years later

[QUannie]

Hello,
i was a meth addict and alcoholic and have been clean from meth for about 13 years and alcohol for about 91/2....my question is, did any recovering meth addicts notice trouble in thoughts or obsessing {years later after being clean}, not about drugs but having trouble with your mind.......my symptoms are that of OCD, but i wondered if there was a link to my drug history!

thanks,
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[BlessEwe]

First off Congrats on your time clean

I didn't do meth, but alcohol and depressents ( Xanax)

All drugs do alter the brain, some are faster due to the intense forced hormone chemicals caught in the neuro transmiters. Meth increases the release of dopamine, producing the "rush" and/or "high" associated with its abuse. As the most potent of the stimulant drugs, amphetamines elicit more dopamine release than other drugsthree times more than cocaine.



We as addicts have altered our brains to Want this extreme release. So even with time the obession can be still there, but in recovery have found ways to deal with it. I tend to do actually what you are talking about, and have heard others talk about the obsession of the disease .


A recent neuroimaging study of meth abusers showed partial recovery of brain function in some regions following protracted abstinence, associated with improved performance on motor and verbal memory tests. However, function in other regions did not display recovery even after two years of abstinence, indicating that some meth-induced changes are much longer lasting.


So with this said we now understand why a person with many many years sober, who start using again have been found dead from a overdose. The obsession of it...sad to say

....

 

[QUannie]

Blessewe,
thank you for your response i appreciate it!


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[Harleyrider]

Congrats on your clean time. I have a little over a year of clean time ( I was a meth addict), pot smoker, and oxy user. I am alittle like yourself. I have almost 19 years sober from alcohol. I just taraded drugs for alcohol.
The only problems I have from my meth addiction which was my drug of choice is that I have the terrible habit of grinding and moving my jaw back and forth. My mind and memory are pretty much fine, at least I think so.

HR

 

[QUannie]

Thank you Harleyrider.....i grit my teeth at night! If i may ask, how long did you use meth and how much???

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[Harleyrider]

I used off and on back in the 80's, but for 2 years (05-07) I was either smoking it or snorting it everyday. I was using alittle over $300.00 a week. I had a friend who was a cook so alot of it I got for free, or through trades. His brother grew the best weed around so I was smoking an 8th a week. I sold alot of drugs for them also.

HR

 

[QUannie]

thanks for your response!!

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[LoG]

When i start displaying obsessive compulsive symptoms then i take it that I need to go back to the Steps to see why I have lost my peace.

 

[QUannie]

true LoG...thank you....

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[GlennK]

never give up