Getting help for your methamphetamine use

Thinking about getting help for your methamphetamine use can feel like a big step, but it doesn’t need to be. Some people want to stop using methamphetamine forever. Some want to reduce use and gain control. Others are looking for a stable space to reflect and decide their next steps. And some want help with managing how their methamphetamine use affects their relationships, emotions, and daily life. 

Knowing what you’re hoping to achieve can help you find support that fits your needs. Our support and advice pages can help you reflect on your situation and decide what you want to do. You can also book a session at a local alcohol and other drug service to explore your situation and discuss options. 

One Australian study found that people whose main drug was methamphetamine actually had better treatment outcomes than people whose main drug was alcohol. They also found that mutual-aid groups where people provide support for each other (e.g. Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery) were beneficial. In fact, the more often that people attended the groups, the more benefit they got.  

Support to reduce risks of using methamphetamine or to make changes to how you’re using 

If you want to reduce risks or make changes to how you’re using, you could try:  

• Going for a physical health, sexual health, or dental health check up. It could be useful to pay close attention to your heart health, and also to your injection sites if you inject  
• Using drug checking, to check what you have is what you think it is and if it contains other unexpected substances.  
• Using needle exchange services to get sterile equipment.  
• Talk therapies, such as a counselling service or community alcohol and other drug service, to work through challenges you’re experiencing in your life.  
• Going to mutual-aid groups, like Narcotics Anonymous or SMART Recovery.  

 More intensive support to cut down or stop using methamphetamine 

Many people find talk therapy or mutual-aid groups help them cut down or stop using methamphetamine. But if you want more intensive support, you could try: 

• Residential treatment programmes – where you live in the programme for several months. These commonly involved group sessions and support to help you work through underlying issues. Often people leave with a plan for employment, housing, and how to avoid using substances again (a relapse prevention plan).  
• Intensive group programmes – where you live at home but spend a large amount of time in a therapeutic programme that commonly involves group sessions to help you work through underlying issues, and skill development programmes. You’re expected to not use drugs while you’re part of the programme.   

Support to help with withdrawal from methamphetamine 

If you’re looking for help to withdraw from methamphetamine, these are the main service types in New Zealand:   

• Hospital-based withdrawal – where you stay in a medical unit at a hospital to withdraw under close supervision from health professionals. This is commonly only needed for situations where people are likely to experience severe withdrawal symptoms. 
• Social or respite withdrawal – where you stay with others who are withdrawing. This is useful if you need to live somewhere else, but don’t need close medical attention to manage the withdrawal symptoms. 
• Home or community-based withdrawal – where you stay at home and withdraw. Some areas have teams of health professionals who keep in contact with you to check how you are experiencing your withdrawal. Check out Te Pou’s workbook that can help you to come up with your own withdrawal plan. Many people can manage their withdrawal symptoms successfully at home, and these workbooks can help.  

 How effective is treatment for methamphetamine use disorder? 

Higher Ground, a residential treatment programme, recently released a report on how effective their programme was for people who use methamphetamine. This report outlined that:   

• 55% of people completed the full programme   

Among those who participated in follow-up sessions after leaving the programme:  

• 94% were not using amphetamines at 3 months 
• 87% were not using amphetamines at the 12 month follow up 

Note that fewer people participated in the follow up sessions as time went on.  

• 63% saw significant improvement in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. 
• Many also experienced improvements in severe depression, anxiety, and stress.  

The Methamphetamine Use Disorder Treatment Evaluation Study (MATES) in Australia tracked people over three years and compared outcomes for people who accessed treatment with those who didn’t. They found that:  

• People who used treatment made greater reductions in use and had fewer methamphetamine-related harms. 
• Withdrawal (detox) support worked best when followed by ongoing treatment or support. Detox alone wasn’t usually enough to make lasting changes.  

But keeping up with changes made during treatment can be difficult. At the three-year follow-up: 

• 53% had reentered treatment  
• 34% were no longer dependent on methamphetamine without further treatment. 
• 13% were dependent on methamphetamine and had not reentered treatment. 

One key insight was that while treatment led to significant short-term change, continuing to access support in the following years after treatment is crucial to keep those changes going. 

We have a similar study underway in New Zealand, and you can read our interview with the study’s project lead here.  

Whatever change you’re hoping for, whether it’s cutting down, stopping, or simply giving yourself space to reflect, there is support out there. It’s ok to take things one step at a time. Check out our support and advice section for more information.