It is almost necessary for a methamphetamine addict to isolate himself from family and friends to maintain the habit. Why? It’s hard to understand, especially when you (the family member/partner/friend) want so badly to rescue them from the clutches of meth, and the addict drifts further away. There are several components to why isolation is part of addiction, and I would know it. I did it to my family, I hurt my friends, I walked out on my best friend on her wedding day, and I didn’t even pick up a birthday cake my grandma made me.
Consider the past life for signs of the life to be.
In most cases, family and friends know someone best; their habits, how they spend their free time, whether their job is stable, whether or not they are responsible with their possessions and money, and whether they are known to have stable relationships. For example, my life before I started meth was like this: I had just divorced my first husband, the pastor, and was happily taking care of my grandmother, who had just fallen. I got a great job working on the private side of the airport, I rode horses whenever I could, I attended church every week, and my relationships with my grandmother, other family members, and friends were happy and secure. But all that changed.
Pressure, lies and a bad habit.
Adjustments cause so much stress and anxiety that it doesn’t take much for a simple phone call from a friendly voice asking questions about life to turn into a major pressure attack. Soon, a tweaker will be too busy to talk on the phone and in the next family, they’ll be faced with ‘Wow, why are you so skinny’, ‘Why don’t you answer the phone?’ and ‘What’s going on? are you so busy The tweaker (me, for example) honestly doesn’t believe that anyone else can see the changes on you, but your family and friends will be the first to see the changes. The best way to deal with these questions is to lie. It’s the quickest way to stop the questions and walk away from the situation so you can sit in the bathroom and smoke another bowl.
The life that will be
I met my second husband and he introduced me to meth one fateful New Year’s Eve. It was new and exciting, but as meth began to affect our lives, my family, primarily my grandmother, began to notice that it was becoming more and more difficult to get in touch with me. When we did speak, the pressure behind the adjustments kept our conversations short and meaningless. I started to get irritated just when a question about how I was doing. When my family saw me, they asked me questions about my weight and why I was too busy to talk. My church life had come to an end and my life became reserved. My amazing job put horrible pressure on me while I was addicted and my relationships at work became strained and suspicious. My lies piled on top of each other and I isolated myself from everyone close to me. It was the only way I could keep doing my habit. My habit was my release from the pressure of life.
What I can do?
I’m not saying that everyone who isolates themselves from their family is a meth addict, but along with other signs and displaying this type of behavior, you may have an addict on your hands. What can you do? It’s almost impossible not to ask questions, but that’s one of the best ways to deal with it. MOST IMPORTANTLY, become a good listener; meth addicts can ramble on and on, and thought conversations get frustrating and tedious, if you really listen, you’ll be able to pick up clues about what’s really going on in their life, keep the line of communication open, and could save your relationship with them. If a meth addict can feel that he can talk to someone (even if it’s just rambling and nonsense), he won’t be inclined to isolate himself from you. HOWEVER, keep in mind that whatever they are rambling about may not be the truth. The more you get to know the addict and the more you really listen to them, you should be able to tell lies from truth, but now is NOT the time to call them unless you want them to isolate you. Addicts lie, so if you’re going to ask a lot of questions, know that most likely all the answers will be panicked lies. Either you can take it personally and isolate the addict from you for being a liar, or you can become a great listener and determine for yourself which are lies and which are true.
Why do methamphetamine addicts isolate themselves? Because it is easier to maintain the habit than to face the questions and pressures of those who are close; of people who just want to love and rescue. It’s just another sad consequence that turns meth into the devil’s drug.