Dexedrine addiction is one of the growing drug problems in the United States. When you take this drug, it can produce feelings of relaxation and calm. It does this by slowing down certain functions of the body. For this reason, it is effective in the treatment of conditions such as ADHD - attention deficit hyperactive disorder. However, it is these same chemical reactions that produce its effective medicinal properties that make Dexedrine a target for substance abuse, tolerance, and addiction.
Dexedrine is a brand name drug for dextroamphetamine, which is a stimulant amphetamine medication. This drug is typically used in the management of ADHD. According to the National Library of Medicine, the drug works by changing how certain natural substances are produced in the brain.
When you abuse prescriptions like this drug, you might increase your risk of developing physical dependence or a substance use disorder, also known as addiction. This is particularly true if you take drugs like Dexedrine on a regular basis or in higher doses than you are supposed to.
We can help. You can overcome drug addiction and have a better life than you ever thought possible!
Since Dexedrine is an amphetamine, it comes with a high potential for substance abuse and addiction. You would be abusing this drug if you take it in any way other than your doctor recommended or without a valid prescription.
When you use stimulants like Dexedrine, they will cause you to suffer some negative side effects. Abusing these drugs, on the other hand, will amplify these effects - even up to a point where you are in mental or physical danger. This is particular true if you suffer a drug overdose.
According to SAMHSA - the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - some of the various effects of this drug include but are not limited to:
The more often you abuse Dexedrine, the higher the risk that you will develop a substance use disorder - also known as Dexedrine addiction. This is due to the fact that the drug will alter the chemical structure and composition of your brain.
In particular, this drug works by stimulating your brain to produce dopamine - known commonly as the pleasure hormone. The drug can also block all the excess dopamine that has been produced from being transported away from the brain.
Eventually, the drug will create endorphins - feel good chemicals - in higher volumes. After the passage of time, your brain will no longer be able to produce endorphins naturally because it is already dependent on Dexedrine, and you continue chemically producing them when you take the drug.
At this stage, you will continue abusing the medication. This is because if you do not - or if you reduce your typical dose of the drug - you will no longer feel like yourself. This is because stopping to use Dexedrine will deplete your brain of dopamine. This will cause you to experience withdrawal symptoms because your brain will be struggling to readjust to the absence of the medication.
Due to this effect, you will end up struggling with compulsive drug use. Once you get to this point, you will continue taking Dexedrine because you need it and not just because it is a fun habit. This is because you would already have developed physical dependence on the drug.
A stimulant drug, Dexedrine has a high risk of abuse and addiction. It produces effects in the body that are similar to those caused by cocaine. However, these effects last much longer.
You may start abusing this drug for the euphoric and pleasurable effects that it causes - known as a high. The drug also creates effects that can boost your confidence. It is essential that you understand his attraction to be able to realize when substance abuse progresses to addiction.
Dexedrine has an amphetamine component. Amphetamines were originally prescribed for the management of conditions like alcohol hangovers, depression, and nasal congestion in the 20th century.
Using Dexedrine can also promote your focus. Further, it can make you feel more energetic, euphoric, and positive. Since it contains amphetamine, the drug has effects that are stronger than amphetamine. Due to its stimulant effects, the drug is a prime candidate for abuse among people who are looking to experience its various pleasurable and euphoric effects.
In particular, the drug is commonly abused by young adults and teens. Like with any ADHD medication, you may take this medication as a study drug thinking that it will help improve your focus in the short term. However, this perception is false and the drug may actually cause you to perform worse on tests and in school.
On the other hand, if you have negative perceptions of your body, you may abuse Dexedrine because of its purported weight loss effects. This is because you may assume that the drug will cause you to suffer a loss of appetite that will eventually result in weight loss.
According to NIDA - the National Institute on Drug Abuse - this drug leads to tolerance, abuse, dependence, and addiction. Research studies have also shown that abusing stimulants on a regular basis could destroy the cells of the brain that are linked to the dopamine system that is responsible for managing the reward and pleasure responses of the body. It could also result in the atrophy of these cells.
When these cells are destroyed, it will become increasingly more difficult for you to experience pleasure naturally. In turn, this will cause you to continue craving more of Dexedrine so that you can derive the pleasurable effects that it causes in your brain.
Over time, this will become a vicious cycle of substance abuse and addiction. It can lead, at least in the long term, to a situation where you are no longer able to naturally feel pleasure. When this happens, you would have developed a condition known as anhedonia, which could lead to suicidal thoughts and depression.
When you have been taking Dexedrine for a given period of time, it would have rewired your brain into needing the drug. At this point, it can be extremely difficult for you to stop taking the medication.
If you are addicted, you will increasingly rely on the substance to be able to feel and perform normally. Without it, you may have difficulties carrying out normal tasks, like studying, taking care of yourself and your loved ones, performing your duties, and so on.
However, you might also start noticing that the drug has been causing a wide range of negative consequences. Even so, it might be difficult for you to give it up because your body has become dependent on it - and you have to take Dexedrine to perform and act normal.
There are many things that you need to observe if you are looking for the signs and symptoms of Dexedrine abuse and addiction. These include both physical as well as psychological symptoms. They are also often accompanied by behavioral signs that could confirm your suspicions of the existence of addiction. These symptoms include but are not limited to:
- Withdrawal symptoms whenever you reduce your dose of this drug or completely stop taking it altogether
If you are only displaying one of these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that you have developed Dexedrine addiction. However, if you have multiple signs, there is a high risk that this might be the case. In this situation, it would be in your best interests to seek help for your growing substance use disorder.
It can be a challenge treating Dexedrine addiction. This is because stimulant abuse often causes severe consequences, including but not limited to the development of depression and anhedonia.
These issues could make it much easier for you to suffer a relapse to Dexedrine abuse, in comparison to if you were abusing other mind altering substances. Even with regular treatment and several months to years of abstinence from the drug, you may still suffer a relapse.
For this reason, it is recommended that you seek professional addiction treatment that uses evidence-based recovery approaches. These treatment programs offer the most reliable option for long term recovery.
You might start abusing this drug because you assume that it is safe since it is a medication. Further, you might be attracted to Dexedrine due to the claims that abound about its effectiveness at enhancing performance and producing effects that lead to weight loss.
Eventually, you may not even understand that you are struggling with Dexedrine addiction - until it is too late for you to control your use of the medication. Even in this situation, you still need to realize that it is possible to overcome your substance use disorder.
In case you are addicted to this medication, you need to seek recovery services. These include but are not limited to addiction rehabilitation programs, support groups, 12-step programs, and therapy and counseling.
The first step would be detoxification, which would be used to help you overcome the withdrawal symptoms that arise during the first few days after you stop using Dexedrine. Examples of these withdrawal symptoms include but are not limited to:
Apart from detox, many other treatment options that have been proved to be effective at managing Dexedrine abuse and addiction include but are not limited to medically supervised detoxification, cognitive behavioral therapy, relapse prevention, medication management, dialectical behavioral therapy, group therapy, individual therapy, couples counseling, family therapy, aftercare planning and programming, case management, and many others.
As long as you seek treatment and rehabilitation services from a professionally licensed and preferably accredited recovery program or center, you should be able to overcome your Dexedrine addiction.