meth sores Archives - Best Rahabs In Arizona

March 7, 2023March 30, 2023

Meth and Alcohol

Falling Into Meth and Alcohol Addiction

When dealing with an addiction to multiple drugs, recovery can be an even bigger hurdle. Luckily, there are a lot of people who have been able to find peace and healing as a result of substance abuse. I will outline how it worked for me, and perhaps you will find the strength to make it work for you.

I arrived at Best Rehabs In Arizona recovery center following several years of meth and alcohol addiction. My alcohol abuse began in my teenage years and led me to try a bunch of different drugs. I began mixing meth with alcohol after I graduated high school and these two substances quickly overtook my life. I tried a lot of other drugs during my substance abuse, but nothing overtook me like meth and alcohol.

I wasn’t ready to enter the real world after school, and in order to cope I turned to meth and alcohol. My binge drinking in high school was originally only limited to parties and social gatherings. Soon enough, I was mixing meth into my alcohol abuse and couldn’t leave my house without one or the other, usually both in combination.

Stay reading if you want to hear more about my story, how bad things got with meth and alcohol, and how I eventually got help with the support of Best Rehabs In Arizona!

Mixing Alcohol And Other Drugs

My addiction to meth and alcohol led me to a lot of awful choices and years of regret. I try not to dwell on my past failures now that I am sober, but it’s hard to not look back on those days and wonder how I got to that point. A lot of people who engage in drug abuse start with alcohol because it is so readily available and socially acceptable.

When you start drinking alcohol, you aren’t thinking of where it can lead you. I remember watching videos about alcohol dependence in health class in middle school. All the warning signs of alcohol use were right there, but I didn’t take any of them seriously. When I had my first drink, I was at a party and having a great time. My alcohol intoxication only amplified my good time. My young brain became accustomed to needing it.

So what was there to be afraid of? My alcohol abuse slowly got worse and worse, but I still had a good time. Slowly but surely, the signs of my alcohol use disorder began to pop up. When I didn’t have alcohol, it made me irritable. I needed a drink in social situations. I couldn’t be without it if I had to interact with other people. Eventually, I felt that I needed more than just booze. This is where meth abuse came into the picture.

Mixing Meth And Alcohol: When It All Goes Downhill Fast

I had no idea what meth was when I first tried it. I was drunk the first time I used meth and was looking for something else to lift up my buzz. Marijuana didn’t do a whole lot for me. It usually just made me tired. I learned later on that I was much more interested in upper like methamphetamine to keep the party going.

Methamphetamine rapidly increases the brain’s output of dopamine, so in combination with alcohol, I felt like I was on top of the world. When I mixed meth and alcohol, it gave me a sense of freedom and power. This was all internal. I can only imagine what I looked like from the outside. After several years of mixing meth and alcohol, I didn’t exactly resemble someone with a lot of power or control over any situation.

Only later did I learn from the staff about how the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) describes the mix of alcohol and meth as being particularly dangerous, causing psychosis for many users.

Combining alcohol and meth lulled me into a mental fog and allowed me to avoid the issues that I was avoiding. I was bullied a lot growing up, and didn’t really know how to process the pain that it caused. We live in a society where people don’t feel very open to discussing their mental and emotional issues. My drug and alcohol dependence helped me avoid the reality of my situation.

How Do You Make Yourself Want Help?

I didn’t want to get help. My self-esteem was non-existent. I didn’t feel like I had it in me to deal with my problems. The effects of alcohol and meth created a void in me, where all that mattered was both methamphetamine abuse and alcohol-related sedation. This sedated feeling helped me avoid the rest of the world and all reality in general.

Because alcohol is such a commonly abused substance, there is always an increased risk of abuse. This abuse almost always leads to risky behaviors, and the desire to try other drugs as well. Alcohol’s effects lull you into a deceiving form of comfort. The numbness that alcohol makes you feel can easily lead you into a negative headspace and change the way that the brain processes information.

The idea of sobriety is distant and seemingly unattainable to those who are in the middle of alcohol addiction. It’s very easy for people of all personality types to fall into excessive drinking. There is always the risk of increased alcohol intake. As your tolerance builds, you need more alcohol to feel the way you want to feel. The cycle is very similar with other drugs such as methamphetamine.

When Meth and Alcohol Abuse No Longer Cures The Pain

Years of mixing alcohol and meth ruined my brain chemistry and my body. I had no positive people in my life who could pull me aside and tell me that I needed help. Would I have listened to them anyway? Probably not. My addiction to both alcohol and meth consumed every part of my life, and I only associated with people who would enable that.

Living in a constant state of alcohol toxicity and meth-induced psychosis is a unique situation. You ride the highs as long as you can, but once the alcohol and meth wear off, you find yourself in a pit of utter despair. Many times I contemplated suicide. Methamphetamine and alcohol use had sapped my brain of dopamine and left me in a hollow rut.

The effects of alcohol slowly began to go away the longer I drank. I needed more and more alcohol to get to where I needed to be. This was the same with meth. After ending up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning, I knew that I needed a change. But where to even start? Having two addictions to overcome seemed absolutely impossible until I checked in at Best Rehabs In Arizona.

What are the Health Risks Associated With Meth and Alcohol?

After years of substance abuse, my body was in bad shape. My meth and alcohol use had caused cardiovascular disease, tooth decay, insomnia, and an overall sense of dread on a daily basis. I had wounded my brain and body so much, but I didn’t stop to think about my safety or my well-being.

Long-term meth and alcohol abuse will lead you to avoid focusing on your health in pretty much every aspect. I lived in a daily cycle of impaired judgment and anxiety. It was intensely distressing and scary to think of the reality of where I was at. That’s why people continue to abuse drugs for so long. Eventually, you forgot about everything but the drug.

Meth users like myself will usually deal with hallucinations and paralyzing anxiety. A drug like crystal meth will keep you awake for days on end. Because of this, you begin dreaming while you are awake. You lose touch with reality, and you think everybody is out to get you. You think people are following you, trying to kill you. Is this any way to live? When you are deep into an alcohol and Tina addiction, you don’t know any other way.

Help Is Always There When You Need It

When I began my recovery journey, my drug abuse was at an all-time high. Mixing meth and alcohol, as well as any other substances I could get my hands on had left me a fragile being. My substance abuse had tricked me into thinking I couldn’t get better, but I knew of people who had done well in addiction treatment, so I was willing to give it a try.

There are a lot more treatment options out there than one would expect when they first enter recovery. There are dual-diagnosis treatment programs that focus on individuals who have multiple addictions, as well as mental health problems. It was a huge relief to know that I could use the same tools to deal with my crystal meth addiction as well as my alcoholism. I just had to get through the withdrawal symptoms first before I could get to work.

My withdrawal was uncomfortable, but the good people at Best Rehabs In Arizona made it as easy as possible for me to come out on the other side. I was dealing with my alcohol withdrawal and meth withdrawal at the same time, which caused a great deal of physical and emotional pain.

The stimulating effects of these drugs were no longer there to comfort me. I had to get through it without them, and this planted the seed in my brain that I didn’t need these drugs to live my life. The intense discomfort was tough, but I knew I was doing the right thing. The negative effects of the withdrawal were worth it.

Is Lasting Recovery From Meth and Alcohol Possible?

When you enter the world of recovery, you have a lot of work to do. I knew that a treatment provider alone wasn’t going to keep me sober. It was going to take a lot of therapy and group counseling, which I embraced immediately. There are a lot of people in recovery who are still struggling on a daily basis. In order to seek the peace of mind needed to stay clean, you must actively engage in recovery and make it a top priority in your life.

It’s encouraging to me to talk to others in recovery, and learn about the tips and tricks they use in order to stay on the right path. I know there is always a risk of relapse, but if I stay one step ahead and keep my eyes on the prize, I can navigate through recovery in a positive way.

I am doing a lot of my own addiction research and trying to learn as much as I can in order to help others and perhaps work in addiction treatment someday. I want to help others the way that I was helped. I know what methamphetamine users go through. I know what it’s like to be an alcoholic with no hope. I’ve got a lot of great people around me who inspire me to be the change in the world that I want to see.

Reaching Out for the Help with Drug Abuse and Relapse

You can go to multiple treatment centers, get sober, relapse, and get sober again. The only way to truly achieve lasting recovery is to practice it every day. You need to connect with others and be a positive force in the world. I can’t influence anyone to get clean, but I can help plant the seed.

I can give my own personal experience, which is that Best Rehabs In Arizona is a facility that has worked wonders for so many people. I can use my knowledge and experience with someone who was in the same situation I was in during my addiction. That’s what keeps me going.

If you want a little help in keeping going, why not reach out to them today and see what options they can give you and your family? It can make all the difference to know someone’s supporting you every step of the way in getting clean!

February 20, 2023February 28, 2023

Meth Sores

The Effect of Crystal Meth on a Person’s Health

My drug abuse finally caught up with me after over a decade of meth use. I was nearly dead when I arrived at Best Rehabs In Arizona to begin my recovery process. Luckily in my case, I was able to beat my meth addiction and live a normal life again.

Recovery is possible for anyone who is willing to make it work. Read more to find out how to make it work for you or someone you love. The effects of substance abuse are crippling, particularly with a drug like meth.

I began using crystal meth when I was in my early twenties and used it regularly for 12 years. One of the most obvious signs of my abuse was my meth sores. Meth is a drug that creates a lot of mental and physical symptoms. The more you use meth, the easier it is to develop meth sores.

Keep reading to find out more about meth sores, meth mites, and how to get help if you or a loved one are struggling with meth now!

What Are Meth Mites?

Meth does a lot of damage to a person’s skin, and meth sores can take on a variety of appearances. Meth sores, meth mites, and meth mouth are all easy ways to tell if someone is dealing with a meth addiction. I’ve suffered from all of these conditions, so I am well aware of how to spot when a person’s body has been affected by meth abuse.

Meth use disorder damages your entire body, and the signs of meth use present themselves very clearly. Meth sores form for a variety of reasons, and can typically happen in people who use meth long-term. One common occurrence is meth mites. When you engage in meth use long enough, it can cause extreme paranoia and hallucinations.

You get a crawling sensation that feels like you have bugs running around under your skin. This can cause the user to pick at the skin in order to try and get rid of these imaginary bugs. For someone who hasn’t used meth, this sounds like a living nightmare and it absolutely is.

What Does Meth Do To Your Mind?

When I would smoke crystal meth, I would stay awake for days on end. when you suffer from sleep deprivation, you actually begin to dream while you are awake. Consistent meth use can cause users to stay awake for weeks at a time.

This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. The body needs sleep to stay regular. Sleep deprivation can lead to a weakened immune system, minor infections, and poor blood flow.

Usually, when you are in the middle of a meth addiction, you aren’t going to seek medical treatment for these issues. Consistent meth abuse will only make the skin-picking and meth mites continue.

Other Forms Of Meth Sores

Meth mites aren’t the only way that one can develop meth sores. If you smoke crystal meth, the heat from the pipe can cause burns around your mouth. These types of meth sores typically don’t heal very quickly, particularly for meth users who smoke it on a regular basis.

When I was abusing meth, my lips were in a constant state of being cracked and burned. I also suffered from meth mouth, which is a result of the damage done to your teeth and gums caused by long-term meth use. Cold sores were another common form of meth sore for me.

Meth and Your Skin

Unhealthy skin is a common trait among meth users as well. Meth users tend to sweat at a higher rate, and because meth is water-soluble, it comes out through your pores. This irritates the skin and can be another cause of meth sores. Since meth causes poor blood flow, it makes the blood vessels contract, which can lead to dry, scaly patches on the skin.

When you abuse meth, your personal hygiene suffers as well. On top of al the other things that can lead to meth sores, having poor hygiene makes it even worse. The only thing I was concerned about was getting high, so I would never treat meth sores. I had poor hygiene on a consistent basis. It’s impossible to lead a healthy and satisfying life when you engage in this kind of drug abuse.

Health Problems Associated With Methamphetamine

Beyond meth sores and skin infections, meth can do a lot of unseen damage to the body. If you have open sores on your body, which many meth users do, it can be easier to develop infections. Some people who use meth use it intravenously, which can be another cause of meth sores. Sharing needles also increases the likelihood of contracting infections such as HIV.

I lost a lot of my teeth as a result of my meth mouth, and after several very painful surgeries, I was able to save some of them. Most of my teeth are fake now. Mouth sores and damaged gums can lead to oral infections. Such infections can be very damaging and lead to a multitude of other oral issues, and these infections can spread to other parts of the body.

For some, the withdrawal symptoms from meth can be very scary. In order for your body to heal and begin to go back to normal, you have to deal with these symptoms and do your best to push through the discomfort. Withdrawal symptoms from meth include chills, intense cravings, depression, anxiety, and fatigue to name a few.

Getting Treatment For Meth Addiction

After over a decade of dealing with paranoia, hallucinations, meth bugs, and constant meth sores, I finally reached a point where I needed to try and get help. I wanted to live a healthy lifestyle, but I had no idea what that looked like. People who use meth long enough start to lose their grip on reality. You can’t imagine not using the drug. The concept of sobriety is totally foreign.

Going through my initial meth detox was the most uncomfortable feeling I can remember. Even with all of the physical issues I had during my methamphetamine abuse, the detox felt worse. After several days going through detox, I was finally able to come out on the other end of my meth withdrawal. Because meth is such a highly addictive drug, your mental health takes a big hit as a result of your addiction.

When someone stops abusing meth, it takes the brain a long time to recover. You are wired to need the drug at all times, and you have to retrain your mind in a variety of different ways. Even though I have been clean for a few years, I still seek professional treatment and put a high priority on my mental health.

Recovering From Meth Abuse Through Support Groups

Your meth sores will eventually heal, but there is long-term healing to be done in order to completely overcome methamphetamine use. The best way to approach recovery is to go all in. Being addicted to meth not only hurts you, but it can tear your family apart as well. When a loved one would address their concerns regarding my methamphetamine use, I wouldn’t listen. I did a lot of damage to the people I love because of my addiction.

I have learned to forgive myself for the way that I became, but it took a lot of behavioral therapy and constant self-awareness. I know the health risks and what stimulant abuse can lead to. Even though I am aware of the dangers, I am still not above relapsing.

The Importance of Sober Support and Social Connections

The support group I am a part of gives me a lot of comfort and hope. I’ve met a lot of wonderful individuals through recovery, and I try to help them stay clean the same way they do it for me.

The risk of relapse is always there, but it’s not something that I allow to control me. My overall health is much better these days, and I will do whatever I have to do to not face the meth sores and the open wounds. My sobriety is the most important thing in my life, and I will do whatever I need to do to protect it. That’s what it takes.

Finding Your Path to Recovery from Meth

For anyone who is struggling to overcome meth, issues with meth sores may actually help you decide to get treatment. I know for me it became important to be able to look in the mirror and recognize myself once again. Best Rehabs In Arizona played a huge role in making this happen.

If you or a loved one also needs a change from a meth-fueled lifestyle, consider giving a call to Best Rehabs In Arizona for a confidential chat. I know it was one of the best calls I ever made, and it can be for you as well!

November 18, 2021July 23, 2022

How Long Does Meth Psychosis Last?

What Is Meth Induced Psychosis?

My meth addiction made me literally lose my mind. Besides losing my sanity, I also lost nearly everything else in my life. My job, my wife, and my overall happiness. There aren’t a lot of drugs out there like meth. The damage that it does to your body and your mental health is astounding.

Even after you quit using meth, there can be underlying conditions and psychosis. It took me a long time to feel normal again after I went through recovery at Best Rehabs In Arizona. I still have nightmares to this day and wake up wondering if they were real or not.

So what is meth-induced psychosis? Generally speaking, meth psychosis is brought on by a combination of paranoia and hallucinations that result from prolonged meth abuse.

Speaking from personal experience, this is a terrifying condition and can quickly escalate to a point that’s unimaginable. I started using meth when I was a teenager.

I grew up in a rural area, and the manufacturing of meth wasn’t too uncommon in my town. I ended up getting into it through friends, and eventually wound up producing it myself. It didn’t take long for my whole personality to change.

The progression of meth psychosis is rapid. Within several months of using meth, I found myself paranoid and thinking everyone was out to get me. First of all, there is a lot of paranoia that goes along with using illegal drugs and having your life revolve around them.

The people you associate with are less than ideal, and you are always in fear of being arrested or found out by your loved ones. Meth is a very hard addiction to hide from anyone. The damage that it does to your body makes it very obvious. It’s hard to deny you have an addiction when your teeth are falling out and you look as pale and sickly as a corpse.

So the symptoms of meth abuse are obvious. We’ve all seen the meth before and after photos of what the drug does to people over time. The symptoms of meth psychosis are also very obvious. You become incoherent.

There is a lot of fast-talking and rambling. Being unable to concentrate on one subject is extremely difficult. Dealing with that kind of fear and anxiety is totally crippling. You start to believe all these crazy thoughts are real. There is also the issue of thinking things are crawling all over you. Meth Mites are a common occurrence.

You start to believe there are bugs crawling under your skin. Meth crystalizes under the skin, which causes a lot of irritation and itching. It’s extremely uncomfortable.

It sounds nuts, but since you are not in the right frame of mind when you’re using meth, you can quickly start to believe that insects are literally crawling all over you. When you’re just getting into drugs, this doesn’t sound like a very appealing high.

Who in their right mind would want to experience something like that? You don’t get it until you’re in it. You don’t plan on using drugs to lose your mind. You begin using drugs because you want to have fun or you have some sort of pain to cover up.

When your drug abuse gets to the point of visual and auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and anxiety, you’d think that would be enough to get clean right? The answer is usually no. People get so far in they don’t see what they’ve become.

When I look at old photos of myself from when I was using drugs, it shocks me. How did I not know how bad I looked? It’s a brutal reality that you develop drug eyes. You don’t see how bad it’s gotten. Even if you do, it still isn’t enough to do anything about it.

Progression Of Meth Psychosis

Meth hallucinations are very real and they affect every aspect of your life. They can be visual, auditory, and tactile. You can see, hear, and feel things that are not there. There’s no way something like that isn’t going to have a hugely negative impact on you.

The really tricky thing about psychosis is when you are experiencing it, you don’t recognize it as abnormal. It’s easy to look at a meth addict suffering from psychosis and see that they are unwell. When you’re the addict, it’s not all that clear.

Using drugs like meth cause the brain to release large amounts of dopamine, which are trigger feelings of euphoria. When those feelings go away, and the high disappears, you want nothing more than to get that feeling back.

Continued substance abuse and the repeated release of dopamine cause your brain to burn out. It’s the same with almost every drug. In the beginning, your tolerance is low.

As you build up your tolerance to the drug, you need more and more of it to get by. Eventually, this develops into a full-blown addiction, and your brain can’t release all that dopamine fast enough.

How long does meth psychosis last? It depends on the level of your addiction. For some people, it can play out over months or even years. There are some users who develop permanent meth psychosis, however, with treatment this condition is reversible.

There is a lasting recovery from meth misuse. It’s one of those addictions that you don’t ever really defeat. Because it is such a powerful drug, the cravings can continue long after you are sober. This is why it’s important to develop a strong recovery network and understand that you are powerless to the drug.

One of the obvious side effects of methamphetamine use is meth mouth. Meth mouth is defined simply as tooth decay and gum disease as a result of repeated meth use. The damage to the teeth is the result of not only the acidity of the drug but also involuntary teeth grinding and overall poor oral hygiene.

By the time the user seeks treatment, the teeth are often too damaged or broken to be repaired and have to be removed. There is also a direct connection between meth use and voice loss.

Treatment For Meth Psychosis

Treatment for meth addiction requires a lot of work on both the user and the person treating the user. I was really surprised at the care and compassion showed to me at Best Rehabs In Arizona.

My addiction and my psychosis were at a very dangerous level. Best Rehabs In Arizona offer a great dual diagnosis program, and for someone like me, it worked wonders. I didn’t realize that my mental health was at an all-time low.

Dual diagnosis treatment is a great way for addicts with mental illness to work on both issues at once. It may seem overwhelming, but it’s proven to be a very effective way to treat substance abuse.

Once the damage is done, it’s pretty difficult to do away with the problem on your own. Because drugs rewire our brains and change the way we think, addicts are not often concerned with their appearance after a while.

It quickly becomes an afterthought. When you are recovering from meth, you become one big restoration project. Your body and mind are equally damaged. If you are done feeling paranoid all the time, dope sick, and strung out, a place like Best Rehabs In Arizona will get you back on track.

If addressed early enough, there is a chance your state of mind can be restored. If you have been abusing meth long term, there aren’t a whole lot of options other than intensive rehab. The solution to fixing meth mouth is to quit using meth, which is not exactly simple.

Meth can be a very difficult drug to get off of, as it completely rewires your brain. If you are serious enough about it, sobriety can be achieved no matter where you’re in your addiction. The damage to your mouth is only something that can be addressed after you face the problem head-on.

When you recover from a drug like meth, it takes a very long time to return to the way you once were. Luckily for me, I have found the pull of recovery stronger at this point than the pull of Meth.

The triggers may still be there occasionally, but I am in a much better frame of mind these days to know the consequences of my actions. When I was using meth, there was nothing on my mind but getting high. I have a lot more positive elements in my life that help me stay on the right track.

Keeping yourself on track is going to be a huge part of your daily life. It takes a lot of work to reach a comfortable level of recovery. It’s something that’s worth celebrating every day.

When you are ready to take on the battle and follow through with it you will find the outcome very rewarding. Once you know you want to get clean, you will be coming from the best possible place.

July 18, 2021July 23, 2022

What is Meth Mouth?

Meth Mouth

Many people are surprised to find that bad breath is a common consequence of drug abuse. We talk extensively about the physical and mental health impairments related to drug abuse. But these are not the only impairments that we have to worry about.

Oral problems, including bad breath, are particularly common among meth users. Users call this meth mouth. Meth mouth is characterized by damage in and around the mouth, to the teeth and gums, and the lips.

What Causes Meth Mouth?

Meth mouth occurs for several different reasons. Neglected oral hygiene is one of the most common. Drugs as powerful as meth can make you forgetful, sleepy, and distracted. It is unlikely that someone on meth will remember to properly take care of themselves.

In addition to a poor diet and a lack of exercise and proper hydration, the oral hygiene habits of drug users often suffer. It is easy to forget to regularly floss and brush your teeth when you are under the influence of an overwhelming substance.

Meth also causes dry mouth, a significant contributor to developing cavities and eroding gums. It is acidic, which damages the teeth more directly. And it can make you crave sugar and grind or clench your teeth.

These are the primary drivers of meth mouth: poor oral hygiene, dry mouth, acidic erosion, sugar cravings, grinding and clenching your teeth. The symptoms of meth mouth can be a source of insecurity, discomfort, or even pain.

Meth and Bad Breath

Bad breath in meth users is caused by dry mouth and poor oral hygiene. But bad breath is only the start of meth mouth. What’s more concerning are the side effects that come next. These side effects can be mild to severe, depending on the level of use and other individual factors.

They can also occur both inside and outside of the mouth. Damage to the lips, tongue, cheeks, and gums is common. It is not just your breath or your teeth that suffer when you use meth. There is no safe way to use meth. Using meth will always put your oral, mental, and physical health at risk.

Other Symptoms of Meth Mouth

Dry or cracked lips, damaged gums, tooth decay, cavities, and missing teeth are all common among meth users. In one study, medical professionals examined the mouths of 571 meth users. They found that nearly everyone in the study had poor oral health.

Among them, the three most common oral health impairments were cavities (present in 96% of participants), untreated tooth decay (58%), and at least six missing teeth (31%). Meth mouth is often one of the most apparent physical changes that occur when a person uses meth.

Dentists often characterize meth mouth by the presence of severe tooth decay and gum disease. This combination often causes teeth to break, blacken, rot, crumble, or fall out. Lesions are also typical among meth users.

These side effects are often apparent from the outside. Meth users often experience alterations to their facial features, as well as skin damage. The sunken look that accompanies meth use is one of the most obvious signs of trouble.

How Common is Meth Use?

Methamphetamine is a Schedule II drug. This means that it is too dangerous for medical use and has a high potential for abuse and severe dependence. But this classification has done little to curb meth use over the years.

In 2017, roughly 1.6 million people reported using meth in the past year. Most users tried meth after becoming addicted to prescription opioids. One study confirmed that this connection was present in 80% of participants.

Other Side Effects of Meth Use

Learning about the effects of meth is an important step in keeping ourselves and each other safe. Meth mouth is a common and concerning condition among users. But there are other side effects that you should also be aware of.

Aside from meth mouth, some of the most common side effects of meth use include:

Weight loss
Body tremors
Increased or irregular heartbeats
Confusion
Paranoia
Hyperactivity
Insomnia
Anger
Anxiety

These side effects can vary depending on many individual factors. The method of use, frequency, mental health, and medical history of the user are some of the most impactful. Some side effects are specific to certain methods of drug abuse.

For example, injecting meth comes with the additional risks of collapsed veins, infections at the injection site, and HIV from shared needles. Snorting meth can damage the nasal cavity and sinuses, causing issues like loss of smell and painful nosebleeds.

Over time, more troubling side effects become more likely. These include potentially fatal health problems, like central nervous system damage, seizures, strokes, heart attacks, and overdoses. But you do not have to live in constant fear of the impacts of your meth use. Help is available.

How to Prevent Meth Mouth

Preventing meth mouth comes down to altering your habits. There is no foolproof way to prevent meth mouth while you continue to use meth. These oral health impairments will always be linked to meth use, and they will only get worse the longer the abuse goes on.

If you have already stopped using meth and want to prevent further damage, there are a few changes you can make. Building a healthier oral hygiene routine, staying properly hydrated, eating nutritious meals, avoiding excessive amounts of sugar, and checking in with your dentist are all good ideas.

Treatment for Meth Mouth

Treatment for meth mouth can help reverse or improve the damage done. But meth addiction treatments should come first. After all, there is no point in improving your oral health without improving your habits.

Once you have stopped using meth and developed a healthier routine, your dentist can help you determine which treatments will make the biggest difference. Depending on the level of damage, it may be as simple as brushing with a certain toothpaste, using a prescription mouthwash, avoiding sugar, drinking more water, and eating healthier meals.

But for long-term users or users ingesting high volumes of meth, there may be more damage than can be undone with such simple changes. Our medical staff can help you analyze your options and find the right dental care provider. They will guide you from there.

Getting Help for Meth Addiction

Recognizing that you need help is the first step in addiction recovery. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant. No one expects you to overcome it on your own. At Best Rehabs In Arizona, we understand how difficult it is to break the chains of addiction, and we are here to show you the way.

At each step in your recovery journey, you will have access to the expert-level care, support, and guidance that you need. We will help you break down the barriers between this life and a healthy, happy, sober one. We will help you find a way to live that doesn’t involve meth or its many potential consequences.

If you or someone you love needs help overcoming meth addiction, you have come to the right place. At Best Rehabs In Arizona, we believe in high-level, holistic, and personalized treatment programs. Call our addiction counselors at 866-576-4892 to get started building yours.