" target=\"_blank\">bipolar mood disorder<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several research groups, especially in Japan, have successfully  studied  methamphetamine-induced paranoia. These studies are well respected as the Japanese methamphetamine subculture is characterised  by single use drug users- poly-drug (multiple substances) use has been  uncommon. The results showed that a small percentage of meth users  suffer from entrenched paranoia after at least 6 months of sobriety but  there were a number of cases where even though people had been clean for  many years there were still signs of paranoid delusions unrelated to a  more severe psychiatric disorder.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meth-induced psychosis\nsometimes presents in a similar way to paranoid schizophrenia and\nresearch has shown that at least 60 percent of people who use meth\nexperience psychotic symptoms and syndromes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What are the major\nsigns of meth induced psychosis? <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>delusions\n\t<\/li><li> hallucinations,\n\t<\/li><li>paranoia, and sometimes \n\t\n\t<\/li><li>violent behaviour. \n\t\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It is extremely difficult to differentiate hallucinations from what is real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to developing\npsychosis, a person who uses meth, may encounter a pre-psychotic\nstate that is marked by delusional moods and ideas of reference or\nbelieving that everyday events have great personal significance.\nDelusions and hallucinations accompany full-blown psychosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People who are dependent on meth, who use high doses, who experienced childhood trauma, and\/or who start taking the drug at a young age have an increased risk of having psychotic symptoms. The sleep deprivation that often accompanies meth use may aggravate these symptoms as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #767676;\" class=\"ugb-highlight\">Other warning signs of crystal meth psychosis<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Meth delusions: A person has strange, unrealistic, and\/or false beliefs. <\/li><li>Meth hallucinations: Auditory, visual, or tactile hallucinations make a person hear, see, or feel things that don&rsquo;t exist. <\/li><li>Meth paranoia: A person becomes extremely suspicious of those around them and may even believe that people are out to get them.  <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How long can these signs remain? <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is usually dependent\non the physical characteristics of the individual as well as their\nlevel of mental health, and severity of drug use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meth psychosis may last several hours, and on average, a person  typically recovers from it in one week. However, psychosis sometimes  lasts for months and even years after a person stops using. Spontaneous  flashback psychotic episodes may also be triggered by stress or by using the drug again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Treatment\nprocesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Individuals\nexperiencing meth psychosis may need some form of stabilisation in\nspecialised health care facilities before coming to rehab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Crossroads we apply a combination of the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/the-programme\/\" target=\"_blank\">12-step programme<\/a>  as well as the traditional Crossroads treatment methodology, which  involves group therapy, family support and individual counselling .  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Individuals with a dual diagnosis and co-occurring mental health  disorders, such as schizophrenia, may be better served in an inpatient  or residential treatment program until they are stable.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> If you or a loved one needs assistance with an addiction to crystal meth&ndash; know  that help is readily available.  We have an experienced team which  includes medical staff to assist with safe medical detox where  necessary. The  road to recovery is not always an easy one but getting  yourself or your loved one the best possible care from the team at&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/\" target=\"_blank\">Crossroads Recovery Centre<\/a>,   provides you with a map to sober, healthy living. No matter how bad   things seem, there is hope and it&rsquo;s only a phone call away.  If you or  anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/types-of-addiction\/sex-addiction-rehabilitation\/\" target=\"_blank\">sex<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/gambling-addiction\/\" target=\"_blank\">gambling<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/drug-rehabilitation\/\">substances<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/alcohol-addiction\/\" target=\"_blank\">alcohol<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/food-addiction\/\" target=\"_blank\">food<\/a>, please&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">contact us<\/a>&nbsp;for a free assessment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.crossroadsrecovery.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/johannesburg-treatment-centre\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">074 89 51043<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Johannesburg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">&nbsp;JHB<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/pretoria-treatment-centre\/\" target=\"_blank\">012 450 5033<\/a>&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pretoria\" target=\"_blank\">PTA<\/a><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Crazy Crystal Meth Reach out now, we can help Home \/ Crazy Crystal Meth 20 October, 2021Articles, News Over the recent past, most rehabs in South Africa, have seen an exponential growth in the number of clients who present with paranoid thoughts and behaviour as a result of the abuse of crystal meth as it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,36],"tags":[123,26,311,178,368,177,23,59,68,75,310,179],"class_list":["post-11901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-news","tag-pta-rehab","tag-addiction","tag-crystal-meth","tag-crystal-meth-addiction","tag-crystal-meth-psychosis","tag-crystal-methamphetamine","tag-drugs","tag-gauteng-rehab","tag-jhb-rehab","tag-south-african-rehab","tag-tik","tag-tik-addiction","entry"],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Crystal-Meth-.jpg",584,417,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Crystal-Meth--80x80.jpg",80,80,true],"medium":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Crystal-Meth--300x214.jpg",300,214,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Crystal-Meth-.jpg",584,417,false],"large":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Crystal-Meth-.jpg",584,417,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Crystal-Meth-.jpg",584,417,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Crystal-Meth-.jpg",584,417,false],"alm-thumbnail":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Crystal-Meth--150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Crystal-Meth-.jpg",584,417,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"<p>Crazy Crystal MethReach out now, we can helpHome \/ Crazy Crystal Meth20 October, 2021Articles, News Over the recent past, most rehabs in South Africa, have seen an exponential growth in the number of clients who present with paranoid thoughts and behaviour as a result of the abuse of crystal meth as it is commonly called. Where did it originate? Methamphetamine is a man-made stimulant that&rsquo;s been around for a long time. During World War II, soldiers were given meth to keep them awake. People have also taken the drug to lose weight and ease depression. It has also been used&hellip;<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/category\/news\/articles\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Articles<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"admin","url":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/author\/admin\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11901\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssdev.co.za\/crossroads-old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}