Search
Close this search box.

Stimulant Abuse

Plus signs

Stimulants are a category of substances that includes both illicit and prescription drugs. For teens, stimulants can be attractive because they typically increase energy, enhance feelings of confidence and sociability, and heighten the senses. Teens may also believe that stimulant substances help them study better because they feel more alert and better able to pay attention. However, studies have found that stimulants do not increase learning or thinking ability when taken by people who have not been diagnosed with a medical condition like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, stimulants have dangerous physical and psychological effects.

What Is Stimulant Abuse?

Stimulant abuse is the improper use of prescription or illegal drugs that act as stimulants. Such substances include amphetamines, cocaine, crack, ecstasy (MDMA), and methamphetamines (meth). Additionally, many prescription medications for ADHD, including Ritalin and Adderall, contain stimulants. Close to 1.6 million people aged 12 or older reporting current nonmedical use of stimulant drugs. Teens are more likely to abuse stimulants by misusing prescription stimulant medications.

Abuse of stimulants has both psychological and physical effects. The physical effects of stimulants include raised blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate. Stimulant abuse may also lead to unsafely elevated body temperature, irregular heartbeat, heart failure, seizures, stroke, and death. Moreover, psychological effects can include hostility, paranoia, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations.

Stimulant abuse does not technically include caffeine addiction. While caffeine does produce a small rise in dopamine, it does not cause the large dopamine surge that unbalances the reward circuits in the brain and thus can lead to addiction. Rather, regular use of caffeine to avoid withdrawal symptoms is known as caffeine dependence.

Sources: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services AdministrationNational Institute on Drug Abuse

It's Time to Make a Change

We Can Help You on Your Path to Mental Wellness

Teens smoking weed out of a bong; in need of treatment for THC dependency.
Clinical

Understanding THC vs. CBD: A Guide for Concerned Parents

In today’s rapidly evolving landscape of substance use, parents and guardians may find themselves uncertain, trying to understand the intricate world of cannabis products, whose popularity among teenagers has seen

A young lady suffering from depression due to highly stressful school work.

School Stress and Teen Depression: Navigating the Challenges

Table of Contents Understanding the mental health challenges faced by our teenagers is a real concern for many parents and guardians. The journey through adolescence is often paved with various pressures, among which school-related stress stands prominent. This stress, if

A young female teen vaping while at school.

Physical Signs That Your Teen Is Vaping Too Much

Table of Contents Parents and guardians across the United States share a growing concern that resonates deeply—a concern for the well-being of their teenagers amidst the widespread phenomenon of vaping. Raising teenagers in today’s world, where the allure of vaping

Two teens smoking weed; they are in need of treatment.

Treatment and Support for Teens Struggling With THC Use

Cannabis is one of the most frequently used recreational drugs in the world with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimating that 192 million of the global population used it in 2020 [1]. The prevalence of cannabis use