05 Feb The Dangers of Amphetamine, Meth, and Adderall Abuse
The dangers of Adderall, methamphetamine, and amphetamine abuse are roughly the same because all three of those drugs are chemically identical to one another. Aside from their chemical makeup, these powerful stimulants also share some of the same side effects, making them equally dangerous to get addicted to. If you want to know more about what these dangers are, keep on reading. You really shouldn’t believe that somehow Adderall or amphetamine is safer than meth just because it can be prescribed to you while the latter remains an illicit drug. It does not work that way.
More and more people from the U.S., the U.K., and all the way to Australia are giving rehab centers like Lanna Rehab at Chiang Mai, Thailand a shot when it comes to the treatment of amphetamine and meth addiction. Whether you’ve become dependent on the prescription drug Adderall or have graduated to becoming a full-blown meth addict, you can count on Lanna to help you out from detoxification to psychotherapy and even up until aftercare against relapse. Furthermore, always remember that just because a substance is legal it doesn’t mean it’s automatically safe. It also doesn’t mean it’s not addictive, especially if you’re abusing it.
Adderall, Amphetamine, and Methamphetamine
Adderall, a brand of amphetamine, is not so different from methamphetamine. All over the world, there’s a growing scourge when it comes to meth addiction. In particular, Hong Kong and Australia are presently being devastated by rising meth abuse rates in their population. Furthermore, there are high numbers of citizens from either country seeking amphetamine addiction treatment for good measure.
Not to mention, there’s also the meth problem from the 1980s onwards in the United States of America persists to this day. To be more specific, during the Eighties, drug treatment counselors saw an increase of methamphetamine abuse among American homosexuals. What’s more, Mexican drug lords started bringing meth north of the border and introduced a form of meth that could be smoked. At present, the U.S. has about 595,000 or more than half a million meth users.
This is a persistent and dangerous trend that should be addressed post-haste. Meth is still taking the world by storm and its prescription equivalent isn’t helping matters any.
What Is an Amphetamine?
Amphetamine is a stimulant. It activates specific receptors in the brain and increases neurotransmitter activity for the sake of influencing your central nervous system to the point of getting you all stimulated and some such. The key neurotransmitters that amphetamine influenced after its ingestion are dopamine and norepinephrine. The drug’s impact on these chemicals of the brain can cause the following reactions:
- Elevated heart rate
- Euphoria or grandiosity
- Increased apprehension, concentration, and alertness
Although the abovementioned primary effects are viewed as the most sought-after amphetamine benefits, the drug also carries many negative side effects. Amphetamine side effects can go from mild to dangerous or even fatal. This depends on the following factors:
- Amphetamine dosage
- Composition of the body
- The medical state of the user
Amphetamines and Addiction
Although amphetamines, particularly Adderall, are prescribed for clinical use, that doesn’t somehow make you immune to abusing them to the point of dependency. Due to the fact that they’re close siblings or cousins to meth, their addiction and abuse potential is quite high. Even when you’re using them normally or legitimately, there’s still a great risk that you can become addicted to them.
Amphetamines like Adderall as well as non-amphetamine stimulants like Ritalin are becoming more and more popular for recreational use, which can result to their abuse in order to chase after their euphoric high and energy-producing effects when push comes to shove. The high you can get from amphetamine produces a meth-like rush of energy and excitement that courses through your entire body. However, as you continue to use the drug, expect the following to happen:
- Your body builds up drug tolerance, leading to amphetamine desensitization.
- You need to consume increasingly large amounts of amphetamine in order to get the same benefits as before over time, leading you to “chase the high”.
Some amphetamine users seek even more powerful highs by snorting, injecting, or crushing amphetamines for alternate consumption. This way, the same amount of amphetamines can produce stronger, more potent effects because they’re absorbed more rapidly than before. By changing the way you consume amphetamine or changing its doses, you risk overdosing. At the very least, you can end up severely dependent on the drug, as consuming it becomes your new normal.
This way, people from continents like North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Australia as well as the neighboring countries in Asia (perhaps not all the way to Antarctica though) can avail of the clinic’s holistic and dual diagnosis treatment paradigm at affordable prices even when you take into consideration travel costs. After reading this article, your understanding of these drugs should widen enough so that you can make the distinction between amphetamines and its most popular prescription form Adderall as well as methamphetamines and its most popular street drug form, crystal meth or ice.
Short-Term Effects of Amphetamines
Thanks to the effects produced by amphetamines, they can be highly addictive. These stimulants can stimulate your central nervous system in more ways than one. In particular, it can result in the following short-term effects that are very meth-like:
- Excitement
- Euphoric feelings
- Quicker reaction times
- Feelings of energy or wakefulness
- Increased attentiveness and concentration
Those seeking the abovementioned effects or so-called benefits might end up taking Adderall or similar amphetamines at increasingly larger dosages than prescribed by their doctors. They can even abuse them recreationally by taking them through other means, like direct injection or snorting. Alas, the effects of amphetamines aren’t necessarily positive. Truth be told, they come with several negative side effects for good measure.
The actual side effects themselves include the following mental and physical conditions:
- Nausea
- Tremors
- Hostility
- Insomnia
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Dry mouth
- Hallucinations
- Teeth grinding
- Severe anxiety
- Decreased libido
- Painful urination
- Unusual behavior
- Heart palpitations
- Erectile dysfunction
- Rapid breathing rate
- Vomiting and nausea
- Cognitive impairment
- Loss or lack of appetite
- Increased body temperature
- Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- Agitation, restlessness, and anger
- Dangerously increased heart rate
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
This isn’t a comprehensive side effects list, mind you. Nevertheless, they’re the more common side effects linked to amphetamines. Adderall isn’t necessarily just a type of or a branded version of amphetamine though. Rather, one of its key ingredients is amphetamine. This is the same deal with methamphetamine. This is why all three of the substances share the abovementioned side effects in varying degrees or levels.
Long-term Effects of Amphetamines
If you have cardiovascular issues then amphetamine or Adderall side effects like irregular heartbeat, increased heart rate, and high blood pressure can lead to dangerous cardiovascular events that can become quite fatal to you when push comes to shove. Consult your doctor while taking this consideration into account before getting an Adderall prescription.
It’s also not recommended for you to mix alcohol with amphetamines. It’s like mixing meth with alcohol. It’s a bad idea all around. Both of these combinations affect your central nervous system in conflicting ways. Amphetamines are stimulants while alcohol acts as a depressant on a number of body processes. Your body will suffer a tug of war of sorts from the net result of side effects, leading to dire conditions such as fatal cardiac arrhythmias.
As for the long-term effects of heavy amphetamine abuse, expect to experience the following:
- Paranoia
- Convulsions
- Hallucinations
- Violent behavior
- Obsessive behavior
- Loss of coordination
- Cravings for the drug
- Respiratory problems
- Compulsive drug-seeking behavior
Amphetamine Overdose
Long-term use of amphetamines like Adderall can put you at a higher overdose risk, which can lead to death. Amphetamine overdose symptoms include the following:
- Stroke
- Chest pain
- Psychosis
- Loss of consciousness
- Dangerously high blood pressure
- Heart attack or other grave cardiac events
The long-term effects and complications of amphetamines can be quite severe and cause a medical emergency. If someone you know is exhibiting the signs and symptoms on the abovementioned lists, get emergency help right away.
Amphetamines versus Adderall
In 1934, amphetamines were first introduced in the market for medical use as a decongestant. This is the reason why meth cooks or chemists use decongestants like Sudafed through the “shake and bake” method in order to produce meth in their meth labs. This method is a process that’s been simplified for straightforward meth cooking and it’s also partly responsible for the illicit drug’s worldwide availability.
- Obesity, Narcolepsy, ADD, and ADHD: Through the years, as scientists began to understand amphetamine more, they began prescribing the medication for the treatment of other conditions such as obesity and narcolepsy. The drug can also be classified as a performance-enhancing drug due to its stimulant effects, which then led to its use for treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Adderall and other medications for ADD/ADHD combine dextroamphetamine with amphetamine, both of which are siblings in the same stimulant family.
- Athletes, Students, and Night-Shift Workers: Together, dextroamphetamine and amphetamine create a mental state that’s more conducive to increase performance and concentration for those who have supreme or above-average issues when it comes to focusing on tasks or goals. However, only a small percentage of overall Adderall users actually have ADD or ADHD. The vast majority of users don’t even have prescriptions in the first place. These are night-shift workers, students, and athletes using unprescribed Adderall to give them an extra edge on their work.
- The Benefits of The Supposed Smart Drug: Why do so many people use Adderall for unprescribed or even recreational purposes? It’s the same reason why people use meth. Adderall is simply quite effectiveness in boosting one’s focus, whether it’s in athletics, late-night work, or cramming for tests. This is why Adderall is classified along with other smart drugs used by students and the like to perform better for their schoolwork. Of course, if they knew they were practically taking another type of meth in order to do better scholastically, they’d probably have reservations. It’s quite dangerous and habit-forming, after all.
The Difference between Adderall and Meth
Simply put, methamphetamine, also known as meth, crystal meth, glass or ice, speed, chalk, crack (not to be confused with crack cocaine), or even biker’s coffee, is a more intense and illicit version of Adderall. Meth and Adderall look quite similar to one another chemically speaking. Truth be told, Adderall and meth are almost identical in every way, with meth having a simple methyl group linked to its form. They might also differ significantly in terms of the speed form of meth, which is the meth that backyard chemists cook using ordinary household items. This is because speed varies in terms of purity and potency because of its amateurish origins.
- Small Difference Means Significant Difference: Although meth has a small chemical difference compared to Adderall or other amphetamines, it’s still significant enough in terms of potency and overall effects. To be more specific, meth is infamous for the speed and intensity by which it interacts with the human brain compared to its prescription sibling or cousin Adderall. It’s also different in the way society perceives it since it’s an illegal drug and possession of it is punishable by law.
- Rapid Bloodstream Brain Barrier Crossover: Meth is able to cross the blood brain barrier in a rapid manner, which then results in a much more potent and immediate stimulating high compared to its legal counterpart Adderall. The speed that ice hits your brain is also why it’s considered more dangerous and addictive. At least with Adderall it takes longer for the hit to arrive and the stimulation isn’t as overwhelming as taking a hit off of crystal meth.
- Meth Addiction Is Stigmatized: Being addicted to meth is more stigmatized or even demonized than being addicted to Adderall for several reasons, chief of them meth’s reputation as an illicit drug. Also, crystal meth has more intense side effects than Adderall even though they share the same side effects. This is why currently meth has no sanctioned medical use. As far as the meth versus Adderall or methamphetamine versus amphetamine debate is concerned, the consequences to your reputation are more severe when you get addicted to meth compared to amphetamines like Adderall.
- Prescription Drug Addiction Is Viewed as Less Severe: On top of being less severe overall in terms of effects, Adderall being a prescription drug has less of a stigma in the eyes of society when compared to its much maligned and illegal counterpart, meth. Although this is also problematic because the fact that amphetamine is attainable via prescription means people think it’s safer than the dirty and risky drug known as methamphetamine. Yes, Adderall is slightly safer but also very dangerous in its own right. You shouldn’t underestimate its addictiveness in light of its chemical closeness to meth.
- Approved for Children versus Public Hysteria: Meth addicts are depicted in media as depraved, desperate, and in dire straits. This is because it’s a drug that constantly causes hysteria due to “Before and After” meth user photo comparisons, documentaries about it becoming a growing epidemic all around the world, and videos of meth psychosis. Meanwhile, Adderall isn’t viewed as dangerous as meth even though they’re chemically close because it’s approved for use in children as young as 3 years of age. They’re actually both dangerous and addictive.
- The Reality of the Situation about These Stimulants: In reality, although meth is more potent than Adderall, the risk and potential for addiction by either is about the same and Adderall can even serve as your gateway drug towards becoming a “meth head”. In another point of view, meth and Adderall are about the same in terms of safeness. It’s possible for someone to try meth in their lifetime and not turn into an addict the same way regulated use of Adderall won’t result in addiction more often than not. Abusing either drug increases your risk for addiction, especially if you’re genetically inclined to become addicted to drugs in the first place.
Amphetamine and Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment at Lanna
There are several distinctions between crystal meth or ice and Adderall, but the fact remains that they can both lead to addiction in one way or another. Just because Adderall is less potent than meth doesn’t mean you can forget about the fact that it’s practically legalized meth in terms of chemical composition and the associated primary and side effects. Regardless, at Lanna Rehab in Chiang Mai, you’ll be taken care of by a highly specialized and experienced staff that’s certified to treat any number of addictions, including amphetamine dependence in all of its forms. Lanna’s resort-style facility is yours to use by availing of a nice rehab tourism package.
If you’re suffering from an amphetamine addiction problem, you should avail of a rehab tourism travel package to Lanna Rehab by making a reservation through their 24/7 hotline. You can also call in order to know more about amphetamine addiction that isn’t covered by this article. Most working-class Americans and other western nationalities are hooked on cognitive-boosting drugs like amphetamine. Learn more about this growing and frightening trend by clicking on the Lanna Rehab website. Amphetamine usage without prescription or direction from a doctor entails loads of risk to your life or health, particularly when you recreationally combine it with order drugs or alcohol.
Lanna Rehab Will Help You Get Over Adderall, Amphetamine, and Methamphetamine Addiction
Lanna Rehab will assist you in getting over your Adderall, amphetamine, and methamphetamine addiction or dependence so that you’d stop suffering from their shared side effects or abusing them in order to chase the high or benefits they’re supposed to give out to you. As you know, the more you use a drug like these three, the less effective they become due to desensitization. Regardless, Lanna has the 12-step program, psychotherapy, and detoxification services you need to turn your life around towards sobriety.
The Lanna Rehab Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand will help you recover from the withdrawal symptoms and relapse risk from using amphetamines, meth, or Adderall. Just call them at their hotline for more details and to avail of their cutting-edge drug and alcohol rehab facilities. Their hotline is available 24/7. Call now!