The severity of withdrawal symptoms depends upon the duration methamphetamine was abused for and the amount it was taken in. After a short term use, fatigue, depression and increased appetite are the main challenges for the patient. After a long term use, the recovery process is more complex and challenging. Symptoms may be divided into two categories- mental and physical symptoms.
Psychological signs and symptoms:
- Depression (it can be treated with antidepressants, but often the therapeutic effect is missing due to the heavy imbalance of brain chemicals)
- Anxiety (this is just an instinct reaction- the body mistakenly “thinks” that it needs meth as much as it needs food. As soon as the brain chemistry goes back to normal, the anxiety will vanish)
- Suicidal tendencies (They are produced due to psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety and the wrong self-assurance of the patient that the agony will never end. They also settle down after the brain chemistry returns back to normal)
- Paranoia, psychosis and other mental disorders (due to functional damage to the brain, some mental disorders developed under the influence of meth, may become more obvious when the drug is quit)
Physical signs and symptoms:
- Increased appetite (when the meth abuse is quit, the hunger emerges as an instinctive reaction to a malnutrition that was developed through the course of drug abuse)
- Sleep pattern changes (hypersomnia, insomnia or disturbances in sleep-wake cycle occur)
- Nightmares
- Pale skin
- Slow body movements
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Cramps
- Memory impairment