Recently there has been and increase in kids using legal stimulants to get high. There are many legal stimulants on the market that one can go into a store and buy very easily. Even though they are legal, does not mean that they are not dangerous. There are many kids that are overdosing on these drugs or even dying. Some of the drugs that are available are what are called designer drugs. This means that they are made in a lab by a chemist and mimic the effects of other drugs that are illegal. The chemical makeups of these designer drugs are different than their illegal counterpart so they are able to fly under the legal radar. Some of the scariest of the stimulants that are available to date are a line that are sold as bath salts or plant food.
Not long ago Mary Rieser, Director of Narconon of Georgia, held a few Narconon Meetings about these drugs. She had recently had a couple of clients come into the Narconon center for addictions to these drugs and saw the dastardly effects that the drugs had on the people that were trying to come off of them. She researched the topic further and then had this to say about it: “The use of these drugs is not to be taken lightly. Kids are able to buy these drugs in the gas stations and in head shops with nothing more stopping them than the ability to produce an ID that says that they are over eighteen. If they don’t buy them with a fake ID, they get someone who is over eighteen to buy it for them. It is the same practice that kids have been using for years to buy alcohol and cigarettes. Many of these teens feel that because these drugs are legal that they are not dangerous. This is just simply not the case. Parents can have a hard time catching their child using these drugs because there is no drug test available currently that tests for them. It is getting to the point where I recommend searching your teen’s room or car if you have a suspicion that your child is using these drugs. If parents do find out that their child is using they need to have a long talk with them and warn them of the very serious risks that are associated with bath salt use. Parents may at this point need to look into finding addiction treatment for their child. These drugs are very addictive.”
Risks of Stimulants on the Body
Long term use of stimulants, whether legal or not, can be devastating to a persons physical and mental health. They can cause heart damage in the way of irregular heart beat, an enlarged heart as well as heart failure. People who use stimulants often do not eat a proper diet and can also suffer from mal-nutrition. There is also a risk of stroke associated with stimulant use. In addition to causing physical problems, studies have shown that long term stimulant abuse can affect someone’s brain as well as their behavior. Below is a list of behavior changes that can be found in a person who has abused stimulants over a long period of time.
- Aggressive behavior that is not appropriate for current situation
- Paranoia
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Hearing voices
- Paranoia about conspiracy toward the individual
A person who abuses stimulants over a long period of time will often suffer from a lack of sleep because the stimulants keep them awake and make it hard to rest. People need rest for their bodies as well as their minds and when they do not get the sleep that they need they will be affected by it. In addition to not getting enough sleep, people who are abusing stimulants often do not eat enough either. Both of these factors can cause the person to become paranoid and suffer paranoid delusions and in some cases, even have hallucinations. A person suffering from this type of psychosis often resembles someone who has schizophrenia. They are often treated as such in medical facilities, especially if the topic of their drug abuse never comes to light.
Study Drug Abuse
Another group of legal stimulants that are being abused are what is known as study drugs. These are the drugs that are often prescribed to kids as well as to adults to treat ADD/ADHD. They are not legal to possess without a prescription, but many people go to their doctor saying that they have the symptoms of ADD or ADHD and get a prescription. It is also possible to buy them off the internet from different drug dealers; many of them are located out of the country so they are able to get them legally without getting in trouble. The people who doctor shop and get prescriptions without really needing them either keep them for their own use or sell them to others. There are even teenagers that have access to their own medication that do not take what is prescribed to them, but instead sell it to their friends. This trend is becoming more and more common and is very dangerous. Parents definitely need to be aware of what is going on in their children’s lives and do whatever they can to prevent this type of behavior.
Anyone who is suffering from an addiction to stimulants really should look into going into a long term rehab facility. This addiction can be very dangerous and detrimental to a person’s physical as well as mental health. It is definitely not something that needs to be looked at lightly. Many people have died as a result of stimulant abuse, either by using it themselves or at the hands of someone that was under the influence of this type of drug.
