« Ind. Courts - Still more on: Criminal charges filed against Plymouth attorney | Main | Ind. Courts - More on: Rokita's office accuses ISTA of securities violations »
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Ind. Law - Part 5 of "Grappling with Meth in Elkhart County"
"Grappling With Meth: Are there enough local resources to help people kick meth habit? Part 5 of 5 - Stories of meth relapse are heard often in Elkhart County and cases continue to pour into county courtrooms" is the heading of this final story in the series (here is yesterday's story). Some quotes from the story by Emily Monacelli:
Bess' story of relapse seems to be one heard often in Elkhart County. Sheriff Mike Books estimates a 60 percent to 65 percent recidivism rate in the Elkhart County Jail. And about 75 percent of the 890-bed jail's inmates are there on drug-related crimes.Mike Garty serves as program services director at Bashor Children's Home and teaches a substance abuse program at the jail.
The curriculum focuses on irrational thinking and introduces new ways of thinking and setting goals. Phase one lasts about a month, phase two consists of 48 hours of group therapy and phase three involves 24 hours in depth. The curriculum teaches inmates to examine their behavior, then teaches them to change that behavior to affect their rationale.
"The problem really across the board with the guys who have used meth, is they haven't just used it," Garty said. "They've cooked it, and that affects more than just them."
Of the 25 to 30 men he's helped through substance abuse treatment at the jail this year, only three have been first-time offenders.
Garty has to help these inmates who chase the high find a reason to give it up.
"How do you get that same rush naturally that you're getting with that illegal substance? That's the problem because that's what they crave," he said.
That rush can last up to eight hours, releasing dopamine and giving users a feeling of pleasure. Repeated meth use can cause increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, rapid increases in temperature, hyperthermia, convulsions because of increased brain stimulation and deteriorated ulcers on skin from users scratching themselves until they bleed, said Ahmed Elkashef, chief of the clinical/medical branch in the Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Users can get "meth mouth" where teeth fall out because of poor dental hygiene and a change in pH levels in the mouth. They can develop meth psychosis, where they experience delusions similar to schizophrenia.
"When the patients reach this stage, they are completely absorbed in how they can obtain their next dose," Elkashef said.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 3, 2009 01:02 PM
Posted to Indiana Law