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Treatment For Meth Users Unlike heroin addicts, who can be weaned with methadone, there is no pharmacological treatment for meth. However, Richard Rawson, executive Director of a Los Angeles, CA non-profit addiction research organization and co-principal investigator of the Methamphetamine Treatment Project says, “Despite the myth that there is no hope of recovery for meth users, treatment for meth addiction appears equally successful to cocaine treatment with about 50 – 60% drug-free at the end of one year.” Rawson describes the meth addiction treatment saying, “You have to think of it like fixing a broken leg – treatment provides a structure to allow the brain chemistry to return to normal. The addict’s brain is out of tune, it’s not working very well, and it takes a while to recover.” The successful “Matrix Model” outpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy treatment consists of a four-to-six month of three group or individual therapy sessions per week. Patients are coached through their recovery, taught about their addiction, trained to manage cravings, and to avoid risky activities like drinking alcohol, that could trigger relapse. The method also uses family therapy, urine testing, and 12-step activities. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) is currently conducting clinical trials for the Matrix Model and will use results of the clinical trials to issue its national treatment guidelines. |
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Shadow of Meth is funded by a grant from the US Department of Justice through the Rural Crime & Justice Center at Minot State University |
