What is Slamming Meth?
That’s the same question I had when I was in the throes of my addiction to meth. When I walked into a room a fellow addict yelled at me to leave. I saw them with a rubber tube around their arm and a syringe. I shut the door and left. Later on, I asked what they were doing and they told me, “Slamming Meth” proudly. He was the most hardcore of all the meth users I had known, staying up for weeks at a time, his cheeks hollow, the life in his eyes absent. You couldn’t trust Jon, his only priority in life was getting high on meth and he would stop at nothing to get it. He bore the name junkie with a pride I now speak of with my children.
I hate needles so the intravenous injection of any drug, no matter how bad my addiction got wasn’t really an option. My fear of needles trumped getting high like that. I’m glad I didn’t, because in my time at Emerald Isle Health and Recovery I learned that it is one of the most dangerous ways you can use meth, potentially leading you to an overdose.
Immediate Help For Meth Addiction
The Effects of Meth Slamming
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I realized that I was dying at one point and I needed help. With the assistance of supportive friends and family, that I was lucky to have, I left the dingy apartment I had been living in with Jon and moved into the beautiful facilities at Emerald Isle Health and Recovery.
I thought of Jon often, about what could have happened to him, we lost touch immediately after I admitted myself into recovery. When I spoke about my experiences with him, I found out the dangerous effects of meth slamming. The worst one (in my opinion) is that you need more and more of the drug to get high. The effects of slamming meth are intense, but the high wears off quickly, leading you to need more and more at an increased frequency.
The Risks of Intravenous Meth Use
In addition to needing more meth, and at an increased frequency, there are a lot of other risks involved with using meth intravenously. Maybe I write this to try and talk people out of doing it, it’s one thing to do meth, but I really feel intravenous puts you on a path of danger that isn’t worth going down.
The risks can include things like track marks, punctures in your skin, collapsed veins (Jon was struggling to find places to inject), abscesses, and skin infections. Because Jon’s resources were limited he would often share needles with other people putting him and others at risk for HIV and Hepatitis B&C and Tuberculosis.
Chemical Imbalances from Meth Slamming
In addition to all of the other negative effects of meth slamming you can do permanent brain damage. You can also experience psychotic episodes from too much meth.
Jon would occasionally accuse all of us of stealing his meth or money (none of us had, he usually misplaced it or forgot he used it). He’d go on tirades for days accusing us, threatening us, until he got what he wanted (to get high). Those psychotic episodes, where he would accuse us and claim we said and did things that we didn’t, may not stop entirely after using meth.
As a hardcore meth user, he could have those episodes for years after. Things that can last include paranoia, increased distractibility, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and motor functioning.
How Does Meth Work in the Brain?
Something I never considered in my addiction to meth was how it could change my brain. I never thought of the consequences during my addiction, if I had understood the consequences I may have done things differently. There is an increase in dopamine when you use meth. Your brain gets used to that increase, what is an increase now becomes your baseline.
So you need a certain amount to keep the baseline in check and even more to get a high. When you stop using you will experience intense symptoms of withdrawal which I can speak to. I felt extremely depressed when I quit. I also felt scared my heart was going to stop, I was so tired from being up all the time. I think that the worst part of meth is abstaining from what is necessary for the human body, sleep.
24 Hour Meth Addiction Hotline
Effective Ways to Treat Meth Addiction
There are a number of ways to treat meth addiction. Everyone’s journey is a little different. I was lucky enough to have friends and family I could turn to. Not everyone has that, Jon certainly didn’t. He was from a different country to boot. Yet, if you don’t have anything, or anybody, a good way to start if you need help is reaching out to a recovery center.
I know from attending recovery that Emerald Isle Health and Recovery has helped people in all sorts of situations in life. There isn’t one kind of person that they cannot help, they are prepared for every situation you can think of. I’d say a good place to start is to pick up the phone and talk to someone.
My treatment has included therapy, groups, and learning healthy living modalities. My treatment has extended beyond residential and I continue to utilize outpatient resources at Emerald Isle Health and Recovery. I’m proud to say I’m 2 years into my recovery today.
Reasons to Choose Residential Meth Treatment
The biggest reason I chose residential treatment at Emerald Isle Health and Recovery was because I felt like I needed it. I personally didn’t use the detox services they provide, but some people would need those, especially if you are addicted to practices like slamming meth.
They will be able to supervise your withdrawal and make sure you are safe. It also helps to keep you focused. Outpatient treatment is great for me now because I feel like I have the basic building blocks needed to function. In the beginning, I needed structure otherwise I may not have made it.
Medication Assisted Treatment for Meth
It can be dangerous to withdraw from meth, especially if you have been slamming meth or using it intravenously. Disclaimer, I am not a doctor, but I would highly recommend going the medication assisted route if you are in this category.
Once again, it’s about supervision of your withdrawal but it’s also about the other medical ailments you might have from meth. Dental issues tend to be a big issue. If you utilize this route it can improve your chances of survival, retention in the program, and gives you the foundation to begin your recovery. It can help take away some of the discomfort and give you additional support.
Immediate Placement for Meth Addiction Treatment
What does slamming meth mean?
Slamming meth, or ‘slamming’ in the context of any drug use, refers to intravenous injection of the substance. It is particularly dangerous in the case of methamphetamines, with overdose due to meth growing rapidly in the past several years.
Is the slamming method dangerous?
Yes. Intravenous drug use of any kind increases the risks of infection and bloodborne disease. Slamming meth in particular raises the possibility of overdose significantly, as the exact dosage and potency of the drug are not usually known.
Find Long Term Recovery with a Holistic Rehab
There are many routes you can take on your road to recovery. That is why going to a facility like Emerald Isle was so wonderful for me. It offered me a holistic view on recovery. From art therapy to helping me land housing upon leaving, I had resources available to help me navigate life post-addiction. As I said, there is no one size fits all, everyone is different.
Picking a place with a multitude of services will only benefit your journey. Your journey might encompass being in the recovery center but it also means going forward, after you finish your program. Choose something that works for you and makes you feel supported. I know I made the right choice to combat my own addiction.