Drug abuse doesn’t start with bad intentions. It even often starts in the doctor’s office. You, your friend or your family member may start taking a drug like Dexedrine to manage ADD or ADHD symptoms. If you don’t have a medical or mental health issue that calls for the drug, your use may still begin with positive goals in mind. You may take this drug to try to do better in school, work harder at the office, have a good time with friends or simply feel better.
No matter the reasons you give for taking Dexedrine, any time you take a drug without a prescription, you are abusing that drug. Any time you have a prescription but take the drug for different reasons or in different ways, times or amounts than prescribed, you are abusing that drug. This abuse isn’t harmless. Like Adderall and many other stimulant drugs, Dexedrine is an amphetamine. Abuse leads to addiction. Until you get treatment, this addiction can have serious consequences in your life. Understand these consequences to learn why–and then how–to end Dexedrine abuse today.
Short-Term Consequences of Dexedrine Abuse
Dexedrine’s effects vary depending on how and why you take the drug. If you do need it to manage ADHD or other health conditions, you are less likely to experience some of these. However in addition to feeling focused or energized, Medline Plus explains Dexedrine can cause any user to also feel the following:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Excessive tiredness
- Dizziness
- Mild to severe mood changes
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations1
You can also suffer a heart attack, stroke or seizures as a result of using this powerful stimulant drug. If you experience any unwanted side effects but continue using the drug anyway, think about your relationship with Dexedrine. Why are you taking it? Are there any benefits? Would life be better, more balanced or healthier if you stopped? You don’t have to puzzle out these answers on your own. Talk with your doctor, a mental health professional and addiction treatment providers for an accurate assessment and better understanding of where you are now and where you’d like to be in the future.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Dexedrine Abuse?
The longer you take Dexedrine, the more side effects and consequences you’ll experience. You may already notice some of these in your life. Has Dexedrine changed how you interact with friends and family? Has it impacted your performance at work? Has it changed your physical or mental health?
Continued, long-term use of amphetamines like Dexedrine, can lead to a variety of psychological and physical issues. These issues can lead to further complications. For example the Center for Substance Abuse Research explains that Dexedrine can suppress the appetite.2 This can lead to short-term digestive issues. Long-term abuse can lead to malnutrition. Malnutrition can then lead to atrophy of the muscles and body tissues, problems breathing and decreased immunity to disease.
Long-term abuse of Dexedrine can also change how you think and feel. It impacts mental health. It can create or worsen mental health issues like depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. It can cause you to act violently or aggressively or to begin to experience suspicion and paranoia. It leads to dependence on and then addiction to Dexedrine.
Am I Addicted to Dexedrine?
If you have been abusing Dexedrine, it may be time to make a change. You may find you no longer like how you think or act because of this drug. You are beginning to choose buying and using the drug over doing things you once enjoyed or spending time with friends and family. Your physical or mental health may be suffering, but you aren’t sure how or if you even want to stop using Dexedrine. Take a moment to look at the effects Dexedrine has on your or your loved one’s life. Talk with professionals, ask questions and get an addiction assessment. Make time to get answers and take the next steps.
How to Find the Right Treatment
Identifying and then admitting to Dexedrine abuse is a huge accomplishment. However this task is only the beginning. Now it’s time to find treatment. How will you know which facility is best suited to your needs or the needs of your loved one? What are the kinds of treatments available? What does treatment involve? Does it even work?
First know that yes, treatment works. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains, “Most people who get into and remain in treatment stop using drugs, decrease their criminal activity, and improve their occupational, social, and psychological functioning…Like other chronic diseases, addiction can be managed successfully. Treatment enables people to counteract addiction’s powerful disruptive effects on the brain and behavior and to regain control of their lives.”3 You can find recovery success by finding the right treatment.
- Does the facility use evidence-based treatment methods?
- Are all detoxes medically supervised?
- Will treatment be long enough to meet your or a loved one’s needs?
- Will your treatment be customized to meet your unique needs?
- Will treatment be available when I’m ready to receive it or offer it to a friend or family member?
Consider a treatment provider like Michael’s House. We offer effective, traditional treatment methods combined with supplemental practices for a complete recovery. We help you balance physical, mental and emotional health as you find your beginnings for long-term recovery.
When you’ve found comprehensive, integrated and professional treatment, it’s time to begin the recovery journey. If you are worried about a loved one, you may want to talk to the intended treatment center about finding intervention services. If you are ready to begin treatment for yourself, you can get help arranging any final details such as packing, travel, childcare and more. If you would like more information on getting started, give Michael’s House a call. Learn more. Begin your recovery today.
Sources
1 “Dextroamphetamine.” Medline Plus. 15 May 2017.
2 “Amphetamines.” Center for Substance Abuse Research. 29 Dec. 2013.
3 “How Effective Is Drug Addiction Treatment?” National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dec. 2012.
