Can a person come back after heavy meth use? Do you have an example you could share?

i was wild and smoked some bad things in the 80s, not meth. It wasnt around. I went to rehab and quit everything except some weed. no alcohol.

You can overcome it but it takes so much strength and determination.

I think your brother’s HIV status makes him want to give up. Perhaps if he got more education, he would not feel doomed. Build him up and give him hope. Find his network of friends that love him and do not use. or help him build a new one.

No condemning if he messes up. It’s a day at a time. My best to you.

I think a really important step in his recovery would be for you to print out what you just wrote here & hand it to him. Show him how you feel & how his actions are effecting those who care for him. I’m sorry to say that I don’t have personal experience, dealing with loved ones with hard drugs. All I can say is, don’t give up on him. Even if he rejects the support system built around him, you have to be there for when he needs it. The struggle is just as difficult for the user as it is for the family/friends who stand by & watch their loved one fade away & become this strange being they can’t recognize. I’m sorry I don’t have more to offer, just remember that if loved ones give up hope, he doesn’t stand a chance at staying clean. He needs you guys more than he realizes. He will fail many times (very common) at getting clean & every time, you & everyone else needs to be there to pick him up, dust him off & help him try again. I wish you the best & I hope your brother returns to his charismatic self very soon.

I don’t know any family or friends who have been heavy meth users. It’s one of the very few drugs I’ve never tried because I thought it was a “garbage drug” and an instant ticket to ruin. I can’t imagine what families go through loving someone so afflicted. I’ve watched documentaries and intervention shows that pretty much make it seem like the user is forever changed, challenged and usually unable to stay off the drug. Scary and sad.

I’ve got a relative who came back around, so it’s possible. Not easy, but possible.

I don’t have HIV but when hospitalized for an infection in my heart due to iv drug use (opiates) I was tested 6xs for HIV because the dr.s kept insisting I was HIV + although tests coming back negative therefore false negatives.

Hearing all that & waiting each time for results was destroying me. It was either the end of my life, saying goodbye to everything I worked so hard for all for nothing… Because you have your own standards of self-worth. It’s almost like a heartbreak, after being dumped after a 7 year relationship.,. He’s feeling worthless, ashamed, and worst of all he’s going back to that night or day replaying over n over in his head just regretting it, hoping this is all a nightmare & not reality… Hating himself for that one mistake, if only he hadn’t done that one thing… Or he might ne trying to figure out how & who he got it from which just fuels more anger…

Until he accepts what he’s got & that there’s all kinds of meds out there nowadays, he can overcome it. The drugs only slow down the process & only he can stop when he feels something greater than them, first he’s gotta love himself which he’s not close to it by the sounds of it.. Counseling would be far better than rehab IMO

Just my two cents. I wish you & yours the best

We have put our 27 y/o son through meth treatment 3x over the past 9 years and he is using again. We haven’t seen him since Christmas and my heart aches for him every single minute of every single day. What do you do when the addict does not want to quit? It has cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars (treatment, lawyers, bail, fines, insurance, etc etc) to help him, but he still hasn’t made the choice to stop. Tough love is a bit hard when they are adults and just don’t give a shit, but we had to say “NO MORE”. I look for his obituary every day and it kills me as a mother who can’t figure out what she did wrong…

I lost a business, my awesome girlfriend, my friends, and also my independence. I have recovered a lot, but Im still a little burnt. I didnt use that much, but for about a year. It sounds like to me that your brother is gay and he’s caught up in the “cant have sex unless Im high” thing. I’m just assuming, but that could be why its so hard for him to quit. He can recover a lot, but something has to change in him in order for him to quit.

it takes 2 to 5 years. I wasn’t doing meth, I was doing speedballs. when my lawyer told me how long it takes I thought he didn’t know what he was talking about. He did. It takes an enormous financial resource, cause your sick for much of that time, you can’t work, and you need really good, expert counseling. People can and do come back. I’ve known alot of methheads, and not to be cruel, but I agree with @truecomedian.

Of course. People can come back from any addiction – but the road to recovery can be incredibly difficult and various factors depend on it.
I’ve known a few meth users, some of which recovered and others who didn’t. I did meth on and off for over a year back in high school. I wasn’t necessarily a heavy user though, but I certainly did enough of it. Over time, I began hallucinating every once in a while and picking the skin on my arms. I also tore a patch of skin off my face, which fortunately healed to the point where people can’t notice it unless I point it out. I finally reached the point where I got sick of what I was doing to myself and was able to stop almost immediately, cold turkey. I think it was because I wasn’t a heavy user, hence, not very dependent on it, not to mention I had a few other things I could do to replace it with. Whether these other things were good or not is arguable.
My ex-boyfriend’s sister was a pretty heavy meth user. She was eventually able to overcome it after about 4–5 years. She got her life back on track and it didn’t damage things like her personality or sense of humor as far as I know. I know that’s one of your concerns regarding your brother. His drive and ambition can definitely return to him, but it’s his responsibility to make it happen for himself. In the end, support from friends and family is incredibly important, as well as rehab, but more importantly, his willpower, discipline and courage are vital and hopefully that’s something he’s already realized if he wants to recover.
Good luck to all of you.

Can anyone tell me how meth makes you feel? What’s so powerful about the high that causes folks to want it so badly?

And are there any helpful chemicals that can make the cravings subside?

Yes they can. I know a handful of people (some quite close to me) who used meth heavily. The ones that quit without substituting another drug and left their friends behind (drug users) for the most part, they ended up being successful brilliant people and you would have never guessed they used meth in their “other life”.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies At times, meth made me feel like my life had improved tremendously and that I as a human had become whole. It manipulated me into believing that things were so much better than they actually were and that this high was essentially the boost of energy and confidence I needed to get everything back on track. I felt like a better person, with better friends and a better life and it convinced me that my problems were really insignificant and didn’t matter. I would compare it to how I felt when using cocaine, except the meth high lasts a lot longer. Life is just grand and perfect and after this last high you’ll stop using and go out and get that job or hang out with a better crowd or help out more around the house or go back to school or whatever the fuck. You just need to feel one more high before you can move on and better yourself and deal with your issues.
I think one reason why I stopped was how horrible I felt whilst coming down off the high. I would be anxious and sometimes paranoid. My heart would beat through my chest. I would be nervous and sweaty and dehydrated. I suffer from anxiety, so my anxiety would be through the roof for hours, sometimes a full day. The guilt after a while just began eating me alive. I no longer wanted to put up with the anxiety and stress and guilt that arose from each use. As much as it has the ability to make you feel amazing, it also has the ability to make you feel like a dirtbag. It wasn’t worth it after a while.
I still don’t quite know how I was able to stop so easily. Not to sound arrogant or anything, but I really do have a good head on my shoulders (I know that sounds contradictory), but even when I went through my drug phase, I was still a pretty darn good kid. I did well in school and I was good to my parents. I guess this phase was something I needed to get out of my system. I was going through a hard time and I was incredibly curious and I handled my feelings and emotions the wrong way, but it was something I wanted to try – it just unfortunately happened to turn into so much more.
Once common sense kicked in, I simply realized that I was better than this and my body and mind deserved better. It was like something literally clicked. Not to mention, I scared the crap out of myself from the few times I hallucinated and from the skin-picking.
But I guess in the end, it doesn’t matter why or how I stopped….just simply the fact that I did. It’s done. That part of my life is over. I’m happy about that and I figure I can use my experiences to help and inform others, so I don’t feel so bad or ashamed about that part of my life anymore.

I forgot to mention, I’m hoping that the OP’s brother can reach that point sooner rather than later where something clicks, he’s able to get his life back on track and then eventually use his experiences to help others. It’s possible to find a positive out of a negative, no matter how negative that negative is. Good luck again.

@annonymousJelly
I’ve had a lot of patients on methamphetamines. It’s a scary drug that does not fit into the alcohol or opiate or cocaine addiction pattern. I am not a specialist on addictions, but here are some anecdotal observations and some things I have read.

1) About 10% of heavy meth users will become addicted. If you use meth only in the party circuit, it’s less. If you use meth outside the party circuit and/or use it alone, it’s slightly more. Take these numbers with a huge grain of salt because they are nothing more than (barely) educated guesses thrown around because of small, inadequate studies. Yet, this is the best we have.

2) More than alcohol, cocaine, and opiates, meth seems to really affect the parts of the brain that mediate pleasure from relationships. This explains why your brother is such a difficult and different person now. For a family member or a significant other to have the same impact on your brother today as they did prior to his ever having used, you have to work A LOT harder and it still may not be possible to reach him at a deep, emotional, resonant level. This is the most devastating part of meth addiction. It just kills loved ones and leaves the user in a state of complete and utter loneliness. As you know, it’s heart breaking.

3) For the person to kick a meth addiction, there HAS to be a better alternative. In my experience, kids and religion are the best motivators to make some one stop using meth. If your brother can feel intense passionate or compassionate love for someone else, this could fuel him past the huge psychological barrier to staying sober.

4) The meds we use for craving: bupropion, naltrexone, and some of the mood stabilizers are OK and are good adjuncts for helping someone quit. They do not replace hope for the future, deep relationships, and a great alternative to drugs.

5) The family has to make some “tough love” choices to protect itself from burn out. This is a long process and it’s best you are there for the long haul. Sometimes this means caring for your self at the expense of your brother. It’s not betrayal or selfishness, it’s self-preservation and long-term commitment.

6) Families should not do this alone. I strongly recommend for families and loved ones to connect with others going through similar experiences and/or engage in private psychotherapy/group therapy. It’s really important you preserve a sense of what “normal” is. Families sometimes also benefit by becoming politically or socially involved in the national fight against drugs. This gives meaning and purpose to the pain. It helps people hold on longer.

7) Lastly, it’s really important that families and loved ones keep themselves and their possessions safe in case the person with addiction is driven to acts of extreme poor judgement in seeking money for drugs.

ps- meth affects men differently than women. it does really wierd, scary things and for men it’s alot about sex. I know a few people that were normal before addiction and are now registered sex offenders, it causes them to make some really crazy decisions. I hope your brother can get well, good luck to you.

@trailsillustrated
Do you think the men using meth acted out on sexual weirndness rather than denying it or controlling it? This isn’t the first time I’ve heard about that and men. Ick.

@Neizvestnaya no, it acts on the part of the brain associated with sexual pleasure and maybe fantasies or something- it’s a really poweful sexual stimulant, I’ve known people that would just lock themselves in get high and watch porn for days. It’s really wierd and scary

@trailsillustrated
That’s what I’ve heard from a few acquaintances and it really disturbed me because the men seemed to prefer that kind of sexual stimulus over being with a live partner. Gross and scary.

@Neizvestnaya I know weird.

If he wants to be a drug addict, let him be a drug addict, as long as he isn’t stealing to support his habit, I don’t see what the big deal is.

@cheebdragon Meth basically rots your brain. Not something to wish on most violent criminals, let alone your own brother.
That attitude of yours is pretty destructive; I’d suggest that you sit and think about it and its ramifications a bit before you continue using it.

@cheebdragon we are talking about meth here…. not weed or something like that. meth will fucking kill you. Its a bit different. You are pretty much saying ehhhh if your brother wants to go kill him self let him, its his choice right? Ignore the fact he’s not even thinking straight right now.

I know people that have done more than me in a day, than in my entire meth career. Odd how little that matters. What I mean is a little goes a long way, with me it did. But I was also suicidal, and tried to overdose on meth when the girlfriend dumped me. I resented her so deeply, and only recently, six years later, realized that I was a tweaker, and that’s why she dumped me. I would have dumped me. The drug makes you feel intense euphoria, but what goes up must come down, and it can bring the roof with it.

@Nullo I dont get to do drugs anymore, that phase ended when i became a parent, but thanks for the concern….

@Uberbatman Recovery will never be successful if he doesn’t want to quit. He has HIV, do you really think hes worried about meth killing him at this point?

It’s very hard but it can be done. The question is how much damage to the brain was done by meth. But the brain is also a resilient organ. Supporting him in every way is very important.

Anyone think it’s wierd that a new jelly is asking such a question.

@truecomedian Not particularly. Why is it weird?

@rpmpseudonym
I don’t know, I thought I smelled bacon, guess I’m wrong/paranoid.

Thank you all for taking the time and effort to share your knowledge, it’s much appreciated and really helped. I haven’t shown it to my brother, I don’t know how that would go, but all the first-hand accounts really helped me get a less clinical grip on what he’s going through. Thanks.

@cheebdragon: I’ve gone back on forth on whether or not to respond directly. It’s hard to keep it positive and I don’t want any response to be an attack on you. If my brother came to me and said all he wants to do now is get high and live life, that would be totally fine with me as long as he was in control of it. He’s not. My parents are supporting him with the assumption that he’s trying to get back to being self sufficient. Also, this isn’t the life he wants, it’s a life he stumbled into after some hard times and now is having trouble getting out of. As far as him not worrying about dying from meth because he’s HIV positive, if he takes care of himself he probably has 20+ years with the medications he’s on, and that’s assuming there’s no advances or outright cure during that time. He’s well aware of those facts, his background is in the medical field, he’s done his research. His life expectancy the way he’s been living is considerably shorter and it’s a much much worse way to die. In short, I’m not trying to force a lifestyle on him, I’m trying to help him achieve want he wants in life. If he tells me he wants to drop out of the world and be a subsistence farmer in the middle of the woods, I’d be happy to help him do that, as long as he’s happy and not hurting anyone else.

For anyone who’s worried about me being law enforcement, or having ulterior motives behind the question, it’s all true and genuine so please don’t worry about it. I’m sorry the “anonymous” account caused stress. I’ve had a fluther account for almost 3 years and don’t mind sharing just about anything about myself, but I feel like this is his life we’re discussing, so it’s not my place to put it out on to the internet. On my own account, if someone I know saw the name, saw the posts there, they’d easily know it was me. I only have one brother, so they’d easily make the connection to him as well. I don’t want him to face any more judgement then he has to, especially not on account of me.

I picked the name anonymousJelly because “Jellies” is kind of the unofficial internal name we have for each other here. I’ve thought about just trying to make the account available to anyone who wants to ask a question without having it attached to their account, but it seems there’s some issues there as well. We’ll see.

Thank you again to each of you, it all really has helped.

I am an addict in recovery. I did amphetamines, but not meth. And, honestly, I don’t know that I know anyone whose drug of choice was meth.

I do, however, know people very personally who were heavily involved in crack cocaine, heroin, and even morphine. Anyone can become clean again, but whether or not he will seem like the same person he was before will depend on how long and how hard he’s been doing meth. I have a friend I met in rehab who is this nice gentleman about 60 years old who was addicted to crack, and you can tell that he isn’t all the way there anymore.

A commonly used analogy is that when you come off of drugs, your mental development is at the age that you were when you first started using.

I tried to OD on meth, and afterwards developed schizophrenia as a result. They say only 6% of people recover from meth use, but it’s got to be higher than that. I haven’t recovered to this day, all that I lost when I was using, I think the damage is permanent. It’s a real nasty drug, I use to use it for the hallucinations, I would talk to them, and they would talk back, it was wild.

when he’s ready to make a commitment to his future:
healthy diet for starters, esp juicing and immune system boosters and B vitamins.
Plus heavy doses of sanskrit mantra to reorganize soothe and heal the nervous system which must be doing an exhausting constant hurt dance. start with chakra meditations. if you buy chant disc don’t get vapid spa crap with waves and whales (hey that stuff is nice for a nap ok, but get serious) find some genuine practitioners like Russill Paul and Ravi Shankar, Krishna Das is marginal.