What is Tweaking?

Understanding the Meth Subculture and Getting a Loved One Help

To understand meth abuse, one must understand that there are levels of psychosis that drive you to the edge of sanity. When I finally sought treatment at Icarus Behavioral Health, I was tweaking hard following a week-long meth binge. I was completely out of my mind. My meth addiction destroyed my body and mind, and I had a long way to go to get both back.

But what is tweaking? Tweaking occurs following a meth binge. Meth users will stay awake for days on end using meth until the high is no longer satisfactory. Once you’ve exhausted your brain of dopamine and no longer feel the effects, this is when desperation, psychosis, and hallucinations begin. This is known as tweaking.

In this journal, I will break down, from my own personal experience, the ‘culture’ of tweakers and then lay out the many dangers of meth addiction.

Dealing With Long Term Stimulant Addiction

I engaged in stimulant abuse for many years. From the time I began dabbling with drugs in high school, I was always more drawn to stimulants. I enjoyed the rush of drugs like Ritalin and cocaine and eventually developed a severe meth addiction. Once I got hooked, my life was a constant rollercoaster of intense highs and very low lows.

Meth abuse causes all kinds of physical problems and psychological distress. Even if you are unfamiliar with the signs of drug abuse, it’s hard to miss a meth addict. Educating yourself on the dangers of addiction is key to helping a loved one or getting help for yourself.

When Meth Addiction Takes Over

If I had known about the horrors of meth addiction before I began using, I might have had second thoughts before taking that first hit. Methamphetamine is comprised of multiple chemicals and is created by combining over-the-counter medications and ingredients such as paint thinner and battery acid. Crystal methamphetamine is most often smoked, but meth can also be snorted or injected.

Meth and the Deterioration of Physical Appearance and Health

Beyond the rapid weight loss, a meth user’s skin often suffers the most. One of the common side effects of meth is picking at the skin until it is raw and bloodied. Meth gives you the sensation that bugs are crawling all over you, which results in increased scratching. My body was covered in meth sores as a result of constantly scratching and tugging at my skin. These aren’t the only physical signs of meth abuse.

I also developed dental problems as a result of my meth addiction. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as meth mouth. Meth causes tooth grinding, and you will literally grind your teeth down to the gums. The tooth grinding associated with meth abuse is involuntary, and you don’t even realize you are doing it.

How Meth Causes Mental Health Disorders

Meth psychosis is another common side effect of meth abuse. Because meth addicts often stay awake for days on end, we begin to dream while still awake. You suffer from intense paranoia and believe that everyone is out to get you.

This is all a part of tweaking. Severe sleep deprivation in any form is going to result in harm to your mental health.

There were times when I believed groups of people were chasing me down and trying to kill me. I even went to the police on multiple occasions and told them people were trying to hurt me. It didn’t take long for them to realize that I was imagining all of it.

What Is Tweaking And How Does It Occur?

Substance abuse of any kind is detrimental to your health, but meth abuse is a whole other animal. When I went on a meth binge, my extreme paranoia and severe anxiety would last for an extended period. Tweaking typically occurs in between a meth binge and the crash. When I would crash, I wouldn’t wake up for at least twenty-four hours.

The intense cravings that happen while you are tweaking are unbearable. You will do anything to get the drug, even if it has little effect. There have been times when I was tweaking where I would smoke more meth, and moments later forget that I just smoked. I would then accuse everyone around me of stealing my drugs.

My Experiences During the Withdrawal Symptoms Associated With Meth

When your brain and body become physically addicted to any substance, they need that substance in order to function. If you stop using the drugs, it doesn’t take long for withdrawal to set in. Your mind and body are both driven to the brink when you are on a meth binge. When the drugs run out, you will do anything to avoid the withdrawals that are coming.

Meth withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, depression, intense cravings, and body aches. The symptoms are often severe enough that many meth users require detox before entering treatment. I tried to quit meth cold turkey on two occasions, and it nearly broke me. I’ve never felt discomfort like that.

How To Recover From a Stimulant Addiction

When you are this deep into a stimulant addiction, how do you possibly get yourself out of it? It may seem impossible, but recovery is possible for anyone willing to put in the work. When I arrived at Icarus Behavioral Health, I was completely broken. In order to manage withdrawal symptoms, you will need a good treatment team around you. I had the best treatment team possible at Icarus.

Once I was through detox, then the real work began. Icarus offers a multitude of treatment approaches, with both individual and group therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT worked wonders for me, and I slowly began to get my mind and body back. However, it wasn’t without a struggle. There were a hundred times that I wanted to give it all up and go get high. Somehow, I forced myself to stay.

Giving In To the Comprehensive Treatment Programs at Icarus

Recovering from meth addiction was the biggest fight of my life. It gave me a run for my money, and I still have moments of weakness and cravings. If you’re an addict at heart, it’s going to take a lot of treatment to keep you on the straight and narrow. Developing coping strategies is key to staying away from a drug like meth.

A big part of addiction treatment is learning how to control yourself when you have weak moments. This is a critical phase of addiction recovery. If you don’t have the right tools at your disposal, you are at an increased risk of relapse. Ongoing support is important no matter how long you’ve been sober. I still attend support groups and talk to trustworthy people when I feel urges.

Leaving Your Stimulant Addiction Behind

Even the best rehabilitation programs can only do so much. It’s when you’re back out in the world and have to hold yourself accountable that the true test begins. Substance abuse creeps up on you. I’ve known people who were sober for years and all it took was one weak moment for them to fall right back into addiction. You have to delve deeper into yourself and learn about what makes you tick.

I know more about myself now than I ever did before I sought professional help. I can’t be around people who are drinking or even smoking marijuana, for any length of time. Being around inebriated people is a huge trigger for me, so I avoid going out to places where alcohol and drugs are readily available.

Lasting Recovery Is The Ultimate Motivator

The thing that motivates me the most to stay clean is watching others succeed in recovery. I’ve met so many people who were in the same position that I was and were able to leave that life behind. You never know what it might take for an addict to reach that point.

There’s no rulebook for sobriety. We all cope in different ways. What I can say for a fact, is that making your mental health a priority is the best possible way to maintain your sobriety.

Reaching Out to the People at Icarus for Help to Get Clean

When you suffer from addiction, you don’t want anyone else to point it out. You think you’ve got it handled, and you can do it on your own. This is far from the truth. The most important thing I learned at Icarus was that it was possible to overcome meth and break free from a world of tweakers and decay.

That was a defining moment for me. The treatment team at Icarus worked wonders for me. They might be able to do the same for you, as long as you are willing to be honest with yourself.

Whether for yourself or a loved one, please reach out and get help to put tweaking in the past.