Jim V.
The term Stimulant drugs is a blanket term for substances that impact cognitive and physiological processes, inducing feelings of high energy, concentration, and combat tiredness or fatigue. These effects mean these drugs are popular, and often initially serve specific purposes; however the benefits do not last long, and the long-term issues such as respiratory and cardiovascular damage are significant.
Cornerstone offers high-quality and sustainable recovery treatment for stimulant addiction. Treatment for stimulant addiction is available through many different methods and is tailored to your unique, specific requirements. Typically stimulant addiction is treated over 28 days, however, Cornerstone is able to be flexible around a person’s condition, commitments, and requirements, which may mean staying in our treatment center for longer than 28 days.
Furthermore, it might be necessary to provide a detoxification treatment program, under the care of medical professionals to remove all stimulants from the body before engaging further. This is done in a non-judgemental, safe, and empathetic environment.
It is possible that your stimulant addiction began after being prescribed medication for behavioral conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; which is typically treated with the amphetamine Adderall). Adderall has been misused for many years and is often sold illegally. The emergence of methylphenidate, more commonly known as Ritalin has similarly been abused.
Amphetamines like MDMA and other synthetically manufactured amphetamines are also drugs that are easy to misuse. These drugs are often called ‘club drugs’ due to the effects they evoke in the user, such as high energy and euphoria, and so have become widely consumed by young people; use has increased dramatically in recent years. The stigma of these stimulants has reduced and it has become widely available and less expensive to buy. These stimulants are thought to be much more socially acceptable than drugs such as heroin, which has a particular connotation with being destitute. Students and younger people tend to understand stimulant use as being used for parties and special occasions, despite negative side effects and the high risk of addiction and other adverse conditions.
Misusing stimulants is widespread and runs a far higher risk of addiction and serious harm than people may be aware of or heed.
Stimulants can be easily obtained due to their high demand as both recreational and purposeful drugs, therefore increasing numbers of people develop dependencies and addictions to stimulants. It is often difficult to know how a person will respond to repeated stimulant use; as the number of people introduced to stimulants increases, the number of people with a predisposition to addiction can find themselves developing harmful addictions to the drugs.
Stimulant drugs are popular, largely, because they cause the brain to generate dopamine, a ‘feel-good’ chemical in the brain, which usually is the brain’s response to things that make us happy, like intimacy or eating food we like. When the drug wears off and our brain is devoid of dopamine, the body begins to crave the feeling of dopamine and therefore requires more stimulants to keep producing chemicals that make us feel good. This is the basic framework of how dependency and addiction take form.
Chronic stimulant abuse can have a significant impact on numerous parts of your life; it can cause strains and tensions in relationships with family, friends, colleagues, finances, and psychological and physical health. It might not be apparent to the user that these strains and tensions exist, even in our day-to-day life, but it is usually felt pointedly so by the people around us who care and love us.
The relationship between stimulants and sports has been well known in contemporary news. Many athletes have been named and shamed for abusing stimulants to progress in their chosen sport, allowing them to have a non-ethical lead over their competition and defrauding public trust. There are existing procedures to test for stimulants. However, many people continue to abuse these drugs and sophisticated methods of evasion are often continually being developed.
Stimulants that most often lead to addiction are both illegal and prescription drugs; they can have specific medical purposes or be created purely for recreational purposes, such as;
These drugs alter the central nervous system by amplifying concentration and cognitive functioning; often believed to be an aid to school or professional work. But by abusing these drugs over time, these benefits are outweighed by the harmful, significant long-term impact on the quality of life, including relationships, psychological and physical health, ability to gain and keep employment, or academic qualifications.
Stimulants may induce positive feelings and side effects, to begin with; but this is usually always followed by accumulating harmful effects. Despite whether the stimulant is medically prescribed or illegal, they all carry the risk of addiction and both short and long-term issues.
Chronic stimulant use can cause the following communicative and psychological changes when you are not taking them, such as:
Chronic, substantial stimulant abuse can cause significant psychological conditions to develop, such as:
Stimulants cause a secondary chemical called norepinephrine to be released from the brain which increases blood pressure, respiratory functions, and heart rate, which causes:
Strong doses of stimulant drugs can exacerbate the above symptoms to risky and harmful levels; if the body’s temperature and heart rate rise to a significant point it can cause seizures or heart failure.
The most typically cited risks that lead to an addiction to stimulants include:
If you are worried that you or a person close to you is struggling with an addiction to stimulants you are welcome to contact Cornerstone to discuss your concerns in whatever level of detail you feel comfortable with.
It is also possible to come to our treatment center for a complimentary assessment. For serious cases, an appointment can be made immediately with one of our consultant psychiatrists.
The assessment will be the primary step before engaging in our customized treatment program, where the focus will be on understanding your addiction and its underlying causes and consequences. Cornerstone offers a wide variety of therapeutic approaches from a team of experienced practitioners. We understand drug addiction treatment is not effective as a ‘one size fits all’ method. The treatment plan will be implemented by taking into consideration the stimulating substance that is abused, the severity of the addiction, and whether stimulants are still in the system on arrival at Cornerstone. Following your assessment you will be included in planning an effective and comprehensive treatment plan to assist you through recovery to a bright, positive future, free from stimulant addiction.
Read more: Drug Detox Center Orange County
For some people addicted to stimulants, it may be necessary to utilize a medically assisted detox program to help deal with physical withdrawals. In our detoxification programs, we bring our team of therapists, psychologists, and medical professionals together to plan and monitor a custom detox program.
Sudden withdrawal from stimulants can result in severe health complications. Without proper medical care and attention in a professionally planned and monitored detox program, the withdrawal process is a dangerous or even deadly part of trying to get sober. Cornerstone understands that the notion of withdrawal and detox can seem daunting which is why we work with patients for them to understand the strategy, what to expect, and how their treatment will move forward.
Find out more about our Stimulant Detox Program, call us now: (714) 547-5375
After the detoxification process has been completed, treatment for stimulant addiction will typically involve a combination of one-to-one and group therapy sessions.
The one-on-one therapy sessions provide a safe and confidential space to review the treatment is developing and give a chance to express any worries, discuss challenges, or elements of the recovery process you are pleased or proud of. It can be especially powerful to reflect on any changes, emotionally and physically as you move forward in your recovery from stimulant addiction.
Cornerstone provides psychotherapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) which has a wealth of empirical evidence as a highly effective problem solving, practical method to uncover the true roots of addiction. It can help recognize what triggers exist, what led the person to feel compelled to take stimulants, what they were hoping to achieve, and why they felt unable to tackle them without stimulants.
In individual therapy, a person has space and support to implement and consider new and healthy ways to deal with stressful events and triggers, forgive themselves for failures, and to let go of painful memories that stimulants had helped mask. The combination of therapeutic approaches available at Cornerstone can go far to prevent relapse and enable a person to start building a happy future free from addiction.
Our Locations and support areas.
You can find us in Orange County, California. Our centers are located in convenient areas so you can get to us without any problem. Please contact us at: (714) 547-5375. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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