800-671-4304Post-Meth Depression: 10 Ways to Feel Better in Recovery
Depression after meth use can occur as your body adjusts to quitting the substance. Be better equipped to deal with post-meth depression by learning why this happens alongside strategies to cope and signs that you may need to re-enter rehab for meth.
You can also look for indicators of severe depression and how a methamphetamine rehab center provides dual diagnosis treatment for both depression and meth addiction.
Call now to find meth detox and rehab programs that will help you recover.
SponsoredWhy Depression Happens After Meth Detox
Methamphetamine is addictive because of the high levels of dopamine that it releases in the brain. Long-term meth use can cause changes to brain chemistry that impact your brain after methamphetamine detox. This includes dopamine depletion, or a significant reduction in dopamine levels from the absence of meth.
Since dopamine is involved in experiencing motivation and pleasure, loss of dopamine from stopping meth use can cause symptoms like low mood, loss of interest, agitation, and lack of energy.
This is also called post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). PAWS includes post meth depression and explains the links between meth and anxiety and meth and suicide thoughts.
Meth withdrawal depression can last for weeks or months. While quitting meth and managing post-meth depression can be difficult and lengthy, treatment is available and appropriate coping strategies can help.
10 Strategies to Cope with Post-Meth Depression
Strategies that are effective in dealing with post-meth depression include seeking professional help and self-care methods that promote mental health and recovery.
1. Seek Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Meth Addiction and Depression
Dual diagnosis treatment can help facilitate meth addiction recovery. It means that co-occurring conditions are treated at the same time; in this case that would be both depression and meth addiction, or stimulant use disorder (SUD).
Dual diagnosis treatment is evidence-based and recommended for the co-occurrence of addiction and other mental health conditions because it provides stronger relapse prevention.
Professional rehab centers offer integrated treatment for both meth addiction and co-occurring depression. Dual diagnosis programs address your mental health and substance use disorders at the same time for the best chance of lasting recovery.
Benefits of Dual Diagnosis Treatment
People often struggle to quit meth because of the depression that often results. Methamphetamine rehab can help achieve recovery from depression and addiction because treating depression reduces the chances of relapse.
Likewise, addressing meth addiction can prevent depression by deterring relapse. Furthermore, co-occurring treatment includes integrated mental health care to address other conditions a person may also have, like PTSD and anxiety.
Another benefit of certain dual diagnosis treatment programs is that they include medical detox. Detox is supervised by medical professionals who can administer prescriptions to help manage withdrawal symptoms.
Integrated rehab treatment addresses the root causes of addiction to help bolster mental health and recovery. Treatment plans are individualized to address a person’s unique needs and can include therapy, medication and holistic approaches in a combination optimal for you.
2. Attend Therapy or Counseling (Individual or Group)
Therapy for addiction recovery is a helpful way to deal with depression after quitting meth. It can provide counseling for depression and other mental health conditions.
One common approach is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps change negative core beliefs to lead to a more positive emotional experience and healthier behaviors. Another approach is trauma treatment since unresolved trauma often drives meth use as an unhealthy coping mechanism.
Peer support groups are also effective in dealing with depression and meth addiction. Groups like SMART Recovery or Meth Anonymous allow you to interact with others having similar struggles and gain emotional support and ideas of coping methods.
3. Talk to a Doctor about Antidepressants
Since meth use alters brain chemistry, it can be difficult to correct chemical imbalances on your own. That’s why antidepressants in addiction recovery can be a safe way of addressing those symptoms that can cause depression. Using antidepressants during meth recovery can be combined with counseling to yield stronger results for a sustained recovery.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Call now.
Sponsored4. Get Consistent, Quality Sleep
People often experience meth withdrawal insomnia after they stop meth. However, sleep is important for healing the brain and achieving emotional stability throughout recovery. Providers can prescribe antidepressants or other medications to help facilitate sleep.
Over time, you should develop good sleep hygiene to consistently maintain adequate hours of quality sleep.
These include winding down your day earlier so that you can go to bed sooner and doing things before bed that relax you. Consider reading a book or taking a hot bath. Good sleep hygiene also includes going to bed and getting up at around the same time each day.
5. Exercise to Rebuild Dopamine and Confidence
You can boost dopamine naturally to help meth withdraw depression. This is why therapists often recommend exercise for depression. It can also help you attain quality sleep, increase energy levels and boost your confidence.
Aerobic exercise that works your heart and lungs can boost dopamine levels and improve mood. Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, jogging, bicycling, and swimming. Engaging in an exercise you enjoy is key to doing it regularly.
6. Improve Your Nutrition and Gut Health
Balanced nutrition is important for physical and mental health. While research is limited on any specific diet for depression in humans, some animal studies suggest that one way nutrition can help brain and mental health is through gut health.
Restoring gut health post-addiction is recommended, and foods that support gut health are those high in fiber like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
A healthy gut also needs probiotics like bacteria and yeasts to provide benefits to the human body. Probiotics can be found in foods like yogurt and fermented products like sauerkraut.
Foods that encourage low inflammation in the body also help mental health. These include leafy greens and healthy fats like olive oil and fish. If you follow a specific diet like vegetarian or vegan lifestyles, probiotic and vitamin supplements can help acquire balanced nutrition.
Healthy nutrition during recovery can provide the sustenance and energy needed to do your best in all areas of your life.
7. Try Mindfulness Meditation
Providers in drug rehab or mental healthcare often suggest mindfulness for depression or meditation for addiction recovery.
Mindfulness is one type of meditation that involves focusing your attention on the present moment. Various mindfulness exercises include focusing on your breathing patterns and what your five senses are taking in.
Mindfulness meditation can be an effective way to cope with drug cravings, anxiety, or other types of emotional upset. Focusing your attention on the present moment can help to dissipate cravings and other disturbing thoughts and feelings.
8. Get Outside and Into Nature Every Day
Being in nature provides many health benefits. Researchers have found connections between sunlight and mood improvement.
Sunshine helps to set your circadian rhythms, or your body’s internal clock, which promotes good sleep. In addition, your body needs sunlight to make vitamin D, a nutrient needed for strong bones and muscles.
Nature therapy for depression is an example of a holistic treatment that rehab programs may use. You can also include it in your daily life. Spending regular time outdoors can bring stress relief and a welcomed break from work and technology to experience beautiful scenery.
9. Build a Strong Support System
Relationships with others whom you trust and support your recovery are important for emotional wellness so that you don’t feel alone. Support groups for addiction or peer support recovery, such as through SMART Recovery or 12-step communities, tend to foster longer periods of sobriety.
Nurturing relationships with friends and family members who support your recovery can give you a strong foundation to reinforce your commitment. Such connections can also be fostered through community connections like church or volunteer activities.
10. Explore Supplements Cautiously
Natural supplements for depression may be useful. Examples are magnesium, folate, 5-HTP, and St. John’s Wort.
However, it’s important to note that many supplements are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, and their safety and effectiveness is not guaranteed. You can determine which safe supplements to use during recovery with the help of your providers.
In addition to these coping strategies, it’s vital to pay attention to your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors as they may indicate that you could benefit from reentering rehab.
Warning Signs That You May Need Meth Rehab Again
Relapse is not required to re-enter many meth rehabs. Recognizing the warning signs of relapse and seeking treatment preemptively is key to preventing it. Knowing the warning signs can also inform how to help a meth addict. Relapse signs in meth addiction include:
- Reassociating with people or places linked to past use.
- Thinking about using meth or fantasizing about past use.
- Withdrawing from others or not reaching out to others for emotional support when you need it.
- Experiencing stress in relationship problems or work and thinking about using meth to cope.
Risk for relapse is greatest within the first 12 months after quitting meth. The longer abstinence is maintained, the lower the risk.
You CAN work through your depression. Call today for help.
SponsoredIf you notice these signs in yourself or your loved one, it may mean it’s time to re-enter rehab. However, this doesn’t indicate failure. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people to complete rehab a few times before maintaining long-term sobriety.
It’s also helpful to know signs of severe depression to help ensure you or your loved one gets appropriate assistance.
Signs of Severe Depression After Meth Use
Suicidal thoughts in meth recovery can occur, and there’s a link between meth and suicide due to post meth depression. However, even severe depression recovery is possible with treatment. Knowing the warning signs of suicide can help you or a loved one receive appropriate assistance when experiencing a higher risk for suicide.
When someone is dealing with severe depression, signs that the person needs immediate help include:
- Thinking about suicide frequently or daily
- Thinking of a plan of what they might do to end their life
- Possessing the means to carry out the plan
- Engaging in self-harm like cutting or burning skin
- Giving away personal possessions
- Talking about ending their life or that their loved ones would be better off without them
If you’re concerned for someone’s safety, you can call 911. You can also text or call 988 to connect with the 988 Lifeline.
While meth and suicidal thoughts are linked, treatment can address both addiction and depression and recovery is possible.
How Rehab Helps with Depression and Addiction Recovery
Methamphetamine rehab centers treat meth addiction and depression simultaneously. Addiction treatment for depression includes evidence-based therapies and possibly antidepressant medication. While medications address the physiological aspects of depression, therapy tackles underlying reasons for meth use and strengthening healthy coping strategies.
Holistic approaches are used alongside evidence-based treatment to bolster treatment gains. Examples of holistic treatments include yoga, meditation, and animal-assisted therapy.
Dual diagnosis treatment is offered in inpatient and outpatient settings. Inpatient settings are usually a fit for someone with severe addiction or multiple co-occurring disorders. Inpatient treatment involves living at the rehab facility and receiving 24-hour care from a multidisciplinary team of therapists, case managers, nurses, medical doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists.
Outpatient treatments involve living at home and commuting to services. They’re for those who don’t need round-the-clock care and live in a meth-free and supportive environment.
Frequently Asked Questions about Meth Recovery and Depression
Yes. Meth withdrawal can cause depression because of the lack of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is the chemical that elevates your mood, and meth releases large amounts of dopamine within the brain. So when you quit meth, your body experiences a dopamine depletion.
How long the depression lasts varies from person to person. It can last for weeks or months.
Antidepressant medication can be helpful for some people dealing with post-meth depression. Medication in combination with counseling for depression is more likely to yield the best outcomes.
No, depression is not normal. But it is common. Depression in addiction recovery is normal due to the drastic change in dopamine levels in the body.
The key to helping a meth addict is understanding that addiction is a disease that’s difficult for them to overcome by themselves.
Approaching them with compassion and empathy is the first and most important step. You also want to avoid giving your own advice about how they should quit meth, since recovery usually requires professional treatment and support.
However, you can give them emotional and logistical support. Saying “I am here for you and I will give you moral support as you go through treatment” shows you care for their wellbeing. You can also offer to help them locate rehab programs and accompany them to appointments for moral support.
Reach Out Today
It’s never too late to seek help. Meth addiction recovery is possible and post meth depression is treatable. Please visit Detox.com for resources on how to get started.
Call now. Get the help you need, today.
Sponsored