Ice Addiction Help in Australia

Topic at a glance:

Despite the recognized severity of the ice addiction epidemic, the resources available to those seeking help are sorely limited in many parts of the commonwealth.
The majority of our clients here at Hope Rehab Center come from Australia, and an increasing number of them have been suffering due to methamphetamine dependence.
There can be a tendency for the medical establishment in Australia (and much of the western world) to favour a psychiatric/pharmaceutical approach when it comes to treating addiction.

Desperate Need for Methamphetamine Help in Australia

Methamphetamine have overtaken Heroin as the drug of choice in Australia. In areas such as Surry Hills in Sydney and Central Perth the situation has been discribed as a ‘pandemic’. It sounds serious doesn’t it? Yet, despite the recognized severity of the situation, the available help for ice addiction is sorely limited. This means those who are addicted, their family members and friends are struggling to find a way out.

In this post, we will examine why appropriate addiction help is vital for those who have been abusing methamphetamine and now want to stop. We will also look at one option that has already helped many Australians escape the downward spiral of ice use.

Ice, Crystal Meth and Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine or ice is a white or even clear looking odourless bitter-tasting crystalline powdery substance that easily dissolves. It was refined from its base drug amphetamine, being initially used in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers.

Methamphetamine and amphetamine are stimulants that cause increased activity in the central nervous system, and this is why they are sometimes referred to as uppers. This substacne also causes decreased appetite, and a general sense of well-being. The effects last for between 6 to 8 hours before the user starts coming down – this is not a pleasant experience.

Smoking or injecting methamphetamine causes a rush effect. Following this there is usually a state of high agitation for a while that in some users leads to aggressive behavior and psychotic episodes.

It was back in the 1980’s that a smokable form of methamphetamine or ice started to become popular

Ice Arrives in Australia

It was back in the 1980’s that a smokable form of methamphetamine or ice started to become popular with users in USA and then made its way over to Australia. Ice is usually a clear crystal of higher purity that is smoked in a glass pipe. The smoke is odorless leaving a residue that is re-smoked, and produces effects that may continue for 12 hours or more.

Methamphetamine or ice has a profound affect on moods in various ways, depending on how it is taken. It can induce hyper-sexual behaviour, euphoric feelings, but also intolerance and irritation. Smoking ice usually in a binge and crash pattern, result in the enjoyable effects disappearing so users try to chase the high by binging on the drug.

Meth effects brain chemistry by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. This induces feelings of euphoria, it also effects the neurotransmitters norepinepherine and serotonin impacting moods, resulting in mood swings.

The Methamphetamine Honeymoon Does’t Last

It is true that the drug can make life feel a bit better in the short-term, but this effect always wears off. As tolerance develops, the user crosses the line, needing more of the drug, and using it more and more often, Then their life becomes chaotic and unmanageable. After long term use of the drug the addicts brain is not able to produce dopamine on its own anymore leaving the user unable to feel pleasure from anything other than crystal meth or ice.

How Bad is Ice Addiction in Australia

Well…

The situation is so severe that Prime Minster Tony Abbott has gone so far as to declare that the war on drugs cannot be won (source: The Herald Sun). Not only is there a struggle to control this epidemic, there is also a failure to provide adequate methamphetamine’s treatment in Australia.

Here is what we know…

The majority of our clients here at Hope Rehab Center come from Australia, and an increasing number of them have been suffering due to methamphetamine dependence. These are people who just couldn’t get the ice addiction help in Australia they needed in their home country. Australia has become overly dependent on the pharmaceutical/psychiatric option for treating substance abuse, but this approach is ineffective when it comes to dealing with stimulant dependence.

The impression we get from our clients is that Australia is struggling to provide an adequate response to what has been described as an ‘ice epidemic’. Last year, the Abbot government appeared to admit it had lost the ‘war on drugs’, yet there does not seem to be much evidence that funds are being reassigned to helping people recover from addiction.

It is this failure to provide adequate resources and ice addiction help in Australia that is driving many people to travel to Thailand for help.

There can be a tendency for the medical establishment in Australia (and much of the western world) to favour a psychiatric/pharmaceutical approach when it comes to treating addiction. For those who want to escape dependency on drugs altogether, it doesn’t feel like much progress to be prescribed even more drugs by psychiatrists.

A common complaint we hear from Australian clients is that they feel like they have been treated like a bunch of symptoms rather than as a person when they went looking for help at home. This medicalization of the problem can leave people feeling powerless and at the mercy of the professionals. It can also mean that they don’t feel in control of their own recovery.

The situation with rehabs in Australia means that an increasing number of people are willing to go abroad for help. These are individuals who are ready to take responsibility for their own health, and this means making informed choices and accessing the right resources.

Does Methamphetamine Addiction Require Rehab?

The only viable way to escape this misery of ice addiction is to quit the behaviour, but this is easier said than done. In order for you to have the best chance of recovery, you need to combine your determination to change with the right resources, and it is these resources that rehab is able to provide.

It means you will be in an environment where the emphasis is fully on recovery – this is likely to keep you motivated and focused on your goal.
You will be surrounded by a community that understands what you are going through so you will have plenty of support.
The goal of a quality rehab program like the one we offer here at Hope is not just to get you to quit alcohol or drugs but to give you the ability to stay quit.
You will have access to all the resources you need to build a better life.
While you are staying in an addiction rehabilitation centre, you will be protected from the usual stress and triggers for the addictive behaviour.
There will be treatments available that make the process of withdrawal easier to deal with – thus you are more likely to make it into long-term recovery.
A therapist in an addiction rehab facility will be able to help you begin dealing with some of the underlying issues that have been driving the addictive behaviour.
Entering an inpatient program shows that you are taking your recovery seriously – it greatly increase the likelihood that you will be successful.

Hope for Australians May Be Found in Thailand

The majority of the Australian clients at Hope Rehab Thailand come to us for help escaping crystal meth addiction. For some of them, travelling to Thailand was not something they expected they would have to do – it only became an option after they were unable to find the help they needed in Australia.

We have no doubt there are some decent treatment programs in Australia that are being run by dedicated professionals, but it is obvious that demand is greater than the available resources. This means that people who genuinely want to escape their addiction are not getting the support they need. Thailand is well and truly on the map as regards a credible rehab destination with places like Hope offering affordable and effective treatment.

Treatment for Ice, Crystal Meth and Methamphetamine at Hope Rehab Thailand

The fusion of east meets west, mediation, yoga and evidenced based therapeutic interventions like CBT/12 steps, is globally accepted nowadays as the best approach to helping addicts of all description’s.

Value for money is important and it is definitely worth the trip to Thailand for a lot of Australians. – Our rehab offers high quality western methods and facilities for an affordable price.

At Hope Rehab we have pioneered a new treatment model that we call “recovery-coaching” based on what’s known as exposure therapy. We employ people in recovery to take clients out and about. They go together to restaurants, gyms, shopping, college, beaches and even sightseeing and so on. This prepares them better for a sober life, instead of keeping them locked up or cocooned like traditional rehabs do. I personally wanted to get away from the needless bureaucracy of western countries that consumes rehab staff and wastes their pressures time.

We take our clients to the island every weekend, markets and eating out locally 4 times a week, even the weekly trip to the public exercise park in town makes us more interesting than anywhere else. Having said this we are intensive and require complete commitment from our clients.

More About Hope Rehab Center Thailand

Hope Rehab is also selected on its own merits: We are unique even on a global scale, nowhere offers such an intensive and all-round experience. Evidence of this of this is how many of our clients opt to stay 2 or even 3 months.

Our rehab has already helped many meth addicts rebuild their lives.
We treat clients individually – tailoring care plans accordingly.
During your stay with us you will have a counsellor for 2 x one-to-one sessions weekly.
We are a family sized community – the maximum is 32 clients at one time.
Our treatment incorporates cognitive-based therapy, mindfulness therapy, wellness therapy, and aspects of the Minnesota Model – all of these treatments are evidence based.
We help plan your aftercare realistically and help you stay connected to the Hope family.
Hope is situated in a beautiful part of Thailand near tropical beaches and lush jungle – it offers the perfect environment for treatment.
Our unique recovery-coaching program means you will begin facing the challenges of the real world even before you leave us.

The length of primary treatment is between 4 weeks and 8 weeks depending on the client’s motivation and ability to change. We also offer long term (6 month) programs at our second stage center including TEFL course (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) to Thai children. It is a great therapeutic process for anyone needing to mature and take responsibility.