Stimulant Addiction Treatment in Los Angeles
Stimulant addiction is an often unseen addiction, often fueled by the need to succeed or to “get it all done.” But addiction to stimulant drugs is just as serious and life-impacting as an addiction to any other drug. We at Recovery Zone LA work to equip you with the knowledge you need to overcome addiction in our treatment programs, with personalized treatment plans designed to address individual needs on the path to sobriety
What are Stimulants?
Stimulants consist of drugs like cocaine (powdered and liquid), Adderall, methamphetamine (meth), and some prescription medications.
Stimulants can cause neurological and physical addiction through their euphoric effects and interactions with the central nervous system. Over time, the brain makes room for the stimulant in its processes. The body may begin to crave and even require these drugs to hold off withdrawal symptoms and keep the body’s systems working.
Signs and Symptoms of Stimulant Addiction
Stimulant addiction manifests as numerous behavioral, mental, and physical indicators. Talk to an addiction specialist immediately if any of the following signs and symptoms describe you (or someone you love):
Financial Instability
As addiction persists, spending on drugs can be exacerbated to the point of financial ruin. The drugs may feel more important or more essential than anything else, leading to the person spending more money (or working to earn more money) solely for the purpose of purchasing more. If there are problems with the law as a result of drug use, there may be extra expenses due to fines or lawyer fees
Disrupted Sleep Patterns
Individuals with stimulant dependency may have extreme difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep (depending on individual bodily reactions). This is due to the drugs inciting extra activity from the body’s systems. Many medication-assisted addiction treatment programs include effective sleep aids to counter drug-induced sleep problems.
Irritability/Mood Swings
Stimulant users may be quick to anger, easily irritated, or become hot-tempered over minor disagreements or infractions. This can occur as a direct side effect of drug use or withdrawal symptoms within as little as a few hours of the last use.
Bloodshot Eyes
Redness around the whites of the eyes is one of the most evident giveaways of drug use, including for stimulants. This isn’t always a permanent side effect. But it may indicate that stimulant use has become a habit that affects the person far after the initial use of the drug has ended.
Inability to Refrain from Drug Use
Many people who suffer from substance abuse believe they can stop anytime. However, this can often prove very difficult in practice. Consuming more drugs than originally intended and being unable to refrain from using drugs (even if the person wants to stop) is a definite side of addiction. This includes people who keep using drugs solely to avoid uncomfortable and severe withdrawal symptoms.
Social Withdrawal
Many people associate stimulants with active social settings, such as sharing cocaine at a party. But an individual with an addiction will usually seclude themselves from social situations or interactions over time. This includes shutting themselves down from even their closest friends and family members by avoiding their loved ones entirely. This can be out of shame, a feeling that the family member doesn’t understand them, or annoyance that “all they want to talk about is my drug use” (among other reasons that may feel logical in the moment).
Short-Term Effects of Stimulants
All stimulants’ short-term impacts can lead to long-term consequences with prolonged use. Bearing that in mind, here are a few of the most immediate effects of stimulants:
Disorientation
This can consist of atmospheric fuzziness, double or darkened vision, or other visual hindrances. This may cause the drug user to be a danger to themselves or others due to a lack of circumstantial awareness. Indicators of disorientation can include staggered walking, excessive squinting, or general obliviousness to one’s circumstances.
Rapid or Slurred Speech
Cognitive functions like speech are heavily impaired when under the influence of stimulants. These speaking detriments can be severe to barely detectable. But slurred words are usually accompanied by accelerated speech when stimulants are involved.
Reckless Behavior
Stimulant use can lead to a high likelihood of reckless behavior that poses a danger to the stimulant user and those around them. The drug may give them a feeling of grandiosity or genius, giving them the confidence to attempt dangerous or risky behaviors (such as driving under the influence) when they may normally judge it as too risky in their typical state.
High Blood Pressure
Stimulants can induce full-body contraction of the blood vessels, known as vasoconstriction. As a result, your body has to pump blood harder and faster to funnel nutrition and oxygen to your vital organs. If left untreated, this strain on the body can lead to permanent high blood pressure and/or vascular deficiencies.
Accelerated Heart Rate
Stimulants force the heart to pump faster, to compensate for the stimulants’ effects on the blood vessels. This short-term effect is dangerous and can prove to be fatal for individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular problems. But even without underlying conditions, this can induce immediate heart trauma (up to and including cardiac arrest) in healthy individuals. This is a particular risk with stimulant overdoses.
Seizures or Convulsions
In individuals with allergic reactions to stimulants or whose bodies reject the presence of stimulants, seizures and convulsions may occur. This is also the case for overdose instances wherein the body has reached fatal limits. Any time seizures or convulsions are involved with stimulants, it is a serious and life-threatening situation.
Long-Term Effects of Stimulants
There are long-term, permanent consequences of stimulant addiction. They may not appear as severe or devastating as the effects of alcoholism or methamphetamine addiction, but they are very real and can affect the health of long-term users in permanent ways. If you fear your stimulant use is beginning to cause adverse health effects, get help now
Cardiovascular Defects
Over time, prolonged stimulant use can weaken heart vessels and muscles irreparably. This may present as arrhythmia, heart murmurs, and congestive heart failure (among other conditions). Most of this damage can be directly attributed to the overall weakening of the valves and muscles that can occur as a result of the overactivity incited by stimulant use.
Mental Health Conditions
Stimulants can be equally harmful to mental health as they are to your physical health. These can vary by individual due to personalized reactions to these drugs, as well as personal inclination toward mental illness. But stimulants may agitate the symptoms of pre-existing mental health conditions such as personality disorders, depression, and especially anxiety disorders.
Harm to Central Nervous System
Stimulants’ effects on the body all stem from their impact on the central nervous system. Researchers have tied stimulants to higher susceptibility to conditions like Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, and other central nervous system problems. This will be highly dependent on individual health, but those with a disposition toward these conditions may wish to be extra cautious around stimulant use.
Respiratory Problems
Prolonged stimulant abuse can lead to pulmonary edema, a condition where fluid builds up in the lungs. Other respiratory problems that can be tied to stimulant use include hemorrhaging in the lungs, hypertension, and infections.
Stimulant Addiction Treatment Programs
At Recovery Zone LA, our treatment plans are designed for each person who comes to us asking for help. After a brief assessment, our intake professionals may recommend you enter a particular treatment program so you can work to sustain recovery efforts in your life. Not every program works for every person! What’s most important is sustained recovery.
- Intensive Outpatient Programs: IOP treatment is a highly personalized treatment designed to provide steady support based around the person’s obligations. This is a frequent choice for people who are raising children, working full-time, or who generally feel that they cannot fully step away from their lives to focus solely on addiction recovery.
- Partial Hospitalization Programs: Partial hospitalization programs are reserved for individuals who need more intensive care (and perhaps extra medical support) than what is provided in an IOP. Individuals frequently attend treatment for several hours per day and then return home (or to a sober living facility) at the end of the day.
- Outpatient Programs: Traditional outpatient programs have lower monitoring restrictions and greater scheduling flexibility than inpatient programs. People considering this treatment option typically have less intense addictions, already have a strong support system, and have a stable living situation.
- Outpatient Detox: Outpatient detox programs are designed to rid the body of addictive substances in a way that will put less strain on the body. Medical support is available to immediately address any complications that may arise and help avoid lasting damage or trauma to the body as a result of detox.
- Dual Diagnosis Treatment: For individuals who’ve been diagnosed with mental health disorders in addition to addiction, dual diagnosis therapy is the most recommended recovery technique. By learning healthy coping mechanisms and management techniques for one’s mental health, an individual will be less tempted to use addictive substances for the purpose of self-medicating mental health symptoms.
Contact Recovery Zone LA for Stimulant Addiction Treatment
Your addiction battles can end as your recovery journey begins at Recovery Zone LA. We pride ourselves on helping people build lives they love without the presence of stimulants. Reach out to us today to begin your journey to a sober life. It’s never too late to ask for help.
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