Meth Treatment in Louisville

If you or a loved one is struggling with a debilitating meth addiction, it is imperative that you seek help as soon as possible. Landmark Recovery of Louisville provides evidence-based treatments that can help you overcome meth abuse and stay sober.

What is Meth?

Methamphetamine—known as “meth”— is a laboratory-made psychostimulant drug that can be snorted, smoked, injected, or swallowed. ¹ Meth causes high levels of dopamine, the pleasure-inducing neurotransmitter, to be released in the brain, making the user feel great, energetic, alert, and fast. ² At the same time, meth triggers epinephrine and norepinephrine, the fight-or-flight hormones, to produce dangerous effects like increased heart rate and blood pressure. Other adverse effects of meth use include insomnia, changes in appetite, paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and convulsions. ³

What Makes Meth Dangerous?

Meth is a highly addictive drug. Its ability to release dopamine in reward areas of the brain strongly reinforces drug-taking behavior, making the user want to repeat the experience. As the pleasurable effects associated with meth use dissipate, the user is faced a strong urge to get that feeling back. Users end up taking meth more frequently and at higher doses to avoid crashing, sometimes using the drug (without sleeping) for several days straight. ⁴

Meth abuse quickly becomes habit-forming due to the development of psychological and physical dependence, and over time, repeated use will lead to full-blown addiction. Chronic meth use also causes: ⁵

• memory loss
• cognitive impairments
• aggression
• psychotic behavior
• malnutrition
• severe dental problems
• irregular heartbeat
• damaged blood vessels in the brain
• increased risk for heart attacks or hemorrhages that can result in death

Kentucky has seen a recent resurgence in the availability and abuse of meth. ⁶ According to recent findings from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 1 in 100 Kentuckians used meth in the past year. ⁷ Meth use is most common among young adults, with 1 in 50 Kentuckians aged 18 to 25 reporting past-year use. Tragically, meth use has also become a problem for Kentucky teens and adolescents. Around 1 in 142 Kentucky high school students report that they used meth in the past 30 days, ⁸ and nearly 1 in 45 admit that they have tried meth at least once. ⁹

Meth abuse has devastated countless lives in Louisville, Jefferson County, and throughout Kentucky. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, about 2 in 10 Kentucky adults (22%) report that a family member or friend had experienced problems as a result of meth use. ¹⁰ State officials reported 517 meth-related overdose deaths in 2019, a significant increase from the 428 fatal overdoses involving meth that were reported in 2018. ¹¹ Admissions data indicate that meth is the most widely abused drug among Kentuckians seeking substance abuse treatment, with meth addiction being reported in more than one-quarter (27.1%) of all admissions to Kentucky treatment centers in 2019. ¹²

Meth Addiction Treatment in Louisville

Landmark Recovery of Louisville is proud to offer science-backed, personalized meth treatment at our local Louisville rehab facility. Depending on the length and severity of meth addiction, your customized treatment program may include a combination of residential treatment, partial hospitalization care, and intensive outpatient rehabilitation services.
Before you can enter a formal treatment program for meth addiction, you must first discontinue use of the drug and go through detox. For many people this is the most difficult stage of recovery due to the extreme discomfort and intense cravings that occur when a chronic meth abuser stops taking the drug. Symptoms of meth withdrawal often include: ¹³

• Depression
• Extreme fatigue
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Aggression
• Intense cravings for meth

Landmark Recovery of Louisville’s medical detox program offers a safe way to remove all traces of meth from your system and prepare the body and mind for rehabilitation. While detoxing at our Louisville treatment facility, our trained clinical specialists will provide around-the-clock medical supervision and supportive care that ensures you remain safe and comfortable throughout the entire detox process. Although no medication is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in treating meth dependence, ¹⁴ we may administer certain medications that can treat specific symptoms of meth withdrawal. For example, benzodiazepines can be used to help alleviate the anxiety or agitation that develops as you adjust to not having meth, and antidepressants can be prescribed to address the depression that often accompanies meth withdrawal. ¹⁵

The best clinical outcomes for meth addiction have been achieved through participation in behavioral therapy. During individual and group therapy sessions, you will work with a master’s level therapist to identify the root causes of your meth addiction and develop the behavioral changes and coping skills needed to prevent relapse and maintain long-term sobriety. The most proven forms of behavioral therapy used in Landmark Recovery’s meth addiction treatment programs include cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and contingency management therapy. ¹⁶

How Can I Get More Information?

Landmark Recovery of Louisville can provide you with the help you need to overcome meth addiction. Please call our Louisville facility at  502-309-2675 to learn more about our evidence-based medical detox and meth treatment programs.