Adderall misuse is on the rise throughout the United States. Adderall is a medication that is a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. A legal amphetamine, it is often prescribed to treat conditions like narcolepsy and ADHD. There is somewhat of an epidemic of overprescribing of the medication, especially to children, adolescents, and young adults. For many individuals, and especially those prescribed Adderall at a young age, there is often a penchant for abuse or misuse of the medication.
Outside of those individuals that are prescribed and use and misuse Adderall, there is also a large segment of the population that buy and use Adderall without a prescription. In high schools and college campuses around the country, many students use Adderall without a prescription as a tool to study, staying up long hours on the drug and cramming for tests or projects. It happens in other graduate school environments like medical schools or for future attorneys studying for the bar exam. Adderall is also use and misused outside of academic settings, and many individuals use Adderall simply to party, as it is an amphetamine and sometimes used instead of or in place of cocaine. The abuse and misuse potential of this dangerous prescription drug continues to rise.
The risk of becoming addicted or dependent to Adderall is very real for many people, both those with legitimate prescriptions for the drug as well as those that use or misuse it by buying it off the street. Anyone using Adderall for an extended period of time run the risk of developing an addiction or dependence to the drug, even those people that are prescribed it and use it as prescribed. Therefore, any extended use or misuse Adderall of will require a medical detox in order to stop using and begin a process of recovery.
Extended Adderall misuse will typically cause withdrawal symptoms for anyone when they stop using the drug. Withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to moderate to severe, and often can affect an individual’s ability to function normally. Adderall withdrawals typically are associated initially with a major “crash”, and feelings of extreme fatigue. Adderall withdrawals are also typically associated with severe depression. This can include feelings of emptiness, disconnection, and hopelessness, but can also include loss of motivation or interest in normal everyday activities that typically create pleasure and joy, extreme irritability, frustration, or outbursts of anger, feelings of being in a fog or incapable of thinking, moving, or talking at the rate that a person normally would, anxiety, unusual aches and pains, or even thoughts of or attempts at suicide. Additional symptoms of amphetamine withdrawal that can occur when stopping the use of Adderall are nightmares or very vivid and unpleasant dreams, insomnia, problems concentrating, severe headaches, and intense cravings.
One other dangerous area of Adderall misuse and use is regarding those individuals that purchase Adderall illegally off the street. The rise of fentanyl in counterfeit prescription pills is rising, creating a worsening drug overdose crisis within the country. Over the last few years, fentanyl is being used more and more by drug dealers in drugs that are not opioids like heroin and OxyContin, and being used to cut substances like cocaine, or being used as the primary substance in fake prescription pills like Xanax and Adderall. Individuals purchase counterfeit prescription pills off the street, thinking they are legitimate pills like Xanax or Adderall, and what they are really getting is fake pills made from fentanyl. Unknowingly, they can use a dangerous amount of fentanyl and suffer either a non-fatal or fatal overdose. The widespread use of fentanyl in making counterfeit Adderall pills is increasing the danger of using Adderall off the streets and increasing the danger of suffering an overdose or dying. Many individuals that come into a detox, addiction treatment center or rehab report that they are using or misusing Adderall, but when their drug test results come back from admission, they find that they have dangerous amounts of fentanyl in their system.
A medical detox with the support of trained medical professionals and clinical staff is an important first step in stopping the use or misuse of Adderall.
While in detox, individuals will receive the necessary mental health and emotional support needed to get through the first few days of extreme discomfort. Doctors and nurses will also be able to prescribe and administer medications that can help with the physical discomfort of Adderall withdrawal. Some of these medications include anti-anxiety medication, over the counter (or OTC) pain relievers, sleep medication or sleep aids, antidepressants, and other comfort meds. During detox, clinical and recovery support staff will also help individuals identify and examine why someone had become addicted or dependent on Adderall in the first place, and what important steps can be taken after detox to continue treatment and receiving recovery support so that the individual doesn’t find themselves in the same position in the future and can find healthier alternatives and coping mechanisms to a dangerous drug like Adderall.
If you or someone you know needs help for addiction or co-occurring disorders, please give us a call. Innovo Detox offers the latest in evidence-based medical, psychiatric, and clinical care for those in need of detox and medical stabilization in Pennsylvania and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic area. If we aren’t the best fit for you or a loved one, we will take the necessary time to work with you to find a detox, rehab, treatment center or provider that better fits your needs. Please give us a call at (717) 619-3260 or email our team at info@innovodetox.com. For more information on our company or services, please visit our website at www.innovodetox.com.