Amphetamine FAQ
What are Amphetamines?
Amphetamine is a strong synthetic stimulant drug that is manufactured by pharmaceutical companies for medical uses and by illicit laboratories for black market trading. Its effect is to stimulate a person to greater wakefulness and energy, bypassing the body’s usual pathways for creating energy. A person using amphetamines may be extremely active and talkative, will not sleep in a normal pattern and is likely to have little or no appetite. If amphetamines are abused continuously, the person may stay awake and fail to eat for long periods, leading to a physical crash.
What Forms Can Amphetamine Be Found In?
Amphetamines given medically are normally in pill form. Medically, amphetamines are prescribed with brand names Benzedrine or Dexedrine. An amphetamine salt makes up the majority of the hyperactivity drug Adderall. Illicit amphetamine is often a white or light colored powder.
What Problems Can Amphetamines Cause?
Amphetamines are addictive, whether they are taken medically or illicitly. They can cause blurred vision, dizziness or restlessness. A person may not realize when they are exhausted and so may endanger their health by failing to rest. Recent research shows that amphetamine users are at three times the risk of developing an aortic aneurysm, a tear in the large artery carrying blood away from the heart, a condition that is most often fatal if not treated promptly. After a longer period of using amphetamines, a drug user can become exhausted, run down, ill, anxious and paranoid, even violent and aggressive.
- http://www.drugs.com/amphetamine.html
- http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/62490/title/Amphetamine_abusers__face_blood_vessel_risk
What Happens if a Person Addicted to Amphetamine Withdraws from the Drug?
Withdrawal symptoms chiefly consist of severe mental and physical fatigue and depression due to the depletion of the body’s normal nutritional and chemical balances. The recovering person may have an increased appetite. They may sleep long periods and experience anxiety and agitation when awake. Their dreams may be sharp and clear and they may think about suicide.
What Do People Who Take Amphetamines Experience?
They produce higher energy levels, a release of social inhibitions and feelings of power and confidence. A person who injects amphetamines also feels a strong euphoric rush. This feeling usually only lasts a few hours and then the drug user may inject more drugs to chase that feeling again.
What Areas of the World are Having Trouble with Amphetamine Trafficking or Abuse?
Areas found to be shipping large illicit shipments of amphetamines in 2010 were Hong Kong (SAR), Zambia, China, Spain, the UK, and the US. Australia also has problems with illicit labs creating the drug for domestic abuse. And in western Asia, amphetamine is found in a drug called “Captagon,” a widely trafficked illicit drug that is named after a defunct prescription drug. In Europe, the Baltic States and Poland have developed problems with amphetamine abuse. In the Scandinavian countries, in particular, amphetamine abuse exists side by side with methamphetamine abuse.
Can a Person Recover from Amphetamine Addiction?
Yes, it is entirely possible to recover from an addiction to medical or illicit amphetamines. It is particularly important to support a recovering amphetamine addict with good food and nutritional supplements as the body of an amphetamine addict is normally quite depleted due to the poor diet and long periods with rest caused by the drug.
Can Narconon Help with Amphetamine Addiction?
Many people have come to Narconon centers after being addicted to amphetamines and have gone home clean and sober, to live productive enjoyable lives again. The Narconon drug rehabilitation program has been very successful helping all types of addicts, including amphetamine addicts.
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