Amphetamines and Addiction Treatment
What is an Amphetamine?
These stimulants have been in the United States since the 1930s. Doctors first marketed the amphetamine Benzedrine as a medicine to relieve nasal congestion. Later versions of the drug included pills that people took to try to beat narcolepsy, a sleep disorder.
This isn’t the same thing as methamphetamines or meth, although they can have some similar effects. Unfortunately, it is possible to develop an addiction that will require rehab treatment at a recovery facility.
How is it Used and Abused?
People may use stimulants by taking them in pill form or injecting them. Some people may also smoke them.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):
When a person takes a stimulant, they experience effects that can include an increased sense of confidence and energy.3 They may also enhance their concentration, alertness, and visual and self-awareness. A person may also lose their appetite or lose interest in sleep. Eventually, they may crash because they haven’t slept for some time.
Some side effects include higher heart rates, problems sleeping, and appetite loss. They can also feel overwhelmingly tired.
Be Brave. Get Help.
What Substances are Considered Amphetamines?
- Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine)
- Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Ritalin SR)
- Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine (Adderall)
Illegal laboratories also make these stimulants for sale on the street. Street names include:
- Bennies
- Crank
- Speed
- Black beauties
- Ice
- Uppers
Sometimes, illegal laboratories will combine amphetamines with other medications or drugs to try to make them more powerful.
Misconceptions
Another misconception is that a person can purchase a pill of this particular stimulant on the street. Illegal labs produce them and they may be mixed with other substances to try to make the pills or powders look more real. Examples include caffeine, sugar, other drugs, or even binding agents like baking powder. It’s really hard to know what a pill contains just by looking at it, and its side effect could be extremely dangerous, especially if it contains other chemicals or drugs.
Health Risks
In addition to overdose risks, a person could have health complications if they have heart problems. Very fast heart rates could lead to potentially deadly heart rhythms. In addition, if a person uses an injection they place themselves at greater risks for injection-related illnesses. These include Hepatitis C and HIV, as well as endocarditis.
People who have taken stimulants for a long time are at an increased risk for developing a medical condition that is similar to schizophrenia. Doctors call this “amphetamine psychosis.”4 It causes a person to experience a sensation of paranoia as well as visual and auditory hallucinations. People may start to engage in skin picking and exhibit violent, bizarre, and erratic behavior.
In addition to health risks, a person can experience the side effects of addiction. These include financial, legal, and social problems.
Withdrawal
- Anxiety
- Increased appetite
- Problems
- Problems sleeping well
- Vivid and unpleasant dreams
- Feelings of hopelessness and depression
- Paranoia
- Problems concentrating
- Strong cravings for the drug
Because this type of stimulant is longer lasting in the body than cocaine, a person may experience slightly longer withdrawal symptoms that may last up to 10 days. While the most severe symptoms go away after this time, a person may still experience changes in their mood and strong cravings for weeks, months, or years after quitting. This is why it is important a person seeks continued professional help for substance use disorders.
Treatment
Other treatments include psychotherapy or talk therapy. According to NIDA, the most commonly used behavioral therapies are cognitive-behavioral therapy and contingency management.5 These are helpful in treating people with an addiction to prescription stimulants by helping a person learn how to respond to stress and anxiety in more positive ways than using stimulants.
Contingency management specifically provides vouchers and other rewards for positive and drug-free behaviors. Examples include getting a restaurant gift card for a negative drug test or tickets to a movie theater for participation in group therapy. Researchers have found these approaches are very effective in motivating a person addicted to amphetamines to stay drug-free.
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/sites/getsmartaboutdrugs.com/files/publications/DoA_2017Ed_Updated_6.16.17.pdf#page=50
https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2018/04/five-million-american-adults-misusing-prescription-stimulants
https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/212143804f50b102abe1ef330cda8a00/What+are+Amphetamines+%2800540%29+2017.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE-212143804f50b102abe1ef330cda8a00-mN5.Yy3
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/amphetamines
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-stimulants