It's easy to get hooked on meth but very hard to beat addition to it. According to a 2008 national drug use survey, about 850,000 Americans age 12 and older have abused methamphetamine at least once. People recovering from meth addiction require long intense outpatient therapy and frequent contact with a treatment provider. The most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction are cognitive behavioral interventions that help modify the addicts thinking, behaviors and the way addicts respond to stress, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
The Matrix Model
The Matrix Model is a behavioral treatment approach that combines several different methods: drug testing, individual counseling, family education, 12-step support and replacing drug use with non--drug-related activities.
Contingency Management Interventions
Contingency management interventions award tangible incentives as reinforcement for staying in treatment and maintaining abstinence. Some contingency management programs offer awards such as special privileges or money or gifts to program participants who stay sober and adhere to program rules. Contingency management programs also include consequences, the taking away of awards, as a tool for modifying ingrained behaviors.
12-Step Programs
Variations of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program have been tailored to help people overcome their methamphetamine addictions. Some have a goal of spiritual development, like Crystal Meth Anonymous, while others, like Rational Recovery, are a secular alternative to the AA model.
What 12-step programs have in common is a sequential approach to recovery based heavily on peer support, manuals and repetition to build new drug-free habits.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is used as a lone treatment or provided in concert with traditional Western behavioral therapies in the treatment of methamphetamine addiction. The focus is typically on auricular or ear acupuncture. In auricular acupuncture, certain points in the ear that correspond to the brain or other areas of the body are stimulated using needles or electrical acupunctoscopes, according to the College of Auricular Acupuncture.
References
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Methamphetamine
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIDA InfoFacts: Methamphetamine
- National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices: Matrix Model
- College of Auricular Acupuncture: What is Auricular Acupuncture and how does it work
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 33
