Personalized Stimulant Addiction TreatmentFind Recovery

Neurochemical rebalancing for stimulant addiction involves several key components. First, a comprehensive neurochemical deficiency assessment, spanning across four pages, is conducted. This assessment helps identify specific areas of neurochemical deficiency. Next, a personalized approach is taken to provide individuals with tailored amino acids and supplements. Additionally, an abstinence-based symptom sheet is utilized to monitor and track 25 different symptoms that are correlated with neurochemical imbalances. Based on the information gathered, the amino acid protocol is then adjusted accordingly to address individual needs.

Clients will receive the amino acids and cofactors they need to help restore healthy brain chemistry. Those struggling with stimulant addiction usually receive Tyrosine to help balance dopamine and norepinephrine levels, as well as L-Phenylalanine. This helps to reduce or eliminate cravings and eradicate uncomfortable side effects of recovery, also known as post-acute withdrawal.

Excessive use of stimulants is very hard on the body. In order to repair the damage that has been done, it’s important to prioritize restoring physical health and wellness:

Improve Nutrition and Teach Healthy Habits: Proper nutrition is essential for restoring physical health after excessive use of stimulants. The body needs fuel to repair itself and regain strength. At Bridging the Gaps, we understand that healthy eating is essential to replenish important nutrients. Proper nutrition helps to stabilize mood, reduces cravings, and improves energy levels, cognitive function, and overall well-being. Our clients work with a nutritionist to create healthy, balanced meals and learn how to shop for healthy foods and effectively read nutrition facts. The goal is to establish healthy eating habits here that will help our clients when they eventually leave and navigate recovery outside of our walls.

Exercise Regularly: Regular exercise plays a vital role in restoring physical health after excessive use of stimulants. Not only does it help strengthen the body, but it also releases endorphins which can improve mood and reduce stress. Our clients exercise every morning and attend a private Yoga class once a week with a certified instructor. We prioritize exercise for several reasons. First, exercise releases endorphins, which can improve mood and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression – common triggers for relapse. It can also help regulate sleep patterns and improve quality of sleep. Lastly, engaging in physical activity also provides a healthy outlet for emotions, reducing the risk of turning to stimulants as a coping mechanism.

Promote Healthy Sleep Hygiene: Sleep is essential for the body to heal and repair itself. Stimulants not only disrupt sleep patterns, but they can also cause exhaustion and fatigue. Incorporating good sleep hygiene practices is crucial for improving overall health. Establishing a regular sleep schedule and avoiding caffeine, heavy meals, and electronics before bed can help regulate sleep patterns. Getting enough quality sleep can also aid in mood stabilization, reducing cravings and improving overall mental health. We encourage our clients to maintain proper sleep hygiene.

People who have experienced trauma may develop coping mechanisms like substance use to deal with the overwhelming emotions and feelings associated with their trauma. This can include turning to stimulants as a way to self-medicate and numb painful memories or emotions. The clinicians at Bridging the Gaps are dedicated to helping our clients work through these painful events and uncover the hope that lies within.

The first few weeks of group psychotherapy and individual sessions aim to educate the client about their disease, help them begin to address some of the behaviors or thoughts that lead them to use, and begin to build community.

After about 4-6 weeks of stabilization, clients who have suffered significant trauma will begin working on processing these events. The caring, compassionate clinicians at BTG are trained and experienced in trauma-informed care and trauma treatment techniques. Instead of asking, “what’s wrong with you?”, trauma-informed clinicians instead seek to understand what happened to you. Using trauma treatment tools like Brainspotting and DBT, we help our clients to work through their trauma and understand what they need to adequately heal.

At BTG, we believe that the opposite of addiction is connection. We know that the key to long-term success in recovery is having a supportive sober community to help guide you through difficult times. Our clients attend AA or NA meetings and select a sponsor while they’re in treatment with us. Upon completing treatment, we have an Alumni Program that allows our clients to stay in touch and navigate recovery together.

Signs and symptoms of amphetamine abuse include physical, behavioral, and social symptoms:
● Physical symptoms may include craving, despite physical or health problems caused or worsened by the drug, tolerance, increased respiration, increased blood pressure, dilated pupils, increased energy, decreased fatigue, increased alertness, decreased appetite, increased body temperature. 
● Behavioral symptoms may be observed, such as taking the drug in larger amounts or over a longer period of time than intended, unsuccessful attempts to cut down, a great deal of time spent obtaining, taking or recovering from the substance, continued use despite the inability to fulfill role responsibilities at home, work, or school, giving up important activities, and using in situations the individual knows are dangerous. 
● Social symptoms may manifest as relationship problems caused or worsened by amphetamine use, difficulty with social problem solving, and when large amounts are used, over-talkativeness, manic-like social presentation, and failure to read social cues.

Cocaine abuse and addiction symptoms vary among individuals depending on addiction duration, frequency of use, and physical dependency level.
Common signs of cocaine abuse include the following:
● Physical symptoms may include nose damage, chronic sniffles, and nosebleeds. Cocaine is often snorted, and issues with the nose are common and often the most noticeable. Bloodshot and watery eyes, along with dilated pupils, may also indicate cocaine addiction.
● Behavioral symptoms of cocaine use may include unexplained financial strain or lies about money. Cocaine is an expensive drug, and addicts often steal or ask to borrow money to maintain their habit. Chronic abusers also frequently excuse themselves to use the drug. Cocaine has a relatively short high, so users need to take the drug often. Be on the lookout for frequent trips to the restroom or other reasons they may repeatedly use to leave social situations and use.
● Mood changes include increased talkativeness, hyperactivity, and mood swings. Aggression and hallucinations may also occur. In addition, you may notice anxiety, restlessness, irritation, panic, fearfulness, euphoria, and a sense of overinflated confidence.

Signs your loved one has a meth addiction may include various mood, behavioral, physical, and psychological symptoms, such as:
● Mood symptoms may manifest as anxiety, restlessness, panic, aggression, racing thoughts, severe depression following a methamphetamine binge, euphoria, violent mood swings, and delusions of power. 
● Behavioral symptoms include engaging in risky sexual behavior, being unable to quit or reduce methamphetamine use, increased sexual activity, fighting, violence, avoiding once pleasurable hobbies and activities, legal problems, borrowing or stealing money, preoccupation with seeking the next high, pulling away from friends and family, and engaging in unsafe activities. 
● Physical symptoms may involve pronounced weight loss, rapid heart rate, molecular and functional changes in the brain, difficulty in repairing damaged tissues, cardiac arrhythmias, increased libido, malnutrition, insomnia (especially during a methamphetamine binge), constriction of blood vessels, respiratory problems, liver disease and damage, acne or picking scars, loss of skin elasticity, “Meth Mouth,” immune system dysfunction, brain damage, seizures, heart attack, stroke, while psychological symptoms may include confusion, memory loss, disorganized lifestyle, paranoia (which can be permanent), psychosis, hallucinations, violence, and a complete detachment from reality.