Crystal meth addiction: honest help and support in the UK

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Your heart and brain are at risk. FRANK says methamphetamine raises your heart rate and blood pressure, increasing the risk of a heart attack, and that an overdose can cause a stroke, coma or death. Call 999 if someone has chest pain, a fit, becomes very confused, collapses or can’t be woken, and tell the crew what has been taken.

Mixing makes it harder to predict. FRANK warns that mixing meth with alcohol is risky because the effects interact unpredictably, which can increase the risk of harm or death. If meth is being used with G (GHB or GBL), the sexual health clinic 56 Dean Street advises never mixing G with alcohol or ketamine, and says “going under” is a medical emergency. If someone is unresponsive, call 999. FRANK also warns that mixing drugs is always risky, and that there is a risk in using several stimulants at once, such as meth with mephedrone or cocaine.

Severe paranoia needs help. FRANK says severe psychosis caused by methamphetamine has been reported. If you or someone else is very paranoid, seeing or hearing things, or at risk of harm, get urgent help or call 999.

Until the crew arrives. Keep someone with the person at all times. If they’re awake, speak softly and keep them calm. If they pass out but are still breathing, turn them onto their side in the recovery position. Give the crew any drugs that are left, as FRANK says it helps treatment.

FRANK is confidential and open 24 hours on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. If the comedown leaves you feeling hopeless or thinking about ending your life, call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time.

Crystal meth, Tina, ice: whatever you call it, it can take hold quickly. For some people it’s tied up with sex and the chemsex scene. For others it’s about staying awake, keeping going or escaping something. Either way, the days without sleep and the crash afterwards have a way of pulling everything else down with them.

Far fewer people come to drug services for meth than for drugs like crack, but the numbers are rising. In England, 968 people started treatment for methamphetamine in 2024 to 2025, up from 826 the year before and 131 in 2011 to 2012 (OHID, 2025). If you’re thinking about getting help, there are services that understand meth and won’t judge you for it.

Signs crystal meth use has become a problem

FRANK says meth can cause strong psychological and physical dependence, especially when it’s smoked or injected, with cravings and carrying on despite the harm. Things that can point to a problem:

Using for days at a time, with little or no sleep
Cravings that are hard to ignore, and needing more for the same effect
A comedown that FRANK describes as severe, leaving you wiped out and low
Paranoia, confusion or aggression that you or others notice
Finding sex difficult, or not wanting it, without meth
Work, money, friendships or housing starting to slip

If you inject, or “slam”, FRANK warns that sharing needles or equipment risks HIV and hepatitis C, as well as vein damage, abscesses and clots.

Crystal meth and chemsex

FRANK says meth lowers inhibitions and may increase sex drive, which can lead to unsafe sex and a higher risk of sexually transmitted infections. 56 Dean Street names crystal meth, GHB and mephedrone as the drugs that typically feature in chemsex. If that’s part of your life, my chemsex page covers specialist, LGBTQ+ friendly support in more detail.

Your local NHS sexual health clinic is free and confidential. It can offer HIV and STI testing, PrEP, and PEP if you think you’ve been exposed to HIV. The NHS says PEP is for possible exposure in the last 72 hours, so don’t wait.

Where to get help for crystal meth in the UK

Your GP. A confidential place to start, especially if you’ve had chest pain, paranoia or problems sleeping. They can refer you to a drug service.
Local drug services. The NHS says you can contact your local drug service yourself, and you’ll be given a keyworker. Find support near you
Specialist chemsex support. 56 Dean Street in London offers chemsex support through its health advisers on 020 3315 5656. Antidote at London Friend is an LGBTQ+ drug and alcohol service with drop-ins, and the LGBT Foundation offers one to one support in Manchester.
FRANK. Talk to someone in confidence, any hour, on 0300 123 6600, or send a text to 82111. Read FRANK’s guide to methamphetamine.
Support groups. Narcotics Anonymous has meetings in person and online and a helpline on 0300 999 1212 (10am to midnight). If the 12 step approach isn’t for you, SMART Recovery groups are another free option.
For partners, family and friends. Adfam and Addiction Family Support, on 0300 888 3853, support the people around someone who uses drugs.

Where hypnotherapy fits

Hypnotherapy is not a treatment for meth addiction, and I don’t offer it as one. A drug service or a specialist chemsex service needs to be at the centre of your recovery, with your GP involved if your heart or mental health has been affected.

Where I can help is alongside that care. Coming off meth can leave you exhausted, anxious and unsure of yourself, and for some people sex, confidence and loneliness are all mixed up in it. Sessions can work on stress, sleep, confidence and the routines and places linked to using, like the apps, the weekend invitations or the flat where it usually happens. You do the hard part. Sessions can make it feel less lonely.

Before we work together I’ll ask whether you’re in touch with a drug service, a chemsex service or your GP. If I think you need that support first, I’ll tell you honestly.

How to stop using crystal meth: practical steps

Change the setting. Turn off or delete the apps that lead to sessions for a while, and mute the chats.
Plan your weekends. The times you’d usually use are the ones that need a plan, ideally with people who don’t use.
Keep your sexual health on track. 56 Dean Street encourages testing for STIs every 3 to 6 months, and recommends staying on PrEP, or your HIV medication if you’re living with HIV.
Give your body a chance to recover. Regular meals, water and sleep matter more than usual in the weeks after you stop.
Tell one person. Someone who knows can check in on the hard days, and you won’t be holding it alone.

If you also use mephedrone or speed, my pages on mephedrone and amphetamines have more support.

Common questions

Is crystal meth addictive?

Yes. FRANK says it can cause strong psychological and physical dependence, especially when smoked or injected, with cravings and continued use despite the harm it causes.

What’s the difference between crystal meth and speed?

FRANK says smoking crystal meth gives an intense high similar to crack that can last 4 to 12 hours, compared with 3 to 6 hours for speed, and that the meth comedown is severe. Meth is Class A in the UK. Speed is Class B, unless it’s prepared for injection, when it becomes Class A.

How do I stop using crystal meth?

Start by telling someone who can help: your GP, a local drug service or a specialist chemsex service such as 56 Dean Street or Antidote. They can help you plan for the comedown and the weeks after. Hypnotherapy can support you alongside that, but it doesn’t replace it.

Is it confidential?

Yes. What you tell me stays between us. As with any therapist, the only exception is if I believed you or someone else were at serious risk of harm.

I’m worried about my partner’s or a friend’s meth use. What can I do?

Adfam and Addiction Family Support help the people around someone who uses drugs. If they have chest pain, collapse, can’t be woken or seem very paranoid, call 999. Choosing to stop is up to them, but you’re entitled to support of your own while they decide.

Talk it through

If you’re already getting support and want help alongside it, book a £49 consultation call. We’ll talk about where you are and whether sessions would help with what you’re already doing. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to use afterwards.

Book a consultation (£49)

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: FRANK, methamphetamine; FRANK, speed; FRANK, what to do in an emergency;OHID, Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2024 to 2025; 56 Dean Street, what is chemsex; NHS, HIV prevention; NHS, drug addiction: getting help. Checked October 2026.