How to Stop Using Amphetamines (Meth, Uppers, Speed, etc.)

Welcome to our next section. We talked about why you should quit, how to prepare to quit, and how to set your quit date. Now let’s get started with talking about how to take care of your physical body. WE’re going to gover how to detox, your nutrition, fitness and sleep. Let’s get started.

Detoxing from amphetamines is not easy but the severity of the detox depends entirely on how much and how often you were using. For example, someone who isn’t a daily user but binges will be able to detox easier than someone who has been using prescribed or non-prescribed amphetamines daily for years.

There are two components that happen when detoxing: the physical side of it and then there’s the emotional side of it.

Side effects from a detox physically can be:

Tremors

Excessive sweating

Sleeping too much

Overeating

Side effects mentally can include:

Depression

Insomnia

Paranoia

Irritability

Mood swings

There are other symptoms but these are the main ones.

The good news is that amphetamines have a half life of 6-36 hours so the physical part of the detox won’t last too long but that’s not to underestimate the intensity of what happens during that time. Your detox should be over within a few days but to be successful it’s going to be important that you are prepared.

We talked in the last section about how to prepare for your first day. It’s important to think to make sure you are prepared for the hard stuff which generally comes after the first day.

Detox sucks and it’s gonna hurt so you need to do what you can do to help yourself feel better. Hopefully you have a few days off from work and family obligations so that you can focus on yourself.

The important thing is to make sure you are keeping your body awake during the day and that you sleep at night. You need to get your body into a good biorhythm as sleeping all day will keep you up at night and typically nights are the time of day that cause the most amount of triggers.

It’s okay to take naps but every time you take a nap, set an alarm and force yourself to get up, walk outside, take a drive, go to the gym, for a swim, or if those things are too triggering then stay home and watch TV, listen to music or take a bath.

Stock up on healthy food and water. Water should be the only drink you drink especially during detox. If you drink things like soda, juice or anything high in sugar it’s going to make your detox last longer so avoid those things. Also, try to avoid junk food. A lot of my clients who were detoxing from meth mentioned that they felt super hungry, especially craving sugar and comfort foods. Do your best to keep a well balanced healthy diet with plenty of vegetables. The food you eat will help.

And last, stay busy when you’re not sleeping to keep those cravings away. Make sure you don’t let boredom take over which can be extremely triggering.

You might feel blue or down and hopefully though by taking this course and following these recommendations you’ll be able to help get your body and brain back to it’s baseline and you’ll start to feel better and get your life back.

The remainder of this course is going to focus on life after detox. So let’s start with talking about how to take care of your physical body and then we’ll talk more about your social circles, your mental health, and specific things related to amphetamine addiction.

When you are addicted to methamphetamine or amphetamines it's likely you haven't been eating right. When you're high you're not hungry and don't eat but when you come down you're starving and more than likely eat a lot to make up for what you weren't getting when you were high but when you do that it can really mess with your body. You may have experienced upset stomach or nauseousness when trying to make up for what you haven’t been getting. Another common thing for amphetamine users is that they don’t drink a lot of water so dehydration can make things even worse. On top of not eating the right portions at the right time it's likely you haven't been paying close attention to the quality of food you're getting either. Let's talk about both those things.

The reason you need to pay close attention to your food is because when you're fighting an addiction like this you can't just quit and eat crappy food and expect to feel good - what you put into your body makes a huge impact on how fast and well you will beat this addiction.

You're probably wondering how to get started.

First of all, you need to get your body used to eating the right foods and that won’t come overnight. Since you haven’t been eating regularly diving right into eating healthy portions may be quite challenging and upset your body. So start slow in the first few weeks. Start with a healthy bland diet. Eat plenty of vegetables like carrots, celery, corn and carbs. If your stomach is upset then stick with the BRAT diet that we talked about in our detox lecture until your body starts to feel normal again. Amphetamines and methamphetamines can really do damage to your stomach but luckily, most body’s are quite resilient and with some patience and healthy eating, you can get your body back to normal within just a few weeks.

Once your stomach is strong enough for other foods, start slow and healthy. Introduce new foods a few days at a time until you can eat things without feeling bad.

A lot of my students prefer to follow a nutrition plan because that can take the thinking part out of it. - find one you're interested in and follow it!

If a nutrition plan isn't for you that's okay too! Here are some tips to get better nutrition:

Get rid of sugar - sugar addiction is real and no joke

Make sure you're getting lots of veggies - make fruit and veggie smoothies daily

Make sure you're getting plenty of protein: nuts, beans, etc.

Eat the right portions. Don't eat too much - a serving is the size of your fist

Eat at the right times: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and maybe a snack

Avoid processed foods - if it's in a can it's not good for you.

After a few weeks of solid clean eating you'll start to feel better not just from kicking your amphetamine addiction but from treating your body well with the foods that are healthy for you.

If you don’t feel better after 30 days of healthy eating then it’s important to visit your doctor to be sure your use didn’t do damage. Okay so let’s continue and talk about fitness now.

Now you’re thinking about ways to improve your nutrition. Another piece to this pie is your fitness. This is aimed purley for those who are struggling with a meth or amphetamine addiction - a way to get your body to a healthy and normal state.

Because amphetamines are an upper, it’s likely you’re used to going and going and while high you may have been staying active. One thing I do know though as with any addiction there’s never a one size fits all - some amphetamine users are constantly on the go go go while others are just wide awake but don’t really move. When you’re high - what did you do? Regardless of where you’re at now, it’s time to focus on getting the right fitness for you and your body - not something that’s forced.

Just be aware that once you start to detox and begin your journey you will most likely have no motivation whatsoever to include fitness. This means that you are going to need to be patient but don’t ignore it. It’s best if you force yourself to move a little more each day until you’re ready to tackle a new fitness routine. Now this timeline will be different for everyone but I would suggest not going longer than 30 days without a fitness plan in place. 30 days is a good amount of time to let your body rest and recuperate from all of the stress it’s been going through, If you can start a fitness plan sooner that’s even better but you should definitely start gradually easing into a full fitness program starting from your quit date and work your way into it.

So where do you start then?

To begin with, starting today, recognize where you are at with your fitness. How much do you really walk? How many hours per day are you keeping your body moving?I recommend keeping a journal and just noting down where you are starting.

The next thing you’ll want to do is establish some goals. You may have already been thinking of fitness goals and if you have that’s wonderful. If not - no worries. I’m here to help.

Some people need a jumpstart because they feel lost when thinking about fitness or goals and if that’s the case, I highly recommend a fitness program of some sort. It can be an at home-workout program, it can be a program through your local gym or maybe you join a fitness class like Crossfit or Zumba. Maybe you research some fitness apps and try one that sounds interesting to you. Now is the time to try something you’ve always wanted to try. Make the investment - this is your health, your body, and you deserve to do this!

Typically by joining a program - there are ways for you to set fitness goals.

If you’re not into a program or signing up for one that’s okay too!

However, you need to start tracking your fitness to make sure you’re not complacent. For you to obtain the best possible outcome you need fitness in your life.

If you have a fitness tracker that’s ideal as you can set goals through there whether it’s more steps throughout the day, longer runs, longer walks, etc. But most importantly is that you set goals to increase your fitness every single week. For example, let’s say this week your goal is to just get up and move every single day. That’s a great goal! Whether it’s walking, running, vikings, etc. Do it every day!Then maybe next week you add some pushups or situps or maybe you walk or run further.

However you do this - just make sure you are taking your physical self seriously. You need optimal nutrition, fitness and sleep in order to achieve your sobriety and recovery goals. Speaking of sleep, let's jump right into that. See you in the next lecture.

Sleep is often the hardest thing to get under control when dealing with an amphetamine addiction. Given the circumstances, it’s understandable to feel like you’re all over the place - maybe sleeping too much during the day, not sleeping well at night, getting too much or too little sleep. Amphetamines are notorious for keeping people awake for long periods of time and depending on how far you are or were into the addiction will dictate how long it will take to fall into a regular sleeping pattern. The other factor is how you lead your life during your addiction. Not every person who uses meth or amphetamines binges - it’s not always portrayed in the media very well. Some people are chronic daily users who use when they wake up and a little throughout each day. Others are being users so they stay up for days at a time and then sleep for days at a time and do it all over again. Some of you may have been using it for years so it’s all your body knows right now whereas others may have been using it for just a few months. The longer you’ve been using the longer it will take to get your body back to a baseline. But if you’re a longtime user don’t feel discouraged. Small changes each day will help you reach a solid sleeping goal.

Let’s talk about how you can get a better night’s sleep.

Eventually you’re going to want to aim to get around 8 hours of interrupted sleep every night but that’s not going to come immediately. You need to retrain your body how to sleep.

To begin with, figure out your current sleep patterns. Take note of what time you are going to bed and what time you’re waking up and how much you’re sleeping in the day. From there, you’ll want to gradually adjust your bedtime and wake up each day to get to a 7-9 hour goal.For example, if you currently go to bed at 2am and wake up at 8am - you’re not getting enough sleep. A lot of people may feel like 6 hours is enough but science has shown that most bodies need 7-9 hours for their brains to fully repair itself each night. Since your sleep has likely been so out of whack, it’s even more important that you work towards that 7-9 hour goal and continue to sleep 7-9 hours even after you’ve kicked your addiction.

So how do you do this? Glad you asked.

Once you’ve taken inventory on your own sleep then work backwards. You likely know what time you need to wake up every morning. Let’s say it’s 7am. You’ll know that eventually you’ll need to go to bed somewhere between 10:00pm and midnight. Let’s say you currently go to bed around 2am. Each week you’ll want to set your bedtime back by about 15 minutes until you’ve reached your goal - but remember to keep your bedtime the same.

In addition to that, there are some things you’ll need to do as well in order to get better quality sleep and be able to fall asleep faster.About 30-60 before bed you should create what I call a bedtime ritual. This is time you should be carving out every evening so that you can take good care of yourself without the use of any screens. You can do things like yoga, read a book, meditate, journal, etc. Just make sure it’s calm and relaxing. If you enjoy tea at night be sure it’s caffeine free. If you have a problem staying asleep then look at things like your caffeine intake and maybe adjust that to stop caffeine earlier in the day. While you work on getting onto a good quality sleep schedule it’s important to be patient and give it time.

Another common side effect in the early stages of amphetamine recovery is sleeping too much. It’s okay in the beginning as it’s your body’s way of catching up on the much needed sleep that has been missed however you want to make sure you’re not letting it overtake your whole life. If you find yourself sleeping too much then start to focus on small changes each week. Maybe instead of 3 naps each day you take it back to two naps. Then after a few weeks take it back to one nap. Be sure to go to bed a decent hour and force yourself to wake up a little earlier each time.

If after about 12 weeks of working hard on your sleep schedule, combined with good nutrition and fitness, you’re still not able to sleep we’ll, then you should contact your doctor to talk about ways and alternatives - there might be some sort of underlying issue that is causing you to sleep too much or sleep too little.

Good luck with your sleep.

That’s it for our section on physical health. We talked about detoxing, nutrition, fitness and sleep. Next we’re going to move on to your psychological health and the importance of taking care of your mind while kicking your addiction. See you there.

Welcome to the next section - Let’s now talk about your mind - your mental health, your spiritual health and how to live intentionally. Let’s get started.

There’s this thing in the addiction community called the chicken or the egg theory. We talk about this when we talk about co-occurring disorders. A co-occuring disorder is when someone is diagnosed with a mental health disorder as well as a substance use disorder. The reason we call it the chicken or the egg theory is because many times we don’t know what came first. Think about this for a moment.

Did you start using amphetamines to escape from something or to band-aid a mental health disorder such as ADHD ? Or did using amphetamines cause you to struggle with a mental health related problem like anxiety or depression?

If you were already struggling with a mental health disorder then it’s important that you treat that at the same time. You’re going to need the help of a mental health professional. If your amphetamine use caused you to have a mental health disorder then it’s possible that it would resolve itself once you stop the amphetamine use however it’s still important to address this at the same time.

While this course is about treating your amphetamine use, it’s not a substitute for mental health care. If you suspect you're struggling or if you know you have a mental health disorder then you should call and make an appointment to see a mental health professional such as a counselor or therapist right away. Please don’t think your mental health will magically get better on it’s own.

If you’re unsure about where you stand then I recommend taking this course in its entirety and following through with everything for 30 days. If you’re still struggling with your mental health then you’ll know you need to make an appointment.

The bottom line is that your mental health should never be ignored. Always make it a top priority.

Spiritual health is not to be confused with religion. You may or may not be religious and that’s okay.

When struggling with addiction a spiritual loss occurs. The official definition of spirituality is the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

When using amphetamines your body is working on overdrive in areas that aren’t meant to be stimulated over long periods of time. It then leaves little room for you to connect with your inner self or a higher power if you have one. Once you stop amphetamines you’re going to start to get to know yourself better and by doing things like yoga, journalling or meditation you’ll start to uncover and connect with something greater than yourself.

Everyone has something to offer the world and while it may take a while for you to uncover your true potentials, you are closer now than you ever were. I want you to be sure to take time every single day to reflect on the type of person you want to be.

Think of ways you can help and what do you have to offer? I don’t mean materialistic things because spirituality is not about how big your house is or what kind of car you drive. It’s more about your ability to understand that there is more to life than money, sex, and material things.

Being able to train yourself to be more empathetic and compassionate is a great start and then overtime you will start to see that there is something greater for you.

A good way to start the spiritual process or get back into it is to meditate every day. You can find a meditation app or go to youtube. But taking time every single day to reflect and connect with your inner soul will be so liberating and beneficial to your recovery.

This is our last portion of the psychological health section and for this let’s talk about living intentionally and by doing so you’re going to start to regain your confidence.

Intentional living is basically how you live your own life based on your own values and beliefs. I’m not here to tell you how to live your life but I am here to help you recognize some of your own deep down intentions.

There are four things you can do right now to start living intentionally.

Work on goal setting, journalling, determine your core values, and setting routines.

First, when I talk about goal setting, I want you to think of one goal big or small that you have for your life and write it down on. I know that seems incredibly broad but think of something you’ve always wanted to do or maybe a way you’ve wanted to be. This can be as simple as not using cocaine today or as broad as traveling the world. Something that you can work on this week though. You’ll hopefully be setting goals every week, not just for this course here but it’s something I hope you continue to do every week. Let me give you some examples.

Example: “I want to be more kind.”

So for this, you will put that as your goal and every day this week, living intentionally, you would aim to be the kindest person you can possibly be. Be mindful of every interaction you make.

Example: “I want to have a better relationship with my mom.”

For this, maybe you would send your mom a text on Monday and call her on Wednesday. Or perhaps go see her on Friday.

Example; “I want to take a vacation to egypt

For this, maybe on Tuesday you would work out the cost of this trip and then on Friday you would work out how much money you would need to save in order to make this trip happen. You get the idea!

Now let’s talk about journaling. When you live intentionally, it’s important to get your thoughts out. YOu can do this with a traditional pen and paper which is what I prefer or if you’re not into that think of maybe starting a blog or just typing on your computer. Part of journaling can also be goal setting. Just start writing.

Then when I talk about setting your own core values here’s what I mean. To do this; take some time to think about what kind of person you want to be. How do you want to live your life? Everyone will have their own ideas on this and you don’t have to make a giant list. I have a friend who believes her sole purpose in life is to be kind and that’s it. So every thing she does every single day comes from kindness. Some people want to live their life being empathetic or compassionate or your core value might be love, respect, honesty, loyalty, etc. Whatever it is, write about in your journal and start to intentionally live by those values every day.

Nobody’s perfect, so don’t get down on yourself if you find yourself making choices that don’t align with those values. You can fix it once you recognize it.

And last,I want you to think about your daily and weekly routines. If it helps, make a schedule, use google calendar, and whatever helps you stay organized and stick with those routines. Take time every week to set goals, to journal, to meditate and so on. Setting routines is a good life skill and shouldn’t stop when you feel like you’re solid in your recovery. This is something that will help your productivity immensely throughout your entire life. YOu’ll be surprised how many things you’ll be able to accomplish just by sticking with a routine.

Okay so to recap; to live intentionally you should be working on these four things every day:

Goal setting, journalling, living by your core values, making routines. After a few weeks of really working through this your confidence with not just not using cocaine but your overall confidence with your life and your future will shoot through the roof. You got this.

That’s it for our psychological section. We talked about mental health, spiritual health, and living intentionally. We certainly covered a lot and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, just know that it’s normal. When you first start your journey to be amphetamine free, motivation can be hard to come by. You’ve been operating for so long on a stimulant so when you stop taking it, you’re going to naturally feel like you’re in slump. Don't panic, it won’t last forever, and if you stick with these techniques and strategies, you will return a baseline, the place you were meant to be. Just take it slow, one day at a time and try your best for each day to be better than the prior. Small baby steps it okay. For example, if all you could master today was a 10 min meditation then that’s okay. Take that a small win. Then tomorrow perhaps you’ll take a long walk and meditate. Or eat a healthier meal or get 30 min more sleep. Now that we’ve covered the physical body and the mind, we’re going to move along now to talking about your social circles; friends, family members and professional relationships. See you there.

Welcome to the next section. In this section we’re going to focus on the social part of addiction and recovery. We’ll talk about family, friends and professional relationships. Let’s get started.

Your family’s involvement in your recovery could make or break whether or not you are able to fully kick your addiction forever; why? Because more likely than not family is there forever.

Oftentimes, addictions stem from unresolved childhood issues but not all the time. It’s important to know if this is your case or not. If you have suffered from childhood abuse or neglect, you more than likely started using substances as a way to escape the pain you deal with every day.

The first thing I want you to think about is whether or not something from your childhood may have contributed to your amphetamine addiction. If it has, it’s time to really work through what happened, how it happened, and who was involved, Some people can work through these issues on their own while others may need to seek professional help from a mental health professional.

Now regardless of whether or not you have unresolved childhood trauma or abuse it’s also important to analyse your current family situation. When I talk about family I’m talking about anyone who is related to you and that has a major part in your life.

Your addiction has likely caused family chaos. So today, I want you to start thinking about your family in two groups: Those who support you and want you to get better and those who are. Unsupportive and may be causing you to not get better.

In the first group, over the next few weeks, I want you to start thinking about ways you can strengthen your relationships in an actionable way. In the second groupL I want you to start thinking about ways to distance yourself. Until your are solid in your recovery.

So how do you do this?

For strengthening relationships, make a list, prioritise, those most important to you at the top and then work down. Next to each name I want you to write about what you can do or say every day to help get you back on track to earn their trust.

For example, Let's say your husband is first on the list.

You might say to strengthen your relationship you will communicate clearly every day about your success, show him how dedicated you are to your recovery by not using cocaine and taking active steps each day towards making your recovery strong - like taking this course.

Let’s say it’s a family member that doesn’t live with you but you want to strengthen your relationship with them. For example your mom: you might make a note to call your mom 4 times per week to check in, be honest about where you’re at with your recovery, and make a plan to visit every week so she can see exactly how far you are coming.

Now let’s talk about those in the second group; those who don’t support you or those who may have made your addiction worse. If possible, it’s time to take a break from your relationship with them until you are stronger and can work through the tough things that have happened.

To do this: it’s important to set strong boundaries. If you say something truthful yet timid you leave room for arguing or negotiation. This process should be non-negotiable.

For example, if you say, I’m really sorry but I need some time to focus on my recovery right now. Do you mind if we take a break for a while I do that?

You leave the door wide open for someone to argue against why this would be a good idea.

Instead, you should say: I am focusing on my recovery right and I need time and space. I will contact you when I’m ready to talk. Be firm, direct and don’t leave any room for interjections. If they do interject then be firm again and again until they get the picture. If they still don’t get the picture after about 3 tries then it’s perfectly okay to stop the conversation. Some people have to go as far as blocking phone numbers and texts, If your family respects your decision then you’ll know that once you are stronger and further into this process they may be someone you can reach out to later. If they don’t respect your decision you’ll need to think long and hard as to whether or not this relationship is worth continuing.

Now that we’ve talked about family - let’s talk about friends. Unlike family, your friends are the people that you have chosen over the timespan of your life. Some of you may have childhood friends that are still your friends now and some of you may have friends that you have just met. Either way, let’s talk about how to approach the friend situation.

The very first thing you want to do is make a mental list of friends that you use meth with or have used amphetamines with. Also note those friends who were not your friends before you started using amphetamines and the only started to become friends after you started using meth. For example, let’s say you started to use amphetamines 2 years ago and 2 years ago you met a friend at a party and you both were using amphetamines. Over the past two years you two have become friends.

Now I want you to think about what your friendship would look like outside of amphetamines. It’s normal to gain friendships and bonds over drugs and I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever be friends with them but if they’re still using amphetamines and you’re trying to stop then staying close to them is a bad idea, for now anyway.

Also, I want you to think about those friends who bring toxicity to your life - we talked about toxic relationships in the family lecture but know that you can also have toxic friendships too. Those are also people you’ll need to take a break from.

On the flip side, you may have friends who don’t use amphetamines and have always been there for you. These are friends you’ll want to hang on to and it will be important to start to rebuild relationships and trust with those friends. How do you regain trust? Two ways: not using (this takes time though) and being a kind and considerate friend. Remember, it’s not always about you so take a genuine interest in their life too.

Okay so let’s recap:When it comes to friendships you’ll need to distant yourself or completely walk away from people who:

1. You use or have used amphetamines with

2. Friends who are toxic and are constantly making you feel like you want to use amphetamines

You’ll want to make sure you stay friends with those friends are good for you - those who show you support and to do that you’ll want to :

1. Not use - remember actions speak louder than words

2. Be a kind and considerate friend.

See you in the next lecture when we talk about professional relationships

As we continue our section on social health we are going to now talk about professional relationships. You know what to do with your family and now your friends. What about those who you go to school with or those who you work with?

First things first, if there are any co-workers or school colleagues that you use amphetamines with you’ll need to distance yourself immediately. The best thing to do is to be honest - if you feel like it may have an impact on your professional relationship you don’t have to go into full details, you can just let them know that for health reasons you’re simply taking a break.

Now, depending on how long you’ve been using amphetamines you’ll have to understand that this is going to affect your work or school. In the beginning it may feel like your productivity is going down, you may feel slower, sluggish, etc. this is completely normal! The good news though is that if you follow this course and really do a good job of working through and taking action on all of the lectures, in the end you’re going to come out of this feeling much better than you ever did even before you started using amphetamines. This period of time can take anywhere from 1 week to a month. If it takes longer, then I talked about in some of the previous lectures about when you should see a doctor.

Just think though - once you’ve gotten through the withdrawal and your body gets back to it’s baseline self you’re not going to have the stress of wondering when the next time you can use it and the stress of coming down or going through withdrawal. Your work or school performance return a baseline and then start to increase from there.

It’s a good idea, if you can swing it, to take some time off in the beginning, If you can call in sick or even schedule some time away that might help get you through that initial 30 day period. If you can’t that’s completely understandable. Just make sure that you’re taking time for yourself each day, dedicated time to work on your recovery.

If people start to notice a change in you or your performance, think of things you can say beforehand - you had a personal emergency, you’ve had a lot on your plate, etc. but always follow it up with letting them know that you’re going to get back on track right away.

That’s it for our section on social health. We talked about family, friends and coworkers and how to navigate those your social circles. Next up we’re going to talk about specific things related to amphetamines use and recovery. See you there.

Welcome to our final section before we conclude. In this section we’re going to go over things like triggers and how to prevent a relapse. We’ll also talk about what to do shall a relapse occur. Let’s get started.

Now that you’ve gotten the tools you need to manage yourself physically, psychologically and socially what happens next? Well let’s first talk about the inevitable; triggers.

You’re going to be triggered often, more often in the beginning but rest assured, over time you’ll find the triggers to be less and less. But just saying that doesn’t help you right here and right now - when you get that trigger later today or tomorrow. So let’s talk about what to do.

We’ll talk in our next lecture about how to try and prevent a relapse by getting rid of triggers But even getting rid of things that might trigger you it won’t stop them all together - but just know this is a normal part of the process and the more prepared you are the better the outcome.

What you’ll need to do is to make a list of things you can do when you feel triggered and post it somewhere or document these things in an easy to access place like your phone. For example you might put things like:

1. Call a friend or family member

2. Go for a walk

3. Go shopping

4. Workout

5. Take a shower

6. Ride your bike

Make this list and make it interesting, easy and fun - you can even put simple things like watch TV, listen to music or even sleep.

You’ll need to have a mix of things on there: long and short and depending on how the bad the trigger is will direct you to what activity to do. For example, if the trigger is relatively small and you know you can get over it pretty fast you might just go for a short walk. If the trigger is a big one you might need to get yourself out of the house for a while - force yourself to workout or go swimming.

So go ahead and start your list now and I’ll see you in the next lecture when we know how to prevent a relapse.

PAWS can happen at any time for any reason. Basically, you are going to feel like you are going through a physical and emotional withdrawal all over again. You may feel anxious, uncomfortable, have insomnia, feel depressed or in a low mood. When this happens there are things you can do to help relieve some of the symptoms.

First, don’t try to fight it. It’s important to recognize the symptoms and try to relax and be patient.

After you have recognized this is happening, you can then try and do something to take your mind off of things. LIke try going outside for a walk or watch a funny movie. You may even want to try and take a nap if possible. Brainstorm on what activities you can do when this happens. The good news is, if you learn to recognize the symptoms and you can train your body and mind to relax, the symptoms generally don’t last too long. The bad news is, many people report having PAWS for up to two years post quitting. So go ahead and pause the course now and take some thinking about how and what you can do when PAWS hits.

Now PAWS can lead to a trigger but it’s not the same thing as a trigger. PAWS is your body tricking you into thinking you are still going through withdrawal when you’re not. Whereas, a trigger is something that happens to you that makes you want to use it at that very moment. i want to talk to you about what to do if you feel triggered and how to get out of it.

Your body is going to go through a lot both physically and mentally. This is a really big change and you are confusing the crap out of your brain and your other body organs. You may do all the right things to avoid a trigger and then out of the blue, you’re going to find yourself in a situation where you really want to use something so bad it’s going to hurt.

Believe it or not, your body will give you physical signs before a trigger is going to happen and it’s important to recognize those signs right away so you can either avoid or confront straight on. Some of these signs may be:

Anxiety, nervousness, sweating, anger, fear, frustration, loneliness

There are more signs that will be unique to you. You may not recognize it the first time but if you find yourself triggered try really hard to think back to the way you felt right before. Those are the warning signs that a trigger is about to happen. Once you know your own warning signs you can be better prepared.

But all the planning won’t eliminate your triggers 100%. For this lecture I want you to see if you can remember past warning signs so you can have a plan in place on what to do.

So go ahead and start jotting down your plan. For example, if you’re feeling triggered or you have some warning signs that a trigger is going to happen you may want to try and do something physical like running or push-ups. Or your plan may be to take a shower and stay in the shower until the feeling goes away. Perhaps you can turn on your favorite tv show, or surf the web. Whatever you think would work for you, jot it down. Now this plan will be similar to your Post Acute Withdrawal plan - however the difference here is you want to find activities that will help you not use. Whereas, your PAWS plan is about finding activities that help you get through your symptoms. You can always go back and change things as you figure out what works best for you. Please refer back to this lecture every time you have a warning sign so you can note what the warning sign is and what worked for you as a distraction.

Welcome to the next section. Relapse. Now I don’t want you to think that just because we have a section on what to do if you relapse means that you’re going to relapse or that you’re given permission to relapse. While relapse is common; not everyone relapses and those who do relapse don’t all relapse the same way.

The thing I want you to always keep in your mind is that the sooner you are fully aware and conscious that you have had a relapse and the sooner you can pick yourself up where you left off, the less detrimental things will be.

Small relapses in the addiction and recovery field are called slips. Slips can definitely lead you down a bad path because once that part of your brain’s rewards system is opened up it’s harder to control and stop it. So the less you do, the easier it will be to come back from it.

If you do happen to have a relapse, bring your body and mind back to this course and do what you can to get back to where you were. It’s important to make note of what may have caused your triggers and what lead up to the relapse. Was it a phone conversation, a fight with someone, a certain location you were at, etc. and make sure to avoid that whole situation at all costs next time.

Just remember, you have access to this course so if something happens, you can always come back and rewatch any of these lectures whether it’s right before a relapse, during a relapse or after.

That’s it for our section on triggers and relapse. I hope you feel that you now have the tools you need to try and prevent triggers but also know what to do if you do end up having a trigger. Remember, not everyone is going to relapse but if you do please come back to this course to visit the sections you need. See in our final section where we’ll wrap up.

Welcome to Day 1 of 30 days to sobriety success! We're talking nutrition and healthy eating + how it impacts recovery.

Mastering your mental health is day 2 of 30 days to sobriety success. The ability to regulate thoughts, emotions and staying mentally strong is what sets you up for long term success.

Most people don't realise just how much their family impacts their chances of a successful recovery. This is day 3 of 30 days to sobriety success.

Setting a quit date - is it really that important? YES! Find out why in day 4 of 30 days to sobriety success.

Ugh! The gym. It's the worst for most people but fitness is really important to a successful recovery. So, what can you do? Watch day 5 of 30 days to sobriety success.

Developing a deeper spiritual practice has been shown to support your addiction recovery journey. Watch day 6 of 30 days to sobriety success to find out more.

Sometimes your friend group can actually be really bad for your sobriety. Find out who the good friends and bad friends are and what to do about them in Day 7 of 30 Days to Sobriety Success.

Does everyone relapse? What you need to know! This is day 8 of 30 Days to Sobriety Success.

Did you know that work can be a major reason for struggling during sobriety? It's true! Welcome to day 9 of 30 Days to Sobriety Success.

You made it! This is day 10 of 30 days to sobriety success and we're talking about people, places and things. You're going to love this one!

Sleep. We all need it and chances are you aren't getting enough of it. But... did you know it impacts your sobriety? Watch more in Day 11 of 30 Days to Sobriety Success.

Intentional living is a powerful, powerful thing. It gives you complete dominion and domain over your life. Something you DEFINITELY need in sobriety. Day 12 of 30 Days to Sobriety Success.

If you want to succeed in being sober for the long term you have got to learn how to manage triggers like a FRIGGIN BOSS. You're watching day 13 of 30 Days to Sobriety Success.

What on earth does H.A.L.T. mean and why should you be paying attention to it? Find out in Day 14 of 30 Days to Sobriety Success

Wait...why does keeping your home clean make any difference to your ability to get and stay sober? Keeping your living space clean has plenty of benefits. Let's dive in to 30 Days of Sobriety Success Day 15

Sugar. Look it isn't great for you under normal circumstances but when you're suffering from addiction it can be easy to succumb to its dangers. We'll talk through what these are in Day 16 of 30 Days to Sobriety Success

n Day 17 of 30 Days to Sobriety Success, we're examining the powerful activity of journaling. I really recommend to everyone that they journal regularly and here are some reasons why!

You've got to be mentally prepared and ready for sobriety. It's hard work to get and stay in recovery so preparing a strong mind is key to your success.

Reading is a powerful way to up your personal understanding of life. Reading also helps you feel better too!

One persons crisis is not the same as another. So, how do you get crisis support in times of need? Who can you reach out to when your sober journey is under attack?

There are lots of ways to get help with your addiction and online addiction recovery programs have exploded thanks to the pandemic. But will an online support program actually help you?

Like the title of this video says, sometimes you just want to connect with someone in person. If that's you, then you need to do what is necessary to make that happen. It's crucial for your recovery so make an effort to ensure it becomes a reality.

Money. It's critically important in todays society and very important for anyone in recovery. Get your finances in order so you can start making real progress on your life goals.

Everyone today wants instant results. Social media has fueled us to believe that we can get everything we want in a short time. However, going slow and steady is the foundation of recovery from drug and alcohol or even porn abuse.

Grief comes in many different shapes and sizes. People often feel as though grief is just relegated to the loss of a loved one or a pet. Grief is actually more complex than that so lets dig in and find out how it affects addiction and recovery.

It's time to talk about how to be sober around drunk people and enjoy it. It's a hard topic to cover but you need to know what it will be like when you are having to spend time around other people who may be partaking in your addiction and you are in recovery.

Sobriety can be a dangerous thing - sometimes you find yourself trading one addiction for another. Find out why that's a potential problem in today's video. Don't forget to like and subscribe.

What is a dry drunk and how do you know if you are one? Here are some signs that you're actually dry drunk right now and what to do about it.

What's the point of being sober? We get asked this question ALL the time.

It's the final day of our 30 Days to Sobriety Success series and it's the most important one - TAKE ACTION! That's right - none of this means ANYTHING if you can't or won't take the action needed.

This meditation encompasses multiple areas: your physical health, your social health and of course self-love. If you enjoy this meditation then check out my course titled, "Meditation for Addiction and Recovery."

Thank you for taking this course on how to quit amphetamines. I hope you have found the topics to be helpful. Remember, it takes time to work through your recovery but always know that you can come back and visit any lecture at any time and if you have any questions, feel free to post them in the Q&A. bye