Ice Withdrawal and Detox

Ice Info

• Ice Addiction and Abuse
• Ice Symptoms and Warning Signs
• Ice Treatment and Rehab
• Ice Withdrawal and Detox

Also known as crystal methamphetamine (“crystal meth” or just “meth”), ice is an addictive stimulant drug that is commonly abused recreationally in the UK and beyond. When consumed, ice speeds up communication and interaction between your brain and body. Because of the potency and addictive nature of the drug – as well as its harmful side effects on the human system – it is categorised as a Class A substance in the UK.

Ice is typically abused for its powerful euphoric effects, which are highly addictive. Users can develop a physical dependence on the drug after only a short period of continued use. Once you become addicted to ice, it’s important to undergo a professionally supervised detox programme in order to overcome the addiction safely. The detox process is typically challenging and can be unpredictable, which is why ice detox and treatment should only be carried out under medical supervision in a qualified facility.

Ice is a very dangerous drug to abuse or even experiment with, due to its highly addictive nature. Also, using the drug in even small amounts poses a great risk to your physical and mental health. Nonetheless, ice can easily be found sold on the streets, due to its popularity as a recreational drug.

If you’ve been abusing ice and have developed a physical dependence to the drug, it’s vital that you seek professional addiction treatment from a qualified facility as soon as possible.

What is Ice?

Ice is normally found in the form of small pieces of clear crystals that look like ice chips, hence the name. Depending on the ingredients and manufacturing process used to make a batch, it can appear as a white or brownish crystal. It can also be found in powder form, which is a result of crushing the crystals. Notably, it has a strong smell and bitter taste.

Common other street names for ice include shabu, crystal meth, crystal, glass, and shard. The drug is consumed by smoking or injecting it. Its effects can be felt within three to seven seconds. If ice is swallowed or snorted, its effects will take longer to take hold – usually around three to five minutes if snorted, and 15 to 30 minutes if swallowed.

Because it is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, ice is used by some as a second-line treatment for those managing obesity or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When taken in low doses, ice can lead to an increase in alertness, elevated mood, sharper concentration, reduced appetite, increased sexual desire, and also deliver an energy boost. However, when taken in higher doses, ice can result in a breakdown of skeletal muscle, psychosis, bleeding in the brain, and seizures, amongst other side effects. If abused chronically and at high doses, ice can precipitate rapid mood swings, delirium, hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, and violent behaviour.

Long-term abuse or high dosages of ice will likely lead to compulsive use; once dependence takes hold, withdrawal symptoms can occur when you cease using the drug. Heavy recreational use of ice can also result in experiencing post-acute withdrawal symptoms that can last for months after the normal withdrawal period.

What is Ice Detox?

There is no specified period for how long ice detoxification will last. The detox period varies from individual to individual and is largely dependent on the quantity of drugs abused and over what period. Withdrawal during detox usually has two stages: the acute phase that may last for seven to ten days; and the sub-acute phase that may last for at least another two weeks. Typically, withdrawal symptoms are most severe during the acute phase.

To help minimise withdrawal symptoms during detox, it’s strongly recommended that you undergo a medically assisted detox. This will comprise a variety of medication to minimise your withdrawal symptoms and ensure your detox process is as painless and speedy as possible. It’s important that you are under strict professional supervision during this process in order to prevent a relapse.

Once detox is complete, it’s advisable to immediately follow up treatment with rehabilitation and counselling.

Is Detox from Ice Necessary?

Detox is important, because without going through the process, it will be impossible to truly overcome ice dependence. Also, failure to completely detox increases your chances of suffering a relapse. A likely downside of trying to detox by yourself is that it can be difficult to fight the urge to resume abusing ice to enjoy relief from any unpleasant effects from withdrawal. Detox that is supervised by a medical professional minimises your chances of giving in to any temptations and will help you stay focused on maintaining abstinence.

Common withdrawal symptoms experienced during ice detox include:

How to Safely Detox From Ice

It is advised not to attempt a self-detox on your own at home. This is because not only is a home detox rarely successful, it is also quite unsafe. Instead, get professional help from a certified ice addiction treatment facility.

Whilst undergoing detoxification, your body will utilise every possible means to expel all ice-related toxins from your system. This includes vomiting, profuse sweating and diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration and a loss of much-needed electrolytes.

It’s in your best interests to undergo ice detox in a medical facility – such as a detox centre or hospital -where you will be provided a medically supervised detox that minimises the symptoms of withdrawal and any associated discomfort.

Medication-assisted detox is accomplished by a medical expert, administering medications that will significantly reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms. You can also be given other medication to effectively manage symptoms such as diarrhoea and nausea.

Ice Detox: Treatment Programmes and Process

The best way to treat the physical symptoms of ice abuse and withdrawals is via a detox programme. This can be applied in either an inpatient or outpatient facility, depending on the severity of your addiction.

Inpatient treatment offers the highest chances of achieving a successful recovery. Programmes last for 30, 60 or 90 days and require you to spend the duration of treatment in a residential treatment facility.

Outpatient treatment on the other hand is best suited for ice abusers with a less severe addiction who don’t require intensive care or constant supervision. Outpatient treatment has the benefit of giving you the opportunity to recover in the comfort of your home. However, there are downsides, such as its being much harder to avoid relapse triggers in enabling environments (such as your home) which formerly drove you to abuse drugs. Before choosing an outpatient programme to treat your ice addiction, be sure to consult with a medical professional or addiction specialist to discover what your best options are.

The detox process can be divided into three distinct stages. These are preceded by a comprehensive review of your current physical and mental health. Results of the review will provide useful information on how best to proceed with your treatment and in the formulation of your personalised detox plan.

The three stages of the medical detox process are:

Treatment Methods and Options for Help

In the initial stages after quitting ice, you’re bound to feel mentally and physically unbalanced. Consequently, stabilisation is an important part of the detox process that will help you achieve a balanced state of mind.

Currently, the best approach to treating ice addiction is via a combination of psychological and behavioural therapies like contingency management treatment, cognitive behavioural therapy, and interventions. There are no medications recognised for the specific treatment of ice withdrawals or for facilitating detox. This is because no drug has yet proven to be wholly effective at counteracting the effects of methamphetamine on the body and brain. Nonetheless, antidepressants and other medications can be used in the short term to address any underlying mental health disorders or physical health problems resulting from ice addiction.

The combination of behavioural therapy, creative expression therapy, individually tailored counselling, 12-step support, family education, and medication offer a comprehensive approach to effectively treating ice abuse and dependence. Interventions such as motivational incentives and contingency management (which utilise tangible incentives) can also prove useful in maintaining abstinence from ice or other drugs.

Detoxing from Ice at Home

Withdrawal symptoms after quitting ice can be uncomfortable and painful. The discomfort can be enough to drive you to do anything for another fix of ice, so as to alleviate withdrawal and keep the symptoms at bay. These symptoms can be life-threatening in certain circumstances, but aren’t always so. Nonetheless, it’s advised that you don’t attempt detoxing at home on your own, as not only can this lead to health complications, it also places you at great risk of suffering a relapse.

Detoxing away from home is beneficial, because your home environment is where you likely normally abuse ice. This means triggers and stressors that normally cause you to abuse ice will abound in your home and put you under a lot of pressure whilst attempting to quit.

Another danger of detoxing at home is that you’ll likely experience severe depression and anxiety, which are conditions you shouldn’t deal with on your own, especially if they give rise to suicidal or self-harm tendencies.

Instead of attempting detoxing from ice on your own, contact an addiction treatment centre for support and care from specialists with experience helping people safely negotiate what you’re going through.

Detox Options: How to Know if You Need Residential Detox

Detox can be provided on an inpatient or outpatient basis. In the case of the former, detox can be undertaken in a residential treatment centre if your addiction and withdrawal symptoms are severe. In such circumstances, you’ll need to have your health and overall wellbeing monitored round the clock in a residential rehab centre, whilst being provided intensive care. Medication can be applied as soon as you need it if there are any sudden changes in your condition.

The option of outpatient treatment is best suited for individuals with a milder addiction, who are experiencing less severe withdrawals. Such patients do not need constant monitoring and care, so can safely receive treatment from home.

If your withdrawal symptoms are not life-threatening and you’re not at great risk of suffering a relapse, a residential detox might not be necessary. Nonetheless, regardless of the severity of your addiction or withdrawal phase, residential detox is generally the best approach to treatment, as you’ll have access to the most comprehensive treatment and care possible. This increases your chances of actually making a full recovery.

Ice Withdrawal

After you stop using ice (regardless of the method of ingestion), physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms will likely manifest within a short period of time. Withdrawal symptoms are most likely to occur if you’ve been abusing ice continuously and/or chronically over an extended period of time and have developed a dependence on the drug.

Ice withdrawal symptoms are typically painful, traumatic and are also capable of causing you to abuse even more ice in an attempt to avoid experiencing the withdrawal phase. However, taking more ice to avoid withdrawal will only lead to a worsening of your condition, until inevitably you become a full-blown addict. This can also lead to an eventual accidental overdose. If your ice abuse has reached this stage, the best step is to seek admission and treatment in a detox and rehab facility.

Psychological Withdrawal and Detox

Psychological withdrawal symptoms typically last for longer than those that are physical. When it comes to ice, psychological withdrawal symptoms can be just as bad as or more complicated than their physical counterparts. This is because ice affects the brain on a chemical level, which impacts your emotional and psychological state during and after consumption of the drug.

Psychological withdrawal symptoms can vary, depending on a variety of factors, but typically witnessed symptoms include:

Several types of therapy can be utilised to treat psychological ice withdrawal. Inpatient detox might be required if withdrawal symptoms are especially severe. A medically assisted detox will effectively rid your system of ice safely and thus mitigate any unpleasant side effects of detox withdrawal. Outpatient programmes that apply group and individual therapy can also be beneficial.

Other beneficial types of therapy for psychological withdrawal include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, support groups, 12-step programmes and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT).

Is Ice Withdrawal Dangerous?

During the initial stages of ice withdrawal, you will likely be mentally and physically unstable, due to the withdrawal symptoms being experienced. Your condition needs to be stabilised before you can continue with the rest of recovery.

Meanwhile, psychosis and paranoia can lead to self-harm or violent outbursts that endanger those around the recovering addict. Therefore, it’s better to treat withdrawal in a professional facility, where you can be provided a medically assisted detox to minimise your symptoms.

What Influences the Severity of Withdrawal?

A variety of factors influence both the severity and duration of withdrawal. They include:

Ice Withdrawal Timeline

How ice withdrawal is experienced differs from individual to individual. However, below is a basic outline of how ice withdrawal will progress.

24 – 72 hours: During this period, you will experience exhaustion and feel the need to sleep for longer periods of time. You could also experience depression, anxiety, panic, or suicidal ideation. Instances of paranoia or hallucinations have also been reported. Supportive medical interventions can be effective during this period.

Week 1: After the first week, you’ll begin experiencing strong ice cravings, as well as feelings of hopelessness. Anxiety, mood swings, agitation, irritability, tiredness, insomnia, increased hunger, poor concentration, pains, and headaches are also not uncommon.

Week 2: After two weeks, you’re likely to still keep experiencing depression, mood swings, cravings, and sleep problems. Other withdrawal symptoms will begin to stabilise and continue at reduced levels.

Weeks 3-4: After a month, your condition should have improved. This involves much better sleep, energy levels, and mood.

Bear in mind that the above is just a generalisation, as not everyone experiences ice withdrawal the same and according to the aforementioned timeline.

Avoiding Relapse during Protracted Withdrawal

Ice abstinence has several potential long-term effects; one in particular is the withdrawal period extending into a protracted one. This doesn’t happen to everyone and how it’s experienced typically varies from person to person.

Protracted withdrawal effects are usually psychological and may include the following:

Experiencing a relapse during this period can jeopardise all the recovery progress you’ve made, which means you will likely have to resume treatment from start. To avoid a relapse during protracted withdrawal, take advantage of support and aftercare services. Also, stay busy to keep your mind off cravings and avoid your normal stressors and triggers. Visiting support groups can also be beneficial.

Understanding Ice Withdrawal

Ice is a type of d-methamphetamine: a powerful, synthetic stimulant drug. The use of ice will result in a surge of dopamine levels in the brain, leading to feelings of euphoria and excitement. Constant and continued use of ice over an extended period of time will lead to your brain undergoing a ‘down regulation’ as the number of neurons in your brain that work with dopamine decreases. This results in a drop in the natural production of dopamine in your system, as your body becomes increasingly dependent on the influences of ice to create more dopamine at high levels.

In such a situation, if you suddenly stop using ice, dopamine levels in your brain will drop drastically, resulting in a number of painful withdrawal symptoms. Ice’s most severe withdrawal symptoms are not physical, but rather emotional and psychological. However, there are also some unpleasant physical symptoms such as vomiting, fever, and diarrhoea.

Severe anhedonia is a commonly reported ice withdrawal symptom. It is the inability to experience feelings of satisfaction or pleasure, which results in a feeling of misery, but this is only temporary and will pass after the detox stage is complete. The cause of anhedonia can be traced directly to the massive drop in dopamine production that occurs when you quit using ice.

After Rehab Support

Aftercare can be described as any ongoing support or care you can receive after finishing a treatment programme. Aftercare is essential to avoiding relapse and maintaining recovery. An addiction treatment facility can help you arrange any of the following types of aftercare plan:

What to Do After Detoxification

After your detoxification programme is completed it should be immediately followed by a rehabilitation programme. Rehabilitation after detoxification is important, because it ensures your recovery is more comprehensive. While detox treats the physical aspects of your addiction, rehabilitation will treat its psychological aspects, as well as provide you the tools you need to achieve long-lasting abstinence. Detoxification that isn’t followed by rehabilitation puts you at risk of eventually suffering a relapse, as you will be mentally unprepared for what comes next.

Support Group

Support groups will provide you all the assistance you need to stay abstinent long-term and adjust to life without relying on the influence of drugs. They are a great way to transition from residential addiction treatment to living independently, without abusing drugs.

FAQs