Stimulant Addiction

The stimulant Adderall, is a drug that was intended to help people, mostly children and adolescents with ADHD and ADD, but has become a commonly abused street drug. Sadly, studies reveal that both Adderall and Ritalin abuse have become equally popular as a diet drug for stay at home moms. Although it is a prescription drug, Adderall (as well as Ritalin) is classified as a stimulant (amphetamine) and is in the same family as crystal meth.

Students Abuse

A contributing factor to Adderall addiction is that it has been prescribed with such frequency in the last decade that there has been a surge of the drugs on the black market. According to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), there are an estimated 6.4 percent of students aged 18 to 22 taking Adderall.

Tragically, an estimated ten percent of high school seniors in the U.S. admitted to using Adderall and Ritalin recreationally. What is even more shocking is that children as young as eleven years of age also admitted to abusing these drugs and an increasing number of children have realized that they can sell their medication.

Mommy’s Little Helper

It is known as “Mommy’s Little Helper” among women aged 26 to 39 – with a 750 percent increase in use by women who take Adderall or Ritalin…and not necessarily for medical purposes. Moms who reported abusing the drug claimed that they needed the clarity the drug provided to cope with parenting stress. The fact is that most individuals who are abusing or addicted to the drug do so in secrecy which prevents any real statistics from being determined.

Side Effects and Complications

Adderall and Ritalin affect the body much in the same way that cocaine and meth do. Combined with the fact that it is much cheaper than those drugs; you have the reason why people who have been addicted to cocaine and meth have switched to one of these drugs.

The side effects of Adderall: an increase in motivation, concentration and weight loss are what make the drug so appealing to users. However, those are not the only side effects. Most users can also expect to experience:
• Nausea and constipation
• Nervousness and insomnia
• Abdominal pain and diarrhea
• Heart arrhythmia and chest pain
• Aggressive behavior, paranoia and hallucinations
• Seizures

What’s more, once the effects of the drugs subside, most individuals experience a crash feeling as well as a period of depression and irritability.

Adderall is intended to aid individuals with ADHD and when taken appropriately, it is very effective at relieving the symptoms. On the other hand, when it is abused, the drug can have detrimental effects on the individual’s long term health. Medical detox and a rehab treatment program are strongly encouraged for people struggling with Adderall abuse and addiction.

Abuse, Addiction and Risks

Adderall (and Ritalin) have the potential for addiction when abused. Persons who take these drugs with alcohol or other medications put themselves at risk for serious health problems. Overdosing can cause heart failure and permanent brain damage.