Have you noticed that your loved one has a lot more energy and a smaller appetite lately? If the individual has a substance use problem, you might be looking at meth or amphetamines. What are amphetamines? If your loved one, or you, suffer from an addiction, what’s the way out?
What are Amphetamines?
You find amphetamines in families of drugs that you can obtain with a prescription. People with a diagnosis of narcolepsy, ADHD, or obesity may receive them. In small, controlled doses, they target the central nervous system and help to speed it up. In large quantities, they lead to hyperactivity, feelings of euphoria, loss of appetite, and an inability to sleep.
The Dangers of Abusing Amphetamines
Amphetamines stress the heart, send blood pressure soaring, and make rest impossible. You may also experience dry mouth, which takes a toll on oral health. Because individuals who use amphetamines often don’t eat well, they may suffer from malnutrition, which affects overall health. Mentally, users may begin to hear voices or to see things that seem to be amazingly real.
Because large quantities of amphetamines consistently target the brain’s pleasure center, failure to use can result in depression. The sudden absence of this drug may also lead to psychosis. If you take the regular dose after a while of cutting down, you may be in danger of suffering seizures. Depending on the type of amphetamine you use, it may remain in your system for six hours or longer.
Overcoming Dependence on the Drug
Amphetamines carry a high addiction potential. When you take them as the doctor prescribes, he or she monitors use and ensures that you don’t increase the dose. However, when you abuse the substance, the chemicals quickly lead to a change in your brain’s chemistry. This alteration, in turn, reinforces a dependence on the drug, which now controls dopamine release and other neurotransmitter activity.
Because the body gets used to amphetamines so easily, it takes professional assistance to overcome an addiction. Withdrawal may result in depression, unwelcome dreams and thoughts, anxiety, paranoia, and intense cravings. Within a women’s or men’s drug rehab program, you can overcome them. Treatment options include:
- One-on-one talk therapy to uncover the roots of your addiction and the ways to overcome it
- Trauma therapy that assists you with overcoming past experiences that may contribute to your drug use today
- Group therapy that includes sessions to strengthen self-esteem and expression
- Family therapy makes it possible to repair relationships that drug abuse destroyed
- 12 Step recovery sessions provide relapse prevention tools as well as the setup of a peer-counseling network
Do You Need Help for a Drug Problem Involving Amphetamines?
What are amphetamines doing to the life of you or a loved one? Has amphetamine use gone beyond the intended therapy and you’re afraid of what’ll happen if you stop? Therapists at Crestview Recovery can help you. Call 866.262.0531 today to learn more about our addiction treatment programs.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
