This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
Published on December 18, 2019, a report highlighted the growing concern of methamphetamine addiction in Oklahoma.
Dr. Beaman, a healthcare professional, expressed her frustration with the situation, stating, 'I can't treat people with schizophrenia, because I'm spending all my time treating people who are using meth.'
Shayla Divelbiss, a 29-year-old from Glenpool, Oklahoma, shared her harrowing experience with methamphetamine addiction. She used the substance for six years, ignoring a thyroid condition and going days without sleep. After a two-month wait, she was able to secure a bed at 12 & 12, a treatment center for the poor and uninsured, and eventually stopped using meth.
Divelbiss described her time on meth as 'a nightmare,' saying, 'All the responsibilities of being a human just went out the window. I quit cooking and eating. I had real bad anxiety. I was skin and bones.'
According to Daniel Raymond, director of policy at the national Harm Reduction Coalition, it is crucial to understand the causes of meth-related deaths to develop effective public health strategies. In the meantime, cities and states are warning users about the risks of 'overamping' and providing guidance on how to address it, such as cooling down, drinking water, and sleeping. Syringe exchanges also play a vital role for those who inject meth, just as they do for opioid users.
At 12 & 12, a former hotel turned treatment center on the outskirts of Tulsa, 64% of clients are addicted to methamphetamine. The center is set to receive additional funding to add more beds for meth patients and increase their average stay, which is currently around 30 days. Bryan Day, the chief executive, estimated that 4,000 people in the state need treatment for meth addiction but are not receiving it.
Day emphasized the importance of providing adequate treatment for methamphetamine addiction, saying, 'My belief is that their judgment for a period of time is very, very skewed, leading to frightening choices and decisions and impulses. The brain takes time to heal. We don’t want to shortchange this population.'
