Can You Become Addicted to Adderall? What are Symptoms of Adderall Addiction?
What is Adderall?
Adderall is the brand name of a prescription medication primarily used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adults. It is thought to help people with ADHD control their activities and increase their attention spans. Adderall is a combination of two powerful stimulant drugs, amphetamine and dextroamphetamine.
Adderall abuse can be hard to recognize. People often abuse Adderall to enhance alertness and productivity. They are often motivated individuals that don’t look like a stereotypical drug user. Most often, those who abuse Adderall are students, athletes and young professionals.
Contrary to widespread belief, Adderall does not help people without ADHD to think or focus. Young people who do not have ADHD but are taking Adderall to get better grades in school or gain an academic advantage are at risk for potentially deadly side effects.
Because Adderall increases dopamine levels, it can trigger a feeling of euphoria among people who don’t have a medical reason to take it. It has become a drug of choice among people trying to get high.
Can you become addicted to Adderall?
Adderall can be habit-forming if you take it in larger doses, more often, or for longer than recommended by your doctor.
Signs of Adderall abuse may include:
- Being overly talkative
- Loss of appetite
- Unusual excitability
- Social withdrawal
- Financial troubles
- Aggression
- Sleeping for long periods of time
- Secretive behavior
- Exhaustion
- Excessive weight loss
- Memory loss
- Incomplete thoughts
- Relationship problems
- Decline in personal hygiene
- Frequently taking pills
- Financial difficulties
- Overworking or overconcentrating
- Running out of prescriptions early
- Disorientation
- Mania
- Impulsive behaviors
Dangerous and even life-threatening side effects of Adderall abuse may include:
- Convulsions
- Paranoia
- Irregular heartbeat
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Hallucinations
- Sexual dysfunction
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Dry mouth
- Lack or loss of strength
- Weight loss
- Constipation
- False sense of well-being
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Lower back or side pain
- Twitching
- Seizures
- Peeling skin
- Overdose
Adderall Overdose
Amphetamines such as Adderall are so widely used that is essential that everyone has a firm grasp on its overdose potential and overdose symptoms. If you see any of these symptoms in your own life or someone you love, seek emergency help.
Symptoms of an Adderall overdose may include:
- Extreme restlessness
- Confusion
- Aggression
- Panic attack
- Hallucinations
- Rapid breathing
- Fever
- Tremors
- Extreme fatigue
- Racing heart
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
Let Us Help You Find Treatment Options
Don’t let Adderall abuse ruin your life. Our staff is standing by to answer any questions you might have about abuse, addiction, or treatment.
It’s important to recognize, abuse and addiction don’t happen in a vacuum. The path to recovery and wholeness involves getting to the root the problem. To get at underlying hurt and bring lasting healing takes a holistic—spirit, mind and body—approach to addiction diagnosis, management and treatment.
At Honey Lake Clinic, our experienced doctors and staff strongly believe that faith-based treatment, encompassing spiritual, physical and mental health, will help clients and their families bring spiritual power and clearer psychological understanding to their healing and recovery.