Methamphetamine addiction can leave users trapped in chemical dependency for years. As a powerful stimulant with high addiction potential, methamphetamine abuse is an epidemic in the United States. According to the latest studies, nearly 10 million individuals across the country have experimented with meth. Among those who experiment with methamphetamines, addiction develops rapidly, with unfortunately high relapse rates.

At Passages, each case of methamphetamine addiction has its roots in four causes:

1. Imbalances in brain chemistry.
2. Unresolved traumatic incidents.
3. Inaccurate views of yourself or the world.
4. Lack of coping skills for current conditions.

At Passages, the problem of addiction is more complex than the widely held belief that chemical dependency originates solely from genetics. Many individuals across the country have developed methamphetamine addictions without any family member experiencing chemical dependency. Additionally, there are people who are able to use alcohol in moderation or never touch substances of any kind who have close relatives that struggle with addiction.

At Passages, people are more than genetic code. Years of hands-on, clinical experience reveals that methamphetamine addictions are not hopeless. Addiction is not an "incurable disease," and see methamphetamine dependency is a symptom of an underlying, deeper problem. Once individuals address and treat these root physical and emotional issues, relapse does not have to become a part of recovery. Instead, the drive to use methamphetamines subsides or disappears once the individual resolves the underlying issues that lead to methamphetamine abuse.

Snorted, smoked or used intravenously, methamphetamines are powerful ephedrine-derived stimulants that combine toxic chemicals with amphetamines through a process that people refer to as "cooking." Once methamphetamines hit the brain, the drugs prevent re-uptake of the important chemical messengers in the brain, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine. As a result, meth users initially feel a flood of confidence, power, calm and energy. Over time, the brain adjusts its natural levels of these neurotransmitters, leading to intense withdrawal when use ceases. Cessation triggers psychological and physical dependency.

With heavy use, methamphetamines can cause a host of physical and mental side effects. Meth users can experience digestive issues such as diarrhea and nausea, profuse sweating, appetite loss and eating disorders, insomnia and hypersomnia (oversleeping) and panic disorders. One of the most notorious side effects of methamphetamine addiction is a condition known as "meth mouth." Meth mouth is a combination of tooth decay, bruxism (tooth grinding) and severe gum disease that can lead to infection and tooth loss. The physical side effects of meth abuse can be severe, especially in the case of overdose. Meth use can result in brain damage, sepsis, kidney failure, severe heart problems, dehydration and meningitis.

Psychologically, meth can create panic attacks, anxiety disorders, depression, suicidal ideation, hallucinations and psychosis. Behaviorally, methamphetamine addiction can lead to serious, largely due to increased libido and lowered inhibitions. Meth users have an elevated risk for contraction of blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV due to unsafe sexual practices and the risks associated with injection. Methamphetamines can also lead to violent outbursts, increased aggression and domestic abuse often brought on by exhaustion, mood swings and changes in brain chemistry.

Healing the damage to the brain and body that methamphetamine addiction causes is a complex and challenging process. At Passages, specialists apply a holistic approach to healing addiction to methamphetamines while resolving the physical and psychological issues caused by chronic methamphetamine abuse. Therapy sessions aim to identify the underlying causes responsible for meth addiction. This holistic approach tries to help the individual fully heal the traumas, emotional pain, psychological issues or chemical imbalances that led to meth abuse in the first place.

METH ADDICTION IS NOT A DISEASE - IT'S A SYMPTOM

The addiction treatment team at Passages deeply desires to change the addiction industry, swaying it away from the concept of drug and alcohol addictions as "incurable diseases" that make people powerless. This prevalent belief within the addiction field does more harm than good, creating hopelessness, disempowering addicted individuals and preventing treatment centers from seeking out and resolving root causes of addiction. At Passages, addiction is an entirely treatable symptom of deeper physical and emotional problems; symptoms that can resolve when individuals choose targeted, deep healing over substances.

Methamphetamine addiction occurs when a person continues to use meth to the point that physical dependency takes place. Chemical dependency occurs as a series of chemical reactions and adjustments in the brain. In a state of methamphetamine dependency, these chemical imbalances render the dependent individual unable to stop using meth without assistance and treatment. However, without resolving the reasons why an individual turns to meth in the first place, detoxification or generalized counseling cannot cure the meth problem. Continued use leads to "substitute addictions" and relapse after treatment. At Passages, the treatment approach is multidisciplinary and focuses on the individual. A team of dedicated specialists want to help unearth and treat the forces driving addiction in clients.

When an individual treats the core issues behind methamphetamine addiction, the desire to use methamphetamines disappears. For more information on how this healing process occurs, please read The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure by Chris Prentiss. Bookstores everywhere carry The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure. Chris sheds new light on the complex problem of addiction, with an in-depth and personal look at how dependency develops and examines treatment approaches.

COMPLETE ADDICTION TREATMENT IS POSSIBLE WITH PASSAGES MALIBU

Help for individuals who have suffered relapses with methamphetamine dependency can still seek the addiction cure at Passages. Relapse is simply an indicator that past treatment attempts did not solve the underlying problems that cause addiction. Before coming to Passages, countless individuals suffering from methamphetamine addiction have experienced the revolving doors of other addiction treatment centers for years.

At Passages, the unique addiction treatment approach addresses the entire person physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. A collaborative team of experts hails from a host of disciplines, offering personalized attention and expertise to each client helping them resolve underlying causes of meth dependency and heal the effects of addiction. Cutting-edge medical science and psychotherapy, physical fitness, nutrition and alternative treatments combine to provide maximum recovery for each client.

Upon arrival, each guest at Passages receives a team of 10 dedicated specialists to work with on a one-to-one basis each week. As a result, each client experiences at least 15 individualized sessions each week, adding up to more than 60 per month. Additionally, the entire treatment team gathers each week to review progress and adjust treatment plans. At Passages, each treatment plan evolves as the client does, crafted by each personal addiction team.

The staff at Passages exhibits a level of care and attention to each client unrivaled in the addiction industry. The psychological treatment team includes a certified psychologist, hypnotherapist, a spiritual counselor, marriage family therapist (MFT), addiction counselor and after care specialist. As part of each dedicated treatment team, individual clients also receive access to a recommended medical doctor, nutritionist, physical trainer, acupuncturist, massage therapist and life purpose coach.

The staff at Passages never asks clients to perform household chores, scrub floors, clean bathrooms or the like. At Passages, each client receives total dignity and respect. It takes a lot of strength to seek out help for addiction and at Passages, clients can focus energy on healing, not housework.

ONE-ON-ONE THERAPY IS THE KEY TO RECOVERY

Many methamphetamine rehab centers offer generalized treatment plans primarily through group therapy. Over 95 percent of rehabilitation centers offer only a single individualized therapy session each week. Passages offers up to 60 individual therapy sessions per client each month in the treatment program.

Passages we also offer community meetings, sober recreational activities and a supportive peer environment. The deepest work in healing addiction requires the focused attention of professionals and the highest level of confidentiality and care. Through individualized therapy, clients gain higher levels of insight, greater emotional stability and a wealth of coping skills that enable them to truly achieve lasting methamphetamine addiction recovery.

To learn more about the effectiveness of the personalized treatment plans and individualized and intensive therapy program at Passages, please read through testimonials from several graduates of the Passages Methamphetamine Treatment Program.

No matter what the prior experiences of the user may be or how long the person has been using, methamphetamine addiction is treatable. Take the first steps towards a personalized methamphetamine addiction treatment by calling Passages to speak with a compassionate and experienced intake counselor.