Shadow Mountain Recovery Publishes Blog Post Detailing The Texas Methamphetamine Problem

Shadow Mountain Recovery, a healthcare organization based in Texas for those suffering from substance use and mental health disorders, has published a blog post detailing the methamphetamine problem in Texas. The blog post aims to educate and correct persistent and prevalent stigmas surrounding addiction and mental health.

The blog post begins by painting a picture of a person suffering from methamphetamine addiction. The post urges its readers to visualize a person that they feel might be afflicted with the addiction. It then asks the readers to empathize with the situations that one might have to face to consider taking up the escapism offered by the drug. The blog post says that there are many circumstances in which one might decide to pick up the drug as a way to cope with the stress and uncertainty of real life.

The blog post then talks about Jane Carlisle Maxwell, Ph.D., a research professor at the Addiction Research Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, who conducted a study wherein 222 patients in a treatment facility were surveyed about their use of meth and specifically on why they used the drug. The study was published via the Center for Social Work Research at the University of Texas at Austin. Participants were 18-years old or above and had used meth at least six times in the past six months. When asked what the top five benefits of using meth were, the females responding said the ability to do more housework, being able to take care of their children, losing weight, getting over depression, and increasing their confidence. Males overwhelmingly cited sexual benefits such as energy and overall enjoyment of sex but also listed the ability to stay awake, the general experience of feeling “high,” using meth as a way to have fun, and finally creating positive changes in their mood.

The blog post says that there is no one reason for a person to get addicted. It says that it is an accumulation of things that leads to addiction. It says that very little of the experience of meth use centers around forgetting and instead focuses on managing life’s difficulties. A similarity that the study found was that nearly all of the participants had a family member who struggled with alcohol use. In another common thread, over 60% of women said they felt unloved as children and over 50% of men said the same. As adults, the numbers went up to 81% and 76%, respectively. The study surmises that the participants felt unloved as children and grew up only to continue feeling that way. Many respondents also specified they had experienced negative living situations as children. Over one-third of respondents experienced abuse as children. More than half of women reported sexual abuse such as molestation, physical abuse, mistreatment, or rape. About one-third of men reported sexual abuse as well. Almost half of all respondents said they felt in danger often as a child.

The blog post then gives examples of the specific challenges facing Texas when it comes to methamphetamine. In 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) cited meth as their number one concern and the largest drug threat currently facing Texas. Meth use within Texas has continued to grow in the last seven years and is now a dangerous combination of availability, low cost, and potency that is endangering Texans at alarming rates. Texas has also been experiencing a surge in admissions to treatment facilities for Texas meth treatment. In fact, between 2009 and 2018 the percentage of meth-related admissions has more than doubled, from 8% to 18%, respectively.

The Shadow Mountain recovery center claims to provide safe, effective treatment solutions for those struggling with addiction, prescription pill dependency, and substance use—with and without co-occurring mental health disorders. The recovery center can be contacted at its phone number (855)-847-5684. There is also a contact form on its website for those suffering from addiction to reach out and ask questions.