The common misconception about legally available, prescription drugs is that they’re inherently safe.
And when used responsibly, under the care and guidance of a doctor, these medicines do indeed have clear and distinct benefits to their users. They solve real problems. That much is clear but it doesn’t mean that risks aren’t bubbling under the surface.
The use of prescription drugs can easily dovetail into dependency and turn what once was a solution into a tough to control problem. Amphetamines, for example, which are powerful stimulants are designed and prescribed to treat things like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are “famed” among students to aid study and stay awake. So much so that they trail only marijuana as the drugs most frequently used by adolescents.
Given their strength and effects, amphetamine’s very much fall into that category of drugs with a high potential for addiction.
Why Amphetamines Are Addictive
Amphetamines are potent central nervous system stimulants and, like other types of drugs, begin to alter the very way the brain works after prolonged use. Rewiring it in a sense and dramatically altering the pleasure response and making it increasingly difficult to even feel natural pleasure in the absence of the drug.
Diving deeper into it, amphetamines “make the messages between your brain and body move faster. As a result, you are more alert and physically active… Amphetamines also cause the brain to release dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that is involved with mood, thinking, and movement. It is also called the feel-good brain chemical”.
Unfortunately, as a person uses these drugs outside of their prescribed amounts, it leads them to take ever larger doses in order to chase that feeling which creates what can only be described as a vicious cycle of dependency and addiction fueled by overwhelmingly powerful cravings.
The more addiction to amphetamines takes hold, the harder it is to wean yourself off the drug because any attempt to cut back is met with intense withdrawal symptoms. In addition to the cravings, that includes aches and pains, difficulty concentrating, delusions and hallucinations, intense fatigue, sleeping issues and more.
Different Types of Amphetamines
The most common types of legal, prescription amphetamines are ones you’ve certainly come across in your daily life, as they’ve achieved widespread saturation with names like Adderall®, Concerta®, Dexedrine® and Ritalin® among others. They all do more or less the same thing.
On the flip side, there’s an entire class of illicit, or illegal, amphetamines that don’t serve any sort of medical purpose.
Methamphetamine is the most well known type of illegal amphetamine and like its prescription cousin is a powerfully addictive stimulant. It’s so potent in fact that the DEA lists it as a Schedule II drug which means it’s not only potentially addictive but poses the risk of causing severe psychological and physical dependency.
The danger with meth can’t be understated as around 15% of all drug deaths from overdose involve methamphetamines.
How Inneractions Can Help With an Amphetamine Addiction
Amphetamine addiction can be overcome, and you can get your life back. The best way to do it is under the care, supervision and guidance of a dedicated team who know and understand what you’re going through and can help you navigate the storm.
Trying to go it alone and get yourself clean is a tough ask and the pull of addiction, particularly to amphetamines, is hard to break clean from. The withdrawal being strong enough to cause relapse among many. It’s admirable to try and do everything yourself but ultimately it makes the already difficult work of getting sober even more difficult. You’re already carrying such a heavy burden, reach out to us at Inneractions and let us help you light the load and beat addiction.