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Hall - Stimulants - Treatment, Therapy, and Alternatives

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 - Stimulants - Treatment, Therapy, and Alternatives [Image] Retrieved from https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/stimulant-addiction/treatment-rehab/ While different stimulants can have varying effects, they have similarities as well. All stimulants affect brain neurotransmitters, and when misused, they can create a euphoric high for those who take them (Recovery Village, n.d.). All stimulants raise heart rate and blood pressure and speed up other essential functions controlled by the central nervous system. Stimulants are primarily addictive substances because they affect neurotransmitters like dopamine (Recovery Village, n.d.). This is what makes people feel high, and is also what triggers a reward response that can cause stimulant addiction. When someone is addicted to stimulants, there are different treatment options available. Regardless of specifics to the program, treatment should help people stop the compulsive use and seeking of stimulants or other substances they may be using (
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Hall - Stimulants - Comorbidity and Addictions

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  - Stimulants - Comorbidity and Addictions [Image] Retrieved from https://www.additudemag.com/general-questions-about-comorbid-conditions/ Overview: Many people live with comorbidity, as in two or more disorders or illnesses. The disorders or illnesses occur at the same time or one right after the other. This can also be referred to as a “ dual diagnosis ”. A drug addiction can be one of these illnesses, changing the brain in fundamental ways. Around half of the people who have a substance use disorder also develop other mental illnesses, just as people who are diagnosed with mental illness are often diagnosed with a substance use disorder (NIDA, 2018). Few studies have been done on comorbidity in children, but those that have been conducted suggest that youth with substance use disorders also have high rates of co-occurring mental illness, such as depression and anxiety (NIDA, 2018). How Comorbidity Can Relate To Stimulants: Prescribed stimulants are typically used to treat ADHD. Whi
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Hall - Stimulants - The Family and Addictions

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  - Stimulants - The Family and Addictions [Image] Retrieved from https://thedawnrehab.com/blog/family-disease-addiction/ Addictions are usually damaging for everyone involved. Even having just one family member struggling with substance abuse can impact the entire group of family and friends (The Dawn Rehab, n.d.). Frequently, growing up in a household with at least one parent with addiction causes the vicious cycle of addiction to continue over generations (The Dawn Rehab, n.d.). Unfortunately, addiction is becoming more and more common nowadays.  In fact, many people can recall a memory that involves addiction. Those who were exposed to the effects of addiction at a young age know first hand how difficult it can be to grow up in that kind of environment (The Dawn Rehab, n.d.). Opiate addiction, psychostimulant addiction  and other types of addiction are often seen as  variants of the same disorder  (Badiani, et al., 2011). Families of addicts regularly deal with a ton of stress. Th
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Hall - Stimulants - Attitudes of the Culture

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 - Stimulants - Attitudes of the Culture [Image] Retrieved from https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-benefits-of-framing-culture-as-a-management-system/ College students are known for their experimental use of drugs and alcohol at this particular stage in their lives, but are they interested in stimulant use? "The non-medical use of stimulants for  academic performance enhancement is becoming a  more common practice among college and university  students" (Ponnet et al., 2015). It appears that most college students seek the use of stimulants not to get a high or escape reality, but with the belief that it will help them focus and concentrate on their studies. This attitude can greatly influence a group of college students. For example, if JoAnn experiments with stimulants and feels she retained more information while studying for an exam, then finds out she scored better than she typically does, she then shares this with her friends who now want to see if they can benefit
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Hall - Stimulants - Current Events

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  - Stimulants - Current Events [Image] Retrieved from https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2021/08/17/cns-stimulants-adhd-addiction-amphetamine-opioid/ The drug overdose epidemic here in the United States continues to worsen, and fatal overdoses involving stimulants (such as cocaine and other psychostimulants, primarily methamphetamine) have been increasing during the past few years (Hoots, Vivolo & Seth, 2020). The Covid-19 pandemic has effected the world and everyone in it, in some way or another. Conditions such as anxiety and depression aren’t the only mental health issues people have been facing since the pandemic.  Experts are saying that misuse of opioids and stimulants is also on the rise (Abramson, 2021).  A new study has found that the amount of adults using two widely prescribed stimulants (amphetamines and methylphenidate) has almost doubled over a recent five-year period (Silverman, 2021). Since stimulants can be highly addictive, this is raising much concern over the p
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Hall - Stimulants - Introduction

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  - Stimulants - [Image] Retrieved from https://elevaterecoveryma.com/stimulants/ Introduction: Stimulants are psychoactive drugs which stimulate increased activity in the brain as well as the alertness in the nervous system (Elevate Recovery Center, n.d.).  They can make a person feel more awake, alert, confident or energetic (ADF, 2021).  Stimulants consist of a wide category of pharmacologic substances that include freely available items (such as coffee, tobacco, and sports drinks); behind the counter medication (such as pseudoephedrine); prescription medication (such as amphetamine); and clandestine-lab-synthesized drugs (such as speed, ecstasy, and cocaine) (Erikson, 2011). When used as medication, stimulants can be used to treat cognitive and physical conditions (such as fatigue with shift-work sleep disorder), to decrease appetite, to improve focus for those with ADHD, and for treating clinical depression (Erikson, 2011). However, stimulants can also induce "stimulus psycho
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