Watching a loved one suffer from addiction can be one of the hardest things to go through. So can realizing that you, yourself, are experiencing addiction and may need to get outside help. Although prescription stimulants are prescribed to treat medical conditions and help many of its users live healthy, normal lives — they can also be dangerous prescription drugs when misused. If you are wondering whether you or your loved one is suffering, keep reading to learn more about the symptoms of stimulant prescription pill abuse.
What Is Stimulant Prescription Pill Abuse?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, prescription stimulants are medicines generally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy—uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. They increase alertness, attention, and energy.
In addition, stimulants increase the activity of the brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine. Dopamine is involved in the reinforcement of rewarding behaviors, and norepinephrine affects blood vessels, blood pressure and heart rate, blood sugar, and breathing. Once the user experiences the rewarding behaviors, they will continue using which leads to dependence and tolerance. The higher the dependence and tolerance, the more stimulants the user will require to experience the initial reward. This quickly leads to addiction, overdose, and in many cases, death.
Prescription stimulants are known by many names. These include:
- Bennies
- Black Beauties
- Crosses, Hearts
- JIF
- LA Turnaround
- MPH
- R-ball
- Skippy
- Speed
- Study Drugs
- The Smart Drug
- Truck Drivers
- Uppers
- Vitamin R
Prescription stimulant medications include:
- Dexedrine
- Adderall
- Ritalin
- Concerta
Effects of Stimulant Prescription Pill Abuse
There are many short-term effects and long-term effects that come along with substance use disorder involving dangerous prescription drugs, which makes it very important to know all of the symptoms of stimulant prescription pill abuse. The most dangerous being addiction, overdose, and death. Stimulant overdoses are commonly caused by a heart attack or seizure.
Effects also include:
- Increased blood pressure and heart rate
- Increased breathing
- Decreased blood flow
- Increased blood sugar
- Opened-up breathing passages
- Dangerously high body temperature
- Irregular heartbeat
- Heart failure
- Seizures
- Psychotic behavior
- Malnutrition
- Damage to blood vessels
- Kidney damage
- Lung damage
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
Physical Symptoms of Stimulant Prescription Pill Abuse
One of the ways you can decipher whether or not you or your loved one is suffering from stimulant prescription pill abuse is by checking their physical symptoms. This can be difficult when it is yourself, however, if you notice your loved ones speaking to you with concern about the below symptoms, you should see this as a red flag.
Physical symptoms include:
- Decrease in apetite
- Weight loss
- Sweating
- Twitches or jitteriness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Elevated blood pressure
- Hair loss
- Skin problems
Behavioral Symptoms of Stimulant Prescription Pill Abuse
Another symptom of stimulant prescription pill abuse is changes in behavior. Depending on the length and severity of the addiction, these behaviors can have a wide range. An individual may experience all of the symptoms, or they may experience only a few. However, the most common behavioral symptoms of stimulant prescription pill abuse include:
- Hyperfocus
- Mood swings
- Anger
- Aggressiveness
- Increased confidence
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Enhanced sensory awareness
- Racing thoughts and ideas
- Confusion
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Poor judgment
- Poor decision making
About Seasons in Malibu
If you or your loved one is addicted to dangerous prescription drugs, it is extremely important to get help as soon as possible before it is too late. Substance use disorder is a chronic condition, however, it is also a treatable one. Please reach out for help — we are available 24 hours a day to help you and your loved ones through this time.
Seasons In Malibu is leading the way in advancing the treatment of alcoholism and drug abuse through innovative approaches and specialized treatment options, as well as tried and true methods. Our luxury drug rehab center is one of the finest in the world. luxury drug rehab take pride that we are able to treat the entire body using the latest medical, holistic, and scientific modalities, and incorporate them into a unique one-on-one experience for our clients.
Our highly trained staff of MDs, psychotherapists, and holistic practitioners are encouraged to connect with clients and open their minds to new modes of thinking. Our community also incorporates a systemic family treatment model into the process so our clients have the greatest chance for long-term sobriety after they leave Seasons In Malibu.
We firmly believe in the importance of including the family in our clients’ recovery in our systemic family treatment program at our luxury drug rehab center. As many come to learn, maintaining sobriety after completing treatment can be very difficult. Having an involved support structure may be the difference between lasting recovery and relapse. Additionally, including the family in the process may help our staff and clients uncover and resolve underlying issues and triggers.
At Seasons in Malibu, we offer long-term solutions to recovery and are dedicated to helping you or someone you love to start a new journey to a healthier and happier life.
