Amphetamine Maintanence Therapy... Why not?

I struggle to understand why, in New Zealand, opiate addicts can get suboxone and methadone to help fight their addiction, but meth addicts get jack shit. Meth is just as addictive, if not more addictive than opiates, it causes a lot of damage to people and society, and yet nothing's really being done about it. Almost makes me wish I got into heroin rather than meth!

Drug counselling can only go so far... I think a medical intervention is also needed. How 'bout offering us meth addicts dextroamphetamine, dispensed and closely monitored, just like methadone. I'm sure it will do a lot to help with the meth epidemic which this country has been facing for years.

 

^ I'm in a shit of a mood right now so I'll keep my reply short.

1. There are withdrawals from methamphetamine. Read up on PAWS and the effects meth has on the mesolimbic dopamine reward pathway. An addict who stops meth will be display symptoms such as anhedonia, depression, intense cravings (which result in anxiety and irritability), and so on. If there were no withdrawals, I could stop using right now - but I can't.

2. Methamphetamine abuse is much more prevalent in my country than opiate abuse.

3. I now agree that prescribing dextro-amphetamine to a methamphetamine addict could worsen the addiction and make the doctor liable. I understand that.

 

I don't deny that there's a form of withdrawal from amphetamines; but the fact of the matter is you can function for a few days without methamphetamine fairly fine. You can take breaks from psychostimulant use and not NEED psychostimulants to live.

With opioids it's a different story; after a while it turns from being a psychological need into a physiological need. With psychostimulants you don't have this issue.

 

^ Well maybe I'm just different to everybody else, cos I can't function for a few days without meth.

 

I doubt that you get physically ill when not having psychostimulants on hand. Psychologically, you may need it to be able to 'function', although you do not have to worry about dopesickness all the time.

 

^ I never said I would. Not all withdrawals make you physically ill.

 

I want to jump in on this one..I think you you are both right about this. It happen to be a case of both... I happened to be a recovering herion addict that with the help of the methadone clinic I escaped with my life....I moved to a rual area thinkin that I was cured,but found out I still wasn't done. I somehow could pick out a dealer where ever I was..I was off the dope, I was depressed, let me just say, I JUST WAS NOT DONE. I started doing a little blow, then I was cookin it up, then I met the Ice lady...I again somehow escaped but I ended looking for an addiction spec. Dr. and we have come up with a plan that has kept me grounded, and extremely aware of what is the next right thing...and opiates are bodily addicting ( Pain recepters are damaged and the withdraw is just about inhuman..yeah speed will fuck your head up and ya might be wiped out..but when that goes away ya begin to start the cycle over with some sort of drug...that feel good part of the brain is empty, so we try to satisfy our restlessness with insanity and confusion..and that is ADHD/OCD..it is mental illness . I am grateful that the obsession is not awake at the moment, ONE PART MEDICATION/ONE PART HIGHER POWER=Serenity easy does it

 

^ The thing I'm trying to emphasise is that the "feel good" part of our brain isn't wiped out for only a couple of days or so. It can take months - even years for our dopamine receptors to return to a normal level of functioning. That's why so many meth addicts struggle to stay clean. The withdrawals aren't just the crash you get after a session.

 

I agree with you Sweet Pea, I wasn't real deep into the meth. But I have to say as I reflect upon my addiction, I must say that when I was in my Cocaine frenzy, I did have my days when I felt like my BODY needed to do it. I would plan and scheme until my mission was complete. Only to end up with that same fucked up feeling. I didn't want to feel that so I would plan, and scheme, this way I would forget that fucked up feeling. I believe I see a pattern here........ But in any case it's all fucked up whatever it is that we may be craving the mind is very powerful...I would be ill before I was out of dope....