Simulants are the most common type of medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They help manage symptoms that include impulsive behavior, hyperactivity, and a short attention span. While this medication is taken, the person will have a much better attention span and experience better behavior. When someone with ADHD takes a prescription stimulant, the medication will boost their level of the chemicals norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain.
Types of ADHD Stimulants
This essentially allows the nerves in your brain to be able to communicate with each other. ADHD stimulant medications come in short-acting, intermediate-acting, or long-acting forms. Short-acting includes Adderall, Dexedrine, Focalin, or Ritalin. Intermediate-acting drugs include Ritalin SR or Evekeo, and Long-acting stimulants include Adderall XR, Vyvanse, or Concerta, to name a few. There have been many talks recently about the dangers of taking prescription stimulants when you medically do not need them. According to NIH:
Taking a stimulant not prescribed by a physician or in a manner not following physician guidance – has been growing over the past two decades. In fact, in the past ten years, there has been a surge in prevalence rates of nonprescription stimulant use among adolescents and young adults. In general, nonprescription use of MPH in 2000 was reported as 1.2%, and in 2006 this number had risen to 2%.
So What if You Do Not Need it But Still Take It?
For people who do not have ADD or ADHD, the stimulant will flood your brain with dopamine and cause a dopamine overload. Rather than the calming effects usually associated with ADHD, this kind of medication disrupts communication within the brain and results in intense energy and even euphoria.
More About Consequence Of Taking ADHD Stimulants
Most of the research done on prescription stimulant abuse for those without ADHD has been focused on college-age students as it has drastically increased in this group of people. This is due to the misconception that prescription stimulants can make you smarter, more focused, and boost your memory, but this is not true. Stimulants are not performance-enhancing drugs. Abusing stimulants for ADHD when you do not have this condition, can lead to a bunch of different side effects that will not be performance-enhancing at all, in fact, it could hurt your overall performance. Do not take these drugs to try and become smarter, or boost your memory, they won’t work, and you’ll just end up putting your health at risk.
What are the Side Effects of Abusing this Drug?
The side effect associated with stimulant use on regular people almost mimics someone who has ADHD. Since prescription stimulants are designed to help the brain of someone with ADHD, abuse of this kind of drug will increase the likelihood of experiencing side effects that can include:
- Decreased appetite
- Headaches
- Increased heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Aggression and hostility
- Anxiety and paranoia
- Severe mood swings
- Lethargy
Prescription stimulants can also cause serious health risks, including stroke and heart attack, especially if you have a pre-existing heart condition. Abuse of this kind of drug does terrible things to your overall health. While prescription stimulants are a very helpful drug for those with ADHD, it is still a Schedule II controlled substance that can be abused and increase the risk of developing an addiction.
Help for Stimulant Addiction at Evoke Wellness at Miramar
If you or someone you love is stuck in a prescription stimulant dependency or addiction, please seek out one of our many treatment programs here at Evoke Wellness at Miramar. We offer drug different treatment options to meet your individual needs and provide guidance and therapeutic education so that you can learn the underlying causes of your addiction and safely re-enter society. Addiction is difficult to face on your own; luckily, you do not have to. We are ready to help you or a loved one overcome ADHD stimulant abuse and any other drug or alcohol addiction you may have. Now is the time to change your life for the better. Let us help you do it; give one of our addiction specialists a call today; it is free and completely confidential.
