Stimulant Symptoms And Warning Signs

Signs Of Stimulant Abuse

Stimulants ranging from ADHD medication to cocaine are often abused for their effects, from alertness to the euphoric high. Those who frequently abuse stimulants, regardless of their intentions, are at risk of becoming addicted. Knowing what to look for in a person abusing stimulants can help you identify if someone has a problem with these drugs.

Common signs of stimulant abuse include:

If any of these signs look familiar to you, contact a treatment provider for rehab programs that can help break a stimulant addiction.

The Dangers Of Stimulant Abuse

Abuse of all types of stimulants can lead to negative consequences. The most obvious danger of abusing stimulants is their addictive quality. However, there are also consequences that can affect a person’s health in both the short- and long-term.

Stimulants put individuals who abuse them at risk of cardiac arrest, stroke, cardiac arrhythmia, and other consequences. Abusing stimulants to enhance athletic performance is particularly dangerous because stimulants increase blood pressure. The combination of physical exertion and stimulants make cardiac arrest or stroke even more likely. Several athletes have died due to stimulant abuse.

There may be a higher risk of fatal overdose amongst those using illicit stimulants due to the potency of these drugs.

Immediate Side Effects Of Ecstasy Abuse

Short-term consequences of abuse include overdose and hospitalization. These effects usually only present themselves when stimulants are taken in large doses. Some of the negative effects from taking large doses of stimulants include:

• • • Nausea
    • Fever
    • Irregular heartbeat
    • Sweating
    • Headaches
    • Increased breathing rate
    • Seizures
    • Cardiac arrest
    • Dizziness

Break free from addiction.

You have options. Talk about them with a treatment provider today.

(870) 515-4356

Long-term Side Effects Of Stimulant Abuse

Aside from addiction, there are other adverse effects of chronic stimulant abuse on a person’s health. These effects include:

• • • Aggression
    • Anxiety
    • Psychotic behavior
    • Malnutrition
    • Damage to blood vessels
    • Kidney damage
    • Lung damage
    • Stroke
    • High blood pressure

Recognizing A Stimulant Addiction

An addiction to stimulants can develop with frequent abuse, whether that abuse is for recreational or performance purposes. Often, the person abusing stimulants doesn’t realize an addiction is forming.

Doctors and addiction specialists treat addiction as a chronic illness, much like diabetes. Just like any illness, an addiction diagnosis requires clinical criteria that must be met.

Some of the greatest indications of a stimulant addiction include: a need for increasingly larger amounts of stimulants to gain the desired effects; experiencing withdrawal symptoms when cutting back or discontinuing use; and making frequent unsuccessful attempts to cut back or quit. Learn more about the criteria for diagnosing an addiction.

Check if my insurance covers rehab

Addiction Center is not affiliated with any insurance.

Intervention For A Stimulant Addiction

People with addictions often don’t realize or won’t admit that they have a problem. Stimulant addiction is no different.

Many people use drugs with the intent of getting high. This is not always the case with prescription stimulants, as many users take them to focus on work or stay awake to study for a test. Stimulant abusers may incorrectly assume that they do not have a problem because their ultimate goal is to be productive rather than intoxicated.

If you know someone who can’t see that their stimulant use has become a problem, staging an intervention can help them realize they need treatment. Learn more about staging an intervention.

Withdrawal From Stimulants, Treatment And Next Steps

Once someone has formed a tolerance to stimulants, they can no longer function normally without them. A person addicted to stimulants will experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop using them. These effects may develop within hours or may take days to set in.

Featured Centers Offering Treatment for Stimulant Addiction

Ad

The Plymouth House

Plymouth , NH

View Center

Ad

Boca Recovery Center – New Jersey

Galloway , NJ

View Center

View More Treatment Centers

Overcoming an addiction to stimulants may require a detox period. An inpatient treatment center can provide a safe environment for detox as well as therapy and support groups. Those addicted to stimulants may also seek therapy outside of a treatment center.

If you are ready to get help, explore treatment options.