A stimulant use disorder is when someone gets addicted to drugs classified as stimulants. This includes drugs like cocaine, methamphetamines, ecstasy, MDMA, and others. Currently, methamphetamines and ecstasy are two of the most popular illegal stimulants in South Africa. A stimulant use disorder is when you take these drugs willingly, even though you know they harm your body.
Stimulant use disorders are very dangerous. Even when they don’t result in overdose and death, stimulants have many negative side effects on your body and can cause various health problems. If you have a stimulant use disorder, you must seek professional medical and mental health assistance.
Because stimulants are also used for medicinal purposes, it’s possible to take stimulants and not have a stimulant use disorder. However, when you use them for non-medical purposes where they’re hurting your body rather than helping it, you have a stimulant use disorder. Here are a few ways to know you have a stimulant addiction and some of the symptoms you’ll experience.
These withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, depression, mood swings, sweating, accelerated heart rate, paranoia, and others. If you are experiencing these or symptoms related to stimulant use disorder, contact a doctor immediately.
A stimulant use disorder is when you take stimulants at the expense of your personal health. Anyone can get addicted to stimulants when they choose to purchase them illegally. However, a few risk factors put certain people more at risk for developing a stimulant use disorder than others.
One of the leading causes of stimulant use disorders is when people accidentally get addicted to them. This happens most frequently when people get stimulants prescribed by their medical provider.
Your environment plays a major factor in whether or not you are prone to a stimulant use disorder. If you spend time around people who abuse stimulants, you’re more likely to start the habit yourself.
People who have high-stress jobs, are college students, or have a lot of stress in their personal lives are more prone to turn to stimulants to cope with their anxiety. It’s then very easy for them to get addicted and develop a stimulant use disorder.
Doctors will mostly rely on your personal history and symptoms when diagnosing a substance abuse disorder. If you admit to using stimulants and display withdrawal symptoms, they will diagnose you with a stimulant use disorder. They may also order a blood panel, urine sample, and toxicology report to determine if you have stimulants in your system.
Recovering from a stimulant use disorder is a difficult mental and physical process. While you can optionally recover from a stimulant addiction in your home, you’ll have a better chance of recovering in an inpatient or outpatient rehab facility. Because of the physical dangers of withdrawal, people with severe addictions will require medical attention during their recovery.
Whether you decide to recover from your stimulant addiction at home, in an inpatient facility, or at an outpatient facility, your treatment should include the following.
Because of the dangers of relapsing into stimulant addiction, it’s important to have people around you who can help you in case you start to get cravings again.