Stimulant addiction is a serious problem in the United States. Many people who struggle with it want to quit but find the detox process too hard to get through alone. Long-term stimulant misuse can cause serious, lasting harm to the body and mind, and stopping is not easy. A little knowledge goes a long way, so keep reading to learn more about stimulant addiction and the detox process.
What Are Stimulants?
Stimulants are a broad class of drugs that raise heart rate, heighten alertness, and temporarily speed up mental and physical activity. People who take stimulants may feel more energetic, find physical tasks easier, concentrate for longer, and feel more productive. Because stimulants make people more talkative and energetic, misuse is especially common in social settings. Some people also misuse stimulants to improve their performance at work or in school.
Some stimulants are made and sold illegally, and others are prescription medications with legitimate medical uses. Doctors prescribe stimulants to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and some other conditions. The following are some of the most common stimulants.
Adderall
Adderall is a brand name for a medication containing a mixture of amphetamine salts. It is one of the most widely prescribed ADHD treatments. Because Adderall can produce an energetic high at high doses, some people misuse it as a party drug. Crushing and snorting it to get a faster high is especially dangerous and raises the risk of addiction. Misuse is also common in academic settings, where students use it to study for exams and get through heavy coursework. With prolonged misuse, Adderall has a high potential for addiction and can cause a range of health problems.
Dextroamphetamine
Like Adderall, dextroamphetamine is a common ADHD medication. The two have similar effects and health risks, and doctors sometimes prescribe dextroamphetamine when a patient doesn’t respond well to Adderall. Dexedrine is the best-known brand of dextroamphetamine in the United States.
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is available by prescription under the brand name Desoxyn for ADHD, though it is rarely prescribed. In its prescription form it carries risks and side effects similar to those of other prescription stimulants. Most methamphetamine in the United States, however, is made and sold illegally.
Street methamphetamine usually comes in a crystal form and contains impurities and adulterants, which raises the risk of overdose and dangerous drug interactions. Crystal meth is most often smoked, and it is also snorted or injected.
Methylphenidate
Often prescribed under the brand name Ritalin, methylphenidate is another common ADHD medication. It helps people concentrate and perform demanding mental tasks, so misuse is most common among students and professionals. Concerta is a widely used extended-release form of the drug.
Cocaine and Crack Cocaine
Cocaine has a limited medical use as a local anesthetic, but nearly all of it is produced and sold illegally. Most people who use cocaine snort it, and some move on to smoking or injecting it as their use progresses. Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine. It is usually smoked and produces a brief, extremely intense high, which makes it especially addictive. Crack is also cheaper than powdered cocaine.
Cocaine passes through many hands before it reaches the United States, and it is often cut with other substances along the way, increasingly including fentanyl. A person who buys cocaine has no way of knowing what is actually in it.
What Is Detoxification?
With regular use, the body comes to depend on a drug to function normally. When the drug is stopped, the body has to readjust, and that readjustment is withdrawal. It can take several days for the body to clear the drug, and it can take months for brain chemistry to settle. This is the detox process. Its symptoms, intensity, and duration vary with your health, the drug involved, and how much and how often you used it.
Will I Go Through Detox?
You are unlikely to go through detox if you have only taken a drug a few times, but most people who use a drug regularly begin to feel withdrawal after several hours without a dose. Many people with an addiction have been through the early symptoms of detox without realizing it. If you’ve ever experienced aches and pains, poor concentration, irritability, or other unpleasant symptoms after hours or days without a dose, you’ve already experienced the first stage of detox, and you will experience these symptoms again when you quit.
What Does the Stimulant Detox Process Look Like?
The first week after your last dose is usually the hardest part of stimulant detox. The body metabolizes most stimulants quickly, so symptoms such as exhaustion, body aches, disturbed sleep, increased appetite, anxiety, and low mood often begin within 12 hours of the last dose and build over the next three or four days.
Between four and seven days after the last dose, anxiety, poor concentration, and depression are common. Some people, particularly after heavy methamphetamine use, experience paranoia or hallucinations. Depression during stimulant withdrawal can be severe and can include suicidal thoughts, which is one of the main reasons to detox with support. After the first week, most symptoms ease, but mood swings, poor concentration, and strong cravings can continue for weeks or months. Detox differs from person to person, so don’t expect the same experience as a friend or family member.
Should I Detox at Home?
Given the mood changes, cravings, and physical symptoms involved, detoxing at home is not a good idea. Without supervision, there is no one to respond if depression or other symptoms become severe. People who detox at home are also much more likely to relapse when the symptoms become too hard to handle.
Detox centers offer the medical and emotional support that people need to get through the hardest symptoms. In a detox program there is no access to drugs or alcohol, which removes the easiest route to relapse. Your safety matters most, and a medically supervised detox program at a licensed, accredited treatment center is the safest way to stop.
Do I Need Addiction Treatment After Going Through Detox?
Detox is only the first step. After detox, you still need to build the skills and support network that sustain recovery. The addiction specialists at Allure Detox will work with you on a longer-term treatment plan that fits your needs and circumstances, including residential treatment at our West Palm Beach facility and arranging the next level of care before you leave.
Getting Help for Stimulant Addiction
Stimulant addiction can keep you from reaching your goals and living a healthy life, and every use carries risk. A single contaminated dose can be fatal.
Contact Allure Detox today to learn more about stimulant addiction treatment.
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FAQ
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