Stimulants: Tips for teens about drugs

According to a survey done in 2017, it was reported that around 50% of American teens had misused a drug at least once in their lifetime. Drug abuse is becoming a rising trend, especially for teenagers.

However, many important facts about certain drugs are overlooked by many teens. Below, we will share some tips regarding stimulants. These essential details can help you evade the path of addiction and might end up saving your life.

If your teen has fallen into drug use, reach out to the young adult rehab center for help.

Stimulants

Stimulants are drugs that give you a short boost of alertness and energy. They are mostly used for medical reasons, but like most of the drugs, they carry some downsides to them too.

Stimulants are known by different names. Bennies, dexies, pep pills, speed, black beauties, uppers, red doxies, red pep, blue pill, wake-ups, lid poppers, truck drivers, rids, ritties, r pop, vitamin R, R ball, study buddies, smarties etc. are some of the most common slang terms for stimulants.

There are some crucial details and tips for these drugs every teen should be aware of. Let’s take a look:

Negative effects: Prescription stimulants are mostly used for treating Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy. They are prescribed to increase alertness, concentration, and attention. With that being said, misusing them can lead to problems such as heart attack, damage to nerves, stomach and possible strokes or seizures.
Stimulants can affect your brain: Stimulants increase the activity of chemicals in the brain such as dopamine and norepinephrine. Rewarding experiences lead to dopamine release that can lead to addictive behavior. Norepinephrine also affects your blood vessels, blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, and breathing rate. Misuse of such stimulants for even a short period of time can lead to hallucinations, paranoia, and anger.
Stimulants can be addictive: Approximately 1 million people aged 12 or older misused prescription stimulants for the first time in the past year in 2018. It is estimated that 561,000 people aged 12 or older had a stimulant use disorder (means their stimulants were causing problems with their health, school or relationships.)

Some common questions and confusions

Q: Will all prescription stimulants make me smarter?

Ans: No. They can improve performance for people that have ADHD but don’t work for other people. Stimulants have an impact on your sleep which is vital for memory and learning.

Q: Lots of people have prescriptions for stimulants, so aren’t they safe to use for everyone?

Ans: No. Overuse can result in serious side effects such as dangerous heart-related symptoms of heart attack and stroke.

Q: If I have a stimulant prescription for ADHD but feel like I need to take more than what was initially prescribed, is it safe to do so?

Ans: No. It’s never a good idea to take more medicine than prescribed. It can lead to increased psychosis, risk of heart attack, stroke, and addiction.

How can you tell if your friend is using stimulants?

Some potential side effects and symptoms include:

Increased blood pressure and heart rate
Increased breathing
Dangerously high body temperature and sweating
Irregular heartbeat
Heart failure
Seizures
Irritability
Rapid Speech and difficulty concentrating

If your friend is using stimulants, don’t hesitate to consider rehab for young adults in Tampa.

Before you take Stimulants, consider these

Know the law: Taking prescription stimulants without a valid prescription or their use for other than prescribed is illegal.
Know the risks: If taken in a way not prescribed, they can increase a person’s risk of dangerous health issues including heart attack, stroke or even death – especially when taken through the nose or injected through veins.
Look around you: In reality, not many people use stimulants other than what was prescribed to them. Only a very small number of individuals take the risk. In 2018, only 1.5% of people between ages 12 and 17 had misused stimulants in the past year.

The Takeaway

Any kind of stimulant including prescription ones can be dangerous and even deadly. It is highly advisable to reach out to your doctor, parents, or elders if you have any misuse problem with stimulants or any questions.