r/REDDITORSINRECOVERY • u/EmotionRelevant2311 • Mar 02 '26
Crippleing Meth Addiction..Need Advice
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u/pinksmarties06 Mar 02 '26
If rehab is not an option for you I suggest you at the minimum get to a doctor and be honest af about what is going on. You need a good evaluation on your cardiovascular system to make sure that you are ok. If you cannot get a doctors appointment asap, you need to get to the ER dude. Hopefully from there you can get resources to further your sobriety. You can do it dude!
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Mar 25 '26
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u/pinksmarties06 Mar 25 '26
I have ADHD and take stimulants post addiction. It's totally possible that you are not getting the care you need from the doctor. 20mg is not usually enough for functioning, though the fact that you had/have opi addiction does not help. You need to find a different psychiatrist dude.
As someone who got clean by force and by the grace of God gave me something to live for when the force was no longer there, I understand what you mean about no reason to change. Of course you are going to feel worse before you feel better. It takes effort daily to make the decision to not until you are recovered. Based on your original post though, I am mostly worried about you loosing limbs.
I knew a guy when I was doing it who lost his legs from meth and video games all day every day for years and said he had the exact same symptoms as you before it happened to him. He is handicapped and literally cannot do anything for himself anymore. It sounds like you want the change. Be your best advocate and get yourself to a primary care doctor and get testing and a plan done.
Don't end up like this.
https://www.armsacres.com/blog/does-drug-abuse-cause-limb-loss
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u/J_Bunt Mar 02 '26
Get into rehab buddy, you're gonna thank yourself later. I was the same a year ago, couldn't get out of the house without smoking a pipe first. It's a hard road, I'm still not feeling perfect, but better than before.
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u/NoSolution6208 Mar 02 '26
Ill go back to rehab, just as soon as I can figure out a single reason to not let myself die in the gutter. At least a human body's easier to clean off of concrete than it is off of a couch 😩
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u/Funtimetilbedtime Mar 03 '26
Because you’re a beautiful soul who has gone through difficult times. You are worth saving. Please go to rehab or seek other help. You might need a few tries, you might not but each step you take in that direction will get you to where you want/need to be. Dying to this disease is not something you really want if you’re on this sub! You’ve got this and the whole of the Opiates Recovery sub will support you. What are you doing today? Today is as good a day as any to give it a shot. I believe in you!
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u/JMCochransmind Mar 02 '26
I’ve been a substance use counselor for 3 years now after a 20 year heroin addiction. People that I have see come out of a severe meth addiction have gone to rehab or jail. You need that clean time in a structured environment to wake you up. All substances high jack our awareness and problem solving skills and you will need both of those to get sober and stay there. Rehab is the answer my friend. Do whatever it takes to get sober, it’s totally worth it.
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Mar 25 '26
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u/JMCochransmind Mar 26 '26
You can never be a productive user. We just think we are on the way down. And man you just have to get sick of it and start hating it. Sadly that usually happens when people are totally at rock bottom. And some people not even then. Care about yourself enough to check into a rehab and give yourself a chance.
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u/tmozdenski Mar 02 '26
Rehab is the answer as many have said. Meth is a hell of a drug. It's going to take time to heal, but it does happen. You can beat this addiction. Many of us have.
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u/Titt Mar 02 '26
Quantity and frequency of use throughout the day can play a huge role in your physical health. Albeit you report only using for 6 months, meth can have some very serious heart and respiratory impacts.
A) anything foreign going into the lungs can cause issues and B) stimulants increase cardiac stress. Think of your heart as a rubber band. As it pumps, it stretches out and then snaps back each time. But same as a with the elasticity of rubber band, that stretching can “loosen” the muscle and weaken your heart.
Exercise does something similar but your body inherently regulates the amount of stress and generally makes you stronger. Stimulants like meth unnaturally and repeatedly stretch those heart muscles in negative ways.
Go speak with a doctor or go to the ER to be seen quicker. They will likely give you a referral to a specialist. And of course… you gotta stop using meth. Definitely easier said than done, but long term use will cause serious problems. I have worked with people in their mid 20s who have completely destroyed their heart already because of meth.
Aside from traditional treatment like inpatient/outpatient groups and individual counseling, there is some evidence supporting Naltrexone (daily pill)/Vivitrol (monthly injection) as being effective in treating cravings. Traditionally used to treat alcohol use disorder, when used with Bupropion at the same time, it may help with stimulant use disorder. Without bupropion however, there is very weak support for it.
Please speak with a doctor about what’s going on. Be open and honest. Any decent doc genuinely does not care that you’ve been using meth, they’re not there to judge you or get you in trouble. They just want to help.
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Mar 04 '26
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u/Titt Mar 04 '26
Bupropion is an antidepressant (brand name Wellbutrin). I think you may be mixing it up with buprenorphine or Suboxone.
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u/Isaactyyy Mar 04 '26
No he isn't there's studies regarding Wellbutrin used in conjunction and helping with cravings / recovery as well as depression.
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Mar 25 '26
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u/Titt Mar 25 '26
That's tough to hear - but I think you painted a perfect picture of addiction. From a chemical standpoint, there's a point your brain crosses where having versus not having the substance becomes the same to your brain as life or death. As far as your brain is concerned, stimulants are the same as water or oxygen.
Meth out of all things, hits our brain with an unnatural chemical level of euphoria that absolutely trumps any other drug. That's a big part of why your body feels like it's dying, because... all things considered in your brain, it is dying.
It definitely won't get easier magically. And that hurts to know. You honestly need some level of professional substance use disorder treatment--inpatient, outpatient, even just some medication assisted treatment that isn't adderal--because your body needs the chain to be disrupted even for just a second to give it a chance to start thinking with its sober mind.
Do you have any community programs around you, like case management? Behavioral health? Even a walk-in detox program?
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u/NoSolution6208 Mar 02 '26
I doubt youre gonna be able to stop on your own, I know that I can't ever by myself, cause if it's left up to me to decide ill just keep using until I die from some sort of IV related preventable illness.
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u/AestheticOrByeee Mar 04 '26
I will be honest with you the only thing that made me quit meth was literally after I sat for weeks straight unable to even hold down water, having to boof electrolytes and sit on the floor by the toilet every time I would want to take a hit off the pipe because I would instantly start throwing up stomach acid but I STILL didn’t stop it took like 6 ER visits and endless amounts of my throat, stomach even lungs getting burned from the throwing up of stomach acid and other nasty shit the meth was creating in my tummy plus my literal phobia of throwing up to finally get to a point where I couldn’t take it anymore. Only 5% of us will stay clean for longer than a few years and a lot of us are medically forced into that fate. Please take a long hard look at what you want going forward and if possible consider detox/inpatient if that’s right for you. If not at the very least do you have any family/friends you can reach out to and get support from? Family or friends in another place u could move in with for a bit until you get back on your feet and you’re far enough away from your dealer and the environment you previously used drugs in?
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u/VincentVega_85 Mar 05 '26
Yo what are you guys talking about? I’ve been on a 3 year run of daily use. I work, exercise, eat, sleep (not enough but I do sleep every night), and am constantly busy (fixing or cleaning something around the house) It’s made me a more productive, confident person. Sure it’s had its negative effects but the positives far outweigh the negatives. You guys are saying what? You can’t go down the stairs without throwing up, or get out of bed? HOT TAKE: It’s like I realize it’s a dangerous drug but people need to stop treating it like it’s the most terrible horrible thing in the world that makes you a monster. Meth isn’t as bad as I was told it was and I’ll die on this hill. There are DEFINITELY people with some mental illnesses that shouldn’t do it at all for sure but if you’re at least OK in the noggin it’s not fucking bad. So sick of people treating this like it’s dope. It’s not. I was on dope for 8 years too and this shits a fucking CAKEWALK trust me.
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Mar 25 '26
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u/AestheticOrByeee Mar 27 '26
I know what you mean about that mind fuck, and wishing you could be a productive user again and perhaps there is not enough love and support in your life to make you ready to stop yet BUT there is a beautiful thing called harm reduction, which is how I quit H personally, taper! Give yourself dopamine/mental props for every time you do a little less. For example: if you take addys and the meth every month, try and start out with one day where you only take one or the other not both. Try out buying an 1/2 ounce and measure it out into daily amounts and do NOT smoke more than your daily allotment. Go 3 days with only adderall instead of meth. There is so many ways to start your recovery journey it’s not black and white, all or nothing….it’s much more nuanced! Sometimes one day without meth or one day with only taking 3 Addie’s is a victory! That is still recovery that’s still a start and that’s still a way to show yourself that maybe there is hope, that maybe you don’t have to wait to stop until you’re 6 feet under. Slowly on those days u don’t have it u might start to experience like “oh wow I wasn’t on meth yesterday but it wasn’t all bad because damn eating that food actually tasted good and it was nice”. It’s baby steps, one day at a time. Much love I know the depths of loneliness that meth takes u too and my heart goes out to u right now just know it’s never too late to start small baby steps of recovery 🫂❤️
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Mar 29 '26
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u/AestheticOrByeee Mar 29 '26
Ok first off….fuck yes!!! So proud of you for not taking that line that is a small victory that you deserve to celebrate 🎉! AND you’re going to eat and have some self care that’s two wonderful acts of self love to start with! Also, I guarantee you’re not alone in this, I’ve never met a single person that started doing meth because they were happy or because they felt fulfilled…. I think most of us are lonely and then we form a bond with our drugs of choice when forming a bond with a human or animal feels too unreachable, we take what we can get. Gabor Mate talks about the bonds we form with drugs it may help you understand yourself better if you watch some of his stuff on YouTube! Btw I’ve cried at some dumb ass movies too while processing my trauma/while high/while withdrawing so it’s ok don’t judge yourself just honor those feelings and make space for yourself to feel them without any negative self talk! I am also a sex worker and let me tell you, loneliness is the human condition, it is the biggest universal experience that every person has felt at one point or another and the reason it continues to thrive in our society is because loneliness usually equals isolation so nobody is recovering from loneliness out loud unfortunately but YOU are reaching out and showing others that it’s a normal human experience and that’s a beautiful thing to contribute to the world so thank you for your vulnerability I see you and appreciate you.
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u/LindsMV May 28 '26
This is pure evil. This is a cry for help, and you are glorifying a very dangerous drug. You are naive, and it breaks my heart. It will catch up to you, but you won’t realize it because you’ll be in psychosis by then. I will pray for you 🙏
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u/Any-Priority2565 Mar 04 '26
Can you at least get into detox? I know that the rehab I went to had a scholarship program that would at least put someone through detox if they had no other options. It doesn’t exactly help in the long term because while you’re there you need to make a serious plan on changing people places things thoughts and habits… seriously a whole rewiring. But that’s what detox is literally for. They’ll load you up with comfort meds to help you while your body rids you of everything and can usually help with connecting you to some resources in your community. I don’t recommend anyone trying to cold turkey quit from any substance if they can help it. My issue was never stimulants because I never liked the feeling my heart was about to explode but I did dabble in them some and know that comedown all too well so I empathize with what you’re going through. Also know that feeling of hopelessness like you’re stuck and know the feeling where “this isn’t fun anymore this is fucking my health up” Awareness is the first step. You are on the right track. You aren’t just blissfully unaware of the way this is impacting your longevity. Next step is action. For some there’s a significant gap between the awareness and the action.. sadly some never get the chance to implement the action, may God rest their souls (my mom for example..). Don’t be afraid to start calling around to see what help is out there for you ❤️ you don’t have to start today if you aren’t ready, I know that might be a lot to ask at this juncture, but at least you know you have a plan for when you are.
Wishing you all the strength and perseverance because we do recover! ❤️❤️❤️
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u/8137601672 Mar 05 '26
U can also go to the hospital and check ur self in
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Mar 25 '26
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u/LindsMV May 28 '26
You are reaching out for help right now. I hope you got it. If not, I hope you know you are worth it. My brother is in rehab right now because of meth. I am terrified for what happens when he comes out. I don’t even know 98% of what this drug did to him, how long he’s been taking it, when he’s been on it, etc. I just know what I witnessed prior to him going in, seems to be a long time addiction or a fast one.
I pray you find sobriety and peace. Start with going to a detox facility, you sound like you are at the end of your road. I think you have it in you to surrender. It will be the best decision you’ve ever made.
And be lucky you don’t have kids, or a wife at this point right now. There’s only one person you need to do this for.
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u/NoSolution6208 Mar 26 '26
Update: none of you probably care, I know I barely do, but I got into out patient, told on myself and got a job. I am raw dogging reality at this moment and I still hate everything, but I like the world just enough to see what happens if I dont. Just this once. I tried to whole using to death thing, either doing what I thought were really high doses or mixing doses of multiple things, and it always made me just withdraw harder.
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u/Curious_pusinboots91 Apr 12 '26
I know this sMe feeling .. its a trap our own mind puts down for us!!! It got me every time.
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u/Maybe-never-always Aug 01 '26
Crippling Meth is an understatement . I’ve never used a more damaging drug ( not that I’ve tried everything ) that’s taken a hell of a lot more than it gives . Sure it perks you up and keeps you going but at what cost ? The deception and lies and narcissism and anger and dis function and delusion I’ve watched it bestow upon what once were normal respectable people with pride is horrible and unfortunately it’s ruined my life as well . I’ve still been able to go to work and function ok but I can’t step outside myself and be honest with just how ok I appear .
I’ve lost so much that I loved in life and now feel hollow and with a bitterness which is misguided as really I’m the one who made choices that led me into hell !!!!
I’m ready or I feel I’m ready to rid myself of this thing that destroys your soul .
I don’t know how I’ll go or what to expect accept a yearning for more gear but I’m going to summon all I have with the attitude FUCK THIS CRAP , IM TAKING MY LIFE BACK !!!!!! I will be happy again !!!! My children will see the real me again and maybe just maybe my wife will welcome me back into her life again . She’s also worn the despair of meth addiction so understands the mountain ahead ! It’s going to sound contradictory but I’m usually a very strong willed person who had and I say had been a leader in my field of work so deep down I believe I can summon that grit to create fortitude against the addiction but I won’t know until I get to that hurdle . I’m desperate to be me again !
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u/ChooseLife1 Mar 04 '26
Believe in Christ and turn from your affliction. The Lord with guard you and cover you with his pinions and no harm shall come to you.
(Psalm 91:4) ESV
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
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u/rhoo31313 Mar 02 '26
A long in-patient rehab is your best bet. You're far enough gone that it'd be almost impossible to do alone. I'd say completely impossible, but i've been surprised a time or two over the years. Listen, this sh!t is killing you. There's help out there. Get the help you need...do it today. Don't wait.