Adderall Addiction
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San Diego Adderall Rehab
Our rehab center offers individualized treatment for Adderall addiction in San Diego, CA. We are staffed with trained professionals that only want the best for your physical and mental health. A substance use disorder (SUD) can be impossible to defeat without the proper treatment options. At Healthy Life Recovery, our addiction treatment center can help you take back control of your life.
What Is Adderall?
How Adderall Works
How Does Adderall Addiction Develop?
In order to abuse taking Adderall, an individual would need to take more than the dosage the doctor prescribed. Taking the drug without a prescription, and not administering it orally, are also forms of substance abuse. For instance, individuals may crush up the pill to snort the powder to get an instant high. Others may even dilute the powder and inject it, which is very dangerous.
Adderall is abused for many reasons, including:
- Weight loss
- Studying
- Athletic performance
- Recreation (to get high)
- Staying awake
Adderall’s Effects on Health
The body eventually creates a tolerance to the drug when it is being abused. The dosage will have to be increased in order to feel the same effects as before. A lethal overdose can become a serious health concern once an extreme addiction has developed.
- Chest pain
- Fainting
- Fast breathing
- Fever
- Nausea
- Shaking
- Vomiting
Amphetamines, including Adderall, have been banned by the International Olympic Committee since 1968. Athletes taking Adderall have died because their increased blood pressure leads to heatstroke and cardiac arrest.
Dependence Vs. Addiction
An addiction occurs when an individual is both physically and psychologically dependent on the substance. These people often run out of their prescriptions early due to taking more than prescribed. They then experience Adderall withdrawal, which results in going to any length to obtain more of the drug. These obsessive thoughts and cravings about Adderall are indicators of addictive behavior.
Signs of Adderall Abuse
- Wanting an increase in doses to feel the drug’s effects
- Wanting to cut down on use but not being able to
- Taking the drug despite knowledge of the drug’s harmful effects
- Not being able to finish work without the drug
- Spending a lot of time and money on the drug
- Being unable to feel alert without taking the drug
- Neglecting other normal or important activities in favor of using Adderall
- Suffering withdrawal symptoms when not using the drug
Who Abuses Adderall?
Students And Professionals
College students, in particular, make up a significant population of Adderall abuse. The drug’s ability to help one focus and stay awake for longer than normal makes it attractive to students and working professionals. This population is constantly facing ever-increasing demands at school and work.
Athletes
Athletes may abuse this drug to fight exhaustion and enhance performance during practice and in competition. In 2012, Adderall’s abuse contributed to a record-breaking year of drug-related suspensions in the National Football League.
People With Eating Disorders
People who struggle with an eating disorder may abuse this drug because it suppresses their appetite. If someone with an eating disorder becomes addicted, they will often need treatment that cares for both issues simultaneously.
Common Drug Combinations
Some common drugs that are combined with Adderall include:
Treatment & Prognosis
The individual will then need to go through a detoxification process. Depending on the dosage level and length of the substance abuse, will determine if a person needs medically supervised detoxification. Some people may choose to do this process at home. Others who abused the drug at higher levels will go through detox in a medically supervised setting.
Currently, there is no medication-assisted treatment to treat this addiction. Following detox, the most effective treatment options for Adderall addiction are behavioral health therapies. Behavioral treatment may include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Contingency Management Interventions/Motivational Incentives
- The Matrix Model
- 12-Step Groups
- Family Behavior Therapy
Inpatient Adderall Rehab
Healthy Life Recovery’s Adderall addiction treatment program offers an inpatient alternative. Inpatient facilities provide all the support and resources the patient might need for an efficient recovery. The inpatient treatment offers individual therapy, group therapy, and medication management when needed.
Residential treatment consists of 24/7 care while staying in the facility. The duration of this program usually lasts about 30 days and further assistance can be provided at an outpatient rehab center.
Outpatient Adderall Rehab
Healthy Life Recovery understands the needs of certain individuals. That is why we offer inpatient and outpatient treatment programs. Our outpatient rehab in San Diego is designed to assist patients with maintaining their commitments while receiving the necessary care to remain sober. Each outpatient service provides the ongoing structure and support for people to transition back into society.
Treatment for Adderall Abuse in San Diego, CA
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Medically Reviewed By:
Dr. Sanjai Thankachen
Dr. Sanjai Thankachen graduated from Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medicine in 2000. He completed his residency in psychiatry in 2008 at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in New York. Dr. Thankachen is currently working with Pacific Neuropsychiatric Specialists in an outpatient practice, as well as working at multiple in-patient psychiatric and medical units bringing his patients the most advanced healthcare treatment in psychiatry. Dr. Thankachen sees patients with an array of disorders, including depression, bipolar illness, schizophrenia, anxiety, and dementia-related problems.
Edited for Clinical Accuracy By:
Sean Leonard, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Sean Leonard is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. He received his master’s degree in adult geriatric primary care nurse practitioner from Walden University and a second postmaster specialty in psychiatry mental health nurse practitioner from Rocky Mountain University. Sean has experience working in various diverse settings, including an outpatient clinic, inpatient detox and rehab, psychiatric emergency, and dual diagnosis programs. His specialty areas include substance abuse, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, PTSD, ADHD, and OCD.