Amphetamines cause the user to feel powerful, in control and stimulated in a way that promotes increased energy, euphoria and a state of alertness. Unfortunately, amphetamines also have a habit-forming potential which can lead to physical and psychological dependence. Amphetamine addiction can actually result in the user feeling exactly opposite of how the drug would normally make him or her feel resulting in feelings of extreme depression and exhaustion.
The most common amphetamine addiction symptoms are:
Mood Swings
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Users who take amphetamine for a continued period of time are likely to experience extreme shifts in mood, especially when the drugs are not available. These mood swings could include bi-polar-like reactions that include feeling very happy followed by feeling very sad or they may include agitation or anxiety. Most of the time, when amphetamines are available, the user will feel good but when the drugs are not available the user will be moody, unhappy, unpleasant and otherwise agitated.
Sleep Disorders
One of the most commonly overlooked amphetamine addiction symptoms is associated with the sleep disorders that a user may experience when he or she is addicted. Users may stay awake for days or even a week on amphetamines causing them to act irrationally and otherwise impaired. These long periods of staying awake are followed by extended periods of sleep. Some users suffer from insomnia when they stop taking amphetamines while others may have extended periods of sleep that last more than 48 hours at a time.
Anxiety & Paranoia
In some cases, amphetamine addiction can lead to heightened anxiety and paranoia. These are two very common amphetamine addiction symptoms that are also difficult to deal with and can be dangerous to the user. Anxiety can lead to panic attacks and paranoia may cause a user to believe things that are not true or to make up reasons why he or she can’t do certain things. In extreme cases, this anxiety and paranoia can be so severe that psychosis sets in an the user never really returns from this adverse state of mind.
Suicidal Thoughts
People who are addicted to amphetamine are likely to feel very depressed when they stop taking the drug or when the drugs are unavailable. This depression can lead to suicidal ideations and suicidal thoughts. Suicidal thoughts can cause the user to actually act on his or her thought irrationally by harming himself or harming someone else—a potentially very dangerous amphetamine addiction symptom to have.
Malnutrition & Weight Loss
One of the most common amphetamine addiction symptoms is related to the appetite suppressant qualities of the drug. Users are likely to go days without eating and can become malnourished. Weight loss, even in extreme amounts, is also common when an individual becomes addicted to amphetamines. Extended periods of amphetamine abuse can lead to extensive weight loss, malnutrition and serious health hazards for the user.