After so many months of amphetamine abuse, withdrawal effects can be all but impossible to endure. Considering how uncomfortable amphetamine withdrawal can be, it can be easy to attribute much of the addiction problem to the physical effects of the drug.
Once addiction develops, a person is dealing with so much more than the physical hold amphetamines exert over the body. While there’s no getting around the need for amphetamine withdrawal help, addiction treatment doesn’t begin until you successfully complete detox treatment.
If you’re considering getting detox treatment and need help finding a detox program, call our toll-free helpline at 800-816-1059(Who Answers?).
The Role Amphetamine Withdrawal Plays in Addiction
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, during the early stages of drug abuse, amphetamines force the brain to produce excess amounts of dopamine and norepinephrine. These effects change how the brain’s chemical system works.
Before long, this system becomes dependent on amphetamine’s effects to maintain bodily functions as normal. These conditions set the stage for amphetamine withdrawal symptoms to develop.
Once withdrawal takes hold, a person experiences an overwhelming urge to use more of the drug. Over time, amphetamine withdrawal symptoms become more and more severe, and so do drug-using urges.
In effect, repeated withdrawal episodes create prime conditions for addiction to take root.
The Purpose of Amphetamine Withdrawal Help
Rather than cure the addiction problem, amphetamine withdrawal help (or detox treatment) works to break the cycle of physical dependence caused by drug abuse practices. This entails helping a person get through withdrawal without having to return to drug use.
Treatment entails providing relief for uncomfortable symptoms, some of which include:
- Severe fatigue
- Agitation
- Headaches
- Mental confusion
- Depression
- Anxiousness
Addiction’s Aftereffects
Addiction interferes with a person’s thinking, reshaping his or her belief systems, daily motivations and priorities,, according to the journal of Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. For these reasons, getting amphetamine withdrawal help does little to cure the actual addiction problem.
After completing detox, addiction aftereffects continue to influence a person in many ways, some of which include:
- Obsessing over getting drugs and getting “high”
- Neglecting important responsibilities, such as work and physical health
- Relationship conflicts over drug use
- Loss of interest in previously enjoyed pursuits and activities
In effect, detox treatment only addresses the physical discomforts brought on by withdrawal. Addiction treatment helps a person learn to cope with daily life without the need for the drug’s effects.
The Need for Addiction Treatment Help
More often than not, a person turns to drug use when needed skills for coping with daily life pressures are lacking. The effects of addiction only work to reinforce the mindset that drives a person to drug use.
Chronic drug use not only reinforces this mindset on a psychological level, but also on a physical level through effects had on the brain’s chemical system. While amphetamine withdrawal help is an essential first step towards getting well, the root of the addiction problem must also be treated.
If you’re considering getting rehab treatment help and need help finding a program that’s right for you, call our helpline at 800-816-1059(Who Answers?).