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Stimulants
What Are Prescription Stimulants?
Stimulant medications such as Ritalin, Focalin and Concerta are prescription medications used to treat among others ADHD and Narcolepsy. They increase the central nervous system (CNS) activity and/or provide energising and invigorating effects.
Stimulants are widely used recreationally – thanks to their energising and euphoric “highs” – and as performance-enhancing drugs. In the UK, stimulants are the second most popular type of illegal drug after cannabis; collectively known as “uppers”, “rave drugs” and by many other names, they can be found in every town and city in the country and stimulant addiction is a significant problem nationwide.
Types Of Stimulants We Treat
Below is a list of the main stimulants:
Effects Of Stimulants
While the precise effects vary from one stimulant to another, generally speaking, stimulants create a feeling of invigoration and mild to extreme euphoria, heightened mood, an increased ability to focus, enhanced confidence, increased libido, and greater sociability. In some cases, these may be accompanied by slightly altered perceptions and even mild hallucinations.
Unfortunately, stimulants are also associated with numerous negative side-effects including potentially dangerous physical effects such as increased heart rate hypertension, breathing difficulties, raised body temperature, dehydration and cardiac arrhythmia; and psychological effects including aggression, irritability, paranoia, psychotic episodes and suicidal ideation.
Signs And Symptoms Of Abuse
At low to moderate dosages, stimulant use may be very difficult to identify in any given individual as many of the effects are relatively easy to mask. Beyond a certain point however intoxication is likely to become obvious, with certain traits becoming prominent including speaking rapidly and loudly (and possibly incoherently); twitching; rapid movements; jittery eyes; volatile moods; sexual disinhibition; responding to increased body temperature (including by sweating and possibly removing clothes); inability to focus; grinding teeth; dilated pupils; and muscle spasms.
Over the long term, along with the negative side-effects mentioned in the previous section, stimulant abuse may result in significant neurological damage leading to cognitive disability, and in the emergence of stimulant psychosis disorder. It is extremely common for stimulant addicts also to suffer from depression, including major depressive disorder, due both to the effects of drugs directly upon the brain and to the impact of addiction upon their life prospects: stimulant addiction can be devastating financially and professionally, and in terms of its consequences for the addict’s relationships with loved ones and friends.
Withdrawal And Detoxification Process
During the medical detox process, patients are prescribed an approved medication to manage the symptoms of withdrawal. The process is tailored to the individual in order to negate the effects of fitting until the client is addiction-free. The treatment is clinically proven to be the safest way to remove substances from the body. You will receive 24/7 medical care and support throughout and the detox will take 14 days.
Detox Timeline
The timeline for withdrawal will depend on the dose and how long you’ve been taking Adderall. Withdrawal symptoms may last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
- Day 1-3 – The first few days of withdrawal may be accompanied by feelings of sluggishness, physical fatigue, and intense hunger, accompanied by sleep disturbances, ranging from an inability to sleep to not being able to do anything but sleep.
- Day 4-7 – As your physical symptoms subside, you may experience a surge of emotional issues, including anxiety, panic attacks, irritability, and an inability to feel happy.
- Week 7-14 – At this point, cravings are strong but will be addressed during one-to-one counselling and group therapy
Treating Stimulant Addiction
The addictive nature of stimulants has been known for many years and a large number of different treatment methods have emerged. Some of these are not endorsed by the medical community, and may be extremely dangerous to the user; do not embark on a course of treatment – especially one which you have found online without a recommendation from a doctor or addiction specialist – without consulting your GP.
Your GP should always be your first port of call and you may wish to discuss with them options such as private addiction counselling, NHS services and support groups. However, the consensus amongst the medical community is that rehab is the most effective treatment option for long-term recovery as only rehab provides a holistic combination of medically assisted detox, a variety of therapy models, dietary and fitness plans, peer group support and reliable confidentiality.
Detox & Rehab Benefits
Rehab has proven extraordinarily successful in helping countless addicts to achieve long-term recovery. Some of the advantages of rehab include:
- A medical detox, where highly qualified professionals will make the addict’s journey through withdrawal as comfortable and safe as possible.
- Pleasant, peaceful surroundings in which an addict can focus wholly on his or her recovery.
- A broad range of therapy options to ensure the most appropriate therapeutic care for each patient.
- Group therapy, providing patients with a peer group of those who have been through similar experiences and can share advice and support.
- Bespoke dietary and fitness plans, working on the principle of “healthy body, healthy mind”.
- Complete confidentiality to ensure that patients need not be concerned about details of their condition becoming public knowledge.
- One year’s free aftercare, providing supplementary support as the recovering addict readjusts to a drug-free life.
What Next?
We specialise in providing tailored detox & rehab programmes to the client with dedicated family support. Addiction rarely affects just the individual, and we appreciate that this can be a stressful time for all those concerned. If you have any questions regarding our detox clinics, treatment needs, locations and cost – we can answer them!