Are stimulants becoming the newest epidemic?

[nic123]

As I watch my marriage unfold due to my STBX husband's addictions, Adderall being the prime reason, I started sharing my story with others. I was so desperate to figure out how my marriage collapse within a year and a half of my husband getting on Adderall. I know Adderall was a big factor in the dramatic change in my husband. and I wanted to understand what the hell happened. I began sharing my story, and I have had quite a few people tell me that they were prescribed low doses of Adderall and they were not even diagnosed with ADD. The more I talked to people the more it appear to me these stimulants are getting passed out like candy. These are prescriptions that effect the brain and it seems anyone can get a prescription if using the right terms with doctors. There are websites to instruct a person to fake ADD by telling doctors specific symptoms so they can get prescribed these medications. I feel doctors are becoming very negligent with their prescriptions in this country and are too quick to whip out their prescription pad. With the recent crackdown on opiates in the country, I was wondering if there was such a thing as a stimulant epidemic, so began searching and I came across this article from April 2018. I'm sure there will be more articles to come.

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20180403/experts-warn-of-emerging-stimulant-epidemic

I hope this gets the same amount of attention soon as the opiates epidemic, because I feel this is much worse.

[DrewK15]

Interesting topic @nic123. I’ve spent quite a bit of time contemplating this myself. I believe at this point drug culture is firmly entrenched in the American way of life. It’s a sad, but true fact. Many of us turn to drugs for a sense of well being we can’t find elsewhere. ‘Well being’ sells, in that way I believe all drug ‘epidemics’ are similar.

 

What makes amphetamine dangerous is it feels like clarity although it greatly alters us. It symbolizes "stimulation not intoxication”, “greater awareness, not escape", "confidence and articulacy rather than rowdiness”. Hopefully in the future people become more educated about the risks, as has happened with opioid painkillers.

[Frank B]

Had a childhood friend older brother just OD from cocaine laced with fentanyl. Taking any drugs off the streets these days is really risky can see more people looking to get adderall scripts since OxyContin restrictions and the risk of any street drug. To be honest I don’t care much if junkies seek it out what gets me is parents giving it to children and adults taking it for help and not realize what they are getting into. Doctors never tell you what happens after long term use and always play down the difficulty of quitting. 

[Danquit]

Stimulants are the perfect drug because you can still go to work and “function” on it. I’ve heard people justify using it because they want to be a contributing member of society. They are able to get along for a while until it all falls apart. I have a friend who basically lives and works and does the bare minimum raising his kids all so he can keep using Adderall. It’s very sad to see now that I know what exactly he’s going through from the other side. I’ve made it through recovery after 3 years of a very tough journey and I just feel so bad knowing what it will take for him to get off. I can’t imagine how anyone can take this for the rest of their lives. 

Sadly, it’s a part of our society now and I think there are more people getting in stimulants than there are getting off. All we can do is keep sharing our experiences so people who are searching for help can find information to help in their quit. The government isnt gonna do anything because well, money. There are plenty of people still defending Adderall because they need their “medication”.

Keep sharing information and hopefully the truth will steer some away from this awful drug.