Stimulants

Stimulants are a category of substances that increase activity of the central nervous system, making the user feel more energetic, confident, awake, and alert. There are two kinds of stimulants, illicit (illegal) and legal stimulants. Legal stimulants are prescribed to treat disorders like ADHD, and have the potential for abuse. Some examples of legal stimulants:

• Ritalin
• Adderall
• Concerta

Illegal stimulants are those that are made and acquired illegally, examples of these include:

• cocaine
• methamphetamine
• crack

Continuous stimulant abuse can affect the brain’s structure by decreasing the production of endorphins, our feel-good hormones, without consuming higher amounts of the altering substance. The combination of tolerance, physical dependence, and psychological feelings can lead to addiction.

Stimulant abuse is a rising problem:

• ⅔ of young adults have abused prescription stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin.
• 1.9 million people in the U.S. suffer from stimulant use disorder.

Symptoms of stimulant abuse are:

• decrease in appetite
• weight loss
• twitches or jitteriness
• rapid heartbeat
• sweating
• skin problems
• hyperfocus
• flight of ideas
• paranoia
• anger/aggression