Do you have a loved one who you suspect is addicted to amphetamines? This drug is common in the UK and Europe, and can cause despair to all those who become dependent on it.
In this blog, we look at what amphetamine is, explore amphetamine’s side effects, signs and symptoms, and give you the information you need to make an informed decision regarding treatment. If you believe your addicted loved one requires support for their amphetamine addiction, contact The Beekeeper on +66 90 893 5296.
What is Amphetamine?
Amphetamine is a powerful stimulant of the brain (central nervous system). Doctors prescribe amphetamines to treat conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy (a condition that makes people sleep during the day), and obesity.
The type of amphetamine most commonly found on the street is a white powder that has a potent chemical smell. Amphetamine tends to be sold either in “wraps” made from cardboard, in plastic “baggies”, or in pieces of plastic bag.
Amphetamines are usually abused because they provide a pleasurable “rush” to the user. Abuse is common and often leads to amphetamines side effects.
Amphetamines can be smoked, snorted (nasal administration), injected, or taken orally. They are known by their street names as ‘goey’, ‘louee’, ‘speed’, ‘uppers’, ‘whiz’, or ‘bennies’.
Amphetamines are abused in the UK and Europe due to their low cost, widespread availability, and long-lasting effects (8-12 hours). A study estimated that 68 million people globally used amphetamines at least once in the year 2019.
What are the Causes of Amphetamine Addiction?
Amphetamines trigger dopamine release in the brain. Dopamine is associated with feelings of pleasure, reward, motivation, and satisfaction. After taking amphetamines, users typically report euphoria (a feeling of pleasure), improved attention, sharpened focus, and increased confidence.
Long-term amphetamine abuse can lead to tolerance (more drug use as a result of the body’s decreased response) to the ‘rush’ effect. As a result, amphetamine users increase their dose and frequency of drug use, which can lead to addiction.
The following are some factors that lead to the development of amphetamine addiction:
Biological Factors
Addiction to Amphetamines has been shown to have a significant genetic component. People with a genetic vulnerability to drug abuse have a 40-60% chance of developing drug addiction.
People with dopamine deficiency syndrome have abnormally low levels of dopamine in their brains. These people may try to compensate for their lack of pleasure by abusing amphetamines.
Psychological Factors
The presence of concurrent mental disorders increases the risk of developing amphetamine addiction in users. For example, 14.5% of patients with bipolar disorder develop drug addiction.
It is tragic that it is these people who are more likely to develop amphetamine addiction are those who suffer most when they become addicted, due to their drug consumption making their mental health problems worse.
At The Beekeeper, many of our clients come to us with drug addiction problems, but during the process of their treatment it becomes apparent that they also have underlying mental health issues.
We see these discoveries as opportunities. Uncovering and treating co-occurring mental health problems not only dramatically increases long-term recovery rates, but also gives the person a better opportunity to live a vibrant and happy life.
Social Factors
Children of parents who abuse alcohol, tobacco, or other substances have an increased risk of drug abuse. Furthermore, people who grew up in a chaotic or dysfunctional family are more vulnerable to acquiring addiction later in life.
The social environment in a person’s neighborhood, community, school, and workplace plays an important role in the choice to use drugs.
Amphetamines Symptoms: Is Your Loved One Using Amphetamines?
Amphetamines symptoms of abuse vary from user to user. Signs differ depending on the amount of amphetamine used and how recently it was taken. In addition, the route of administration (smoking, orally, or injection) may influence amphetamines side effects experienced by users.
Short-term Effects
Here are some of the short term side effects of using amphetamines. Note that these symptoms are also seen from use of other stimulant drugs.
Increased Heart Rate
Amphetamines increase heart rate, which can be dangerous, particularly in those with pre-existing heart conditions.
High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure shoots up during amphetamine use, causing kidney damage, vision loss and sexual dysfunction, amongst other issues.
Loss of Hunger
One of the amphetamines side effects causes users to not be hungry. This can lead to users having an emaciated appearance through not eating.
Sweating
Amphetamine users often sweat profusely, even if they are not somewhere that is hot, or are not engaging in physical activity.
Dilated Pupils
Amphetamines can cause dilated pupils. Note that other stimulants can also cause large pupils.
Insomnia
Users of amphetamine often stay awake for days at a time, and then find they are unable to sleep when they want to.
Aggressive Behavior
Amphetamine users are known to become aggressive, particularly if they have been using the drug in large amounts, or over a long period of time.
Paranoia
The amphetamines side effects combined with sleep deprivation make some users paranoid. They may believe that the police are coming to arrest them or that people are talking about them.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a common symptom of amphetamine abuse. As with many of these other symptoms, anxiety that is borne of amphetamine use may persist for a long time after use has ceased.
Long-Term Effects
When someone has been using amphetamines for a long time, there is a risk of even more serious and longer-lasting side effects.
Cravings for Amphetamine
When someone has become dependent on amphetamines, they have obsessive and compulsive thoughts about using the drug, and can face severe cravings.
Part of our work at The Beekeeper is to help our clients feel their cravings without giving into them, with the understanding that if they are able to do this for a period of time, their cravings will lessen in intensity.
We also schedule frequent relapse prevention sessions to equip our clients with all the information they need to successfully navigate around cravings.
Extreme Tiredness
Amphetamine users lack energy when they are not taking amphetamines. Their vitality comes back after an extended period of abstinence and a healthy lifestyle.
Collapsed Vein
Amphetamine users who inject this drug risk a collapsed vein. When a vein collapses, it can no longer efficiently transport blood back to the heart, reducing blood flow and risking thrombosis and chronic conditions.
Heart Attack
The risk of a heart attack is always a possibility with amphetamine use, particularly in those who have been using amphetamines for a long period of time.
Memory Loss
Memory loss is often seen in amphetamine users. Like many of these other symptoms, memory loss will gradually fade away, so long as sobriety is consistent.
Depression
Depression is one of the more common amphetamines side effects in long-term users. The brain stops making adequate amounts of dopamine, meaning users must use amphetamine to climb out of their drug-induced depression.
Hallucinations
Amphetamines can cause long-term drug users to experience unpleasant hallucinations. They may see or hear people who are not there, or have physical hallucinations like the sensation of bugs crawling under their skin. These hallucinations can persist for a period after amphetamine abuse is stopped.
How Long do Amphetamines Stay in Your System?
How long do amphetamines stay in your system? The duration amphetamines remain detectable varies based on several factors, including the individual’s metabolism, the dosage, frequency of use, and the sensitivity of the drug test being administered.
Urine tests usually detect the use of amphetamines for up to 3 days after drug use. These tests are those most commonly used by police and in the workplace.
In blood tests, amphetamines can generally be detected for a shorter period compared to urine tests, typically ranging from several hours to 1 to 2 days after use.
Saliva tests also detect amphetamines for 1 to 2 days after the person last used this drug.
Hair tests detect amphetamines for far longer than these other tests, and may detect amphetamines up to three months after the last time you used this drug.
Treatment for Amphetamine Dependence and Abuse
If your loved one is showing signs of amphetamine addiction, you can contact The Beekeeper for support. Following a confirmed diagnosis, our patients are treated for amphetamine addiction with a range of therapeutic methods including:
Detoxification (detox)
Amphetamine detox is the process of removing drugs from the body while also lowering or eliminating the physical and emotional effects of drug dependence (such as tremors or anxiety).
Since amphetamines last longer in the brain and have a longer duration of action, detoxing from them and reducing withdrawal symptoms may take longer than detoxing from other drugs.
Inpatient Treatment
Sometimes more intensive treatment is required, which requires an inpatient style environment. This is most often called “rehab” – at The Beekeeper we incorporate individual work, group work, as well as a number of other activities that help build an individual’s self-efficacy and the foundations of a life free of drugs.
We believe in an individualized approach to treatment, and will assess your unique needs to help decide the best strategy to treat your amphetamine addiction.
Aftercare Programme
Rehab is just the start of your recovery journey. As part of your treatment, we will work together to develop an aftercare programme for amphetamines addiction that will guide your life in the early stages of recovery. This programme will act as a spring-board into a new way of life, free for amphetamine addiction.
The Beekeeper Amphetamine Addiction Treatment
While treatment for all types of drugs follows a similar pattern, amphetamine addiction comes with its own set of challenges. Long-term amphetamine abuse can lead to anxiety, paranoia and psychosis.
When a person comes to The Beekeeper for amphetamine abuse treatment, we keep a compassionate eye open for signs of mental illness. If we believe that one of our clients has a mental health problem, we will explore this with them, and move towards treatment if we believe it is necessary.
If you would like more information on what we do at The Beekeeper, or would like to arrange a viewing for yourself or your loved one +66 90 893 5296.
