Adderall abuse starts with bunch of pills.Usually used to treat ADHD, Adderall combines amphetamine and dextroamphetamine to stimulate the central nervous system. It speeds up and increases various processes in the body. Adderall is obtained with a medical prescription and is usually initially prescribed in low doses. Prescribing doctors like to judge initial effects before adjusting dosage. Adderall abuse can occur when the drug is used other than prescribed. This may consist of taking higher doses or taking it differently than prescribed. Some people will snort it or take it for non-medical reasons such as staying awake for a long period.

What is Adderall Abuse?

The primary definition of Adderall abuse is taking the drug in ways other than how it was prescribed. This can include different methods of consumption, taking higher or more frequent doses, taking someone else’s drugs, taking it for non-medical reasons and buying it from an illegal source to be used for recreational purposes. The main reason for abusing Adderall includes wanting to stay awake, enhancing alertness and achieving more productivity.

For this reason, the typical Adderall abuser may not look like most people’s image of a drug abuser. Many Adderall users tend to be towards the younger side, and may also be students. They may also be athletes as there have been recent trends of athletes using the drug for better performance.

Remember that Adderall functions as a stimulant, so someone abusing the drug may show unusual signs of excitement, talking a lot, or even aggression. Other general signs of drug abuse include social withdrawal, financial problems, being secretive and obvious or extreme mood changes.

Adderall Abuse Signs and Symptoms

Use of Adderall through a prescription can cause some side effects but Adderall abuse causes the side effects of Adderall to present with more intensity and more often. Some signs of abuse include a headache, nausea, loss of appetite, dry mouth, digestive problems, agitation, anxiety, racing heart, shortness of breath, insomnia, fatigue, and mood changes.

With continued and chronic use, more severe effects can result. Long-term abuse with higher than recommended doses can cause such dangerous effects as numb or weak extremities, dizziness, slurred speech, chest pain, peeling skin, vision changes, aggression, paranoia, mania, and seizures.

Abuse of Adderall can eventually result in an overdose due to tolerance. Symptoms of an overdose include hyperventilating, changes in heart rhythm, panic attacks, tremors, delirium, vertigo, losing consciousness and coma.

With long-term use of Adderall, the characteristic signs of addiction begin to appear. These signs appear with abusive use such as taking higher doses with more frequency. Some of the top issues include tolerance and dependency. Tolerance means that an individual uses higher and higher doses to get the same effects. Dependency means the body loses its ability to function properly without the drug in its system. When either of these issues arises, overdose becomes a serious concern.

Addiction combines tolerance and dependence and adds compulsive drug use and seeking despite knowing the negative consequences and risks associated with continued use.

Treatment for Adderall Abuse

Addiction treatment services at Beaches Recovery in Jacksonville, Florida, can help you or a loved one deal with Adderall abuse. Detox is often the first step in addiction treatment in order to get you free of the physical dependence. Long-term drug use causes subtle brain changes that work to reinforce drug-seeking behavior and this can be very difficult to reverse without help.

Beaches Recovery offers treatments and programs to correct these brain changes and find solutions to the underlying causes of drug use. Some of the treatments available include:

If you or a loved one are dealing with Adderall abuse, Beaches Recovery can help. Stop addiction from controlling your life and head towards a lasting recovery by taking that first step of calling us today at 866.605.0532.