Our advertisements, fashion models, and concepts of beauty focus on being thin. Unfortunately, this sometimes becomes an obsession for some people. When people learn that amphetamines will keep you thin no matter what you eat by speeding up your metabolism, they often turn to them for weight loss.
According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, amphetamines were never intended to produce the dramatic weight loss they are now known for. The weight loss effect is one of the reasons many people become amphetamine addicts. Although some people think that weight loss at any price is worth it, it is important to examine the negative side of amphetamines to judge whether this is true.
Dangers of Losing Too Much Weight
Losing too much weight is extremely dangerous. When you take illegal or uncontrolled amphetamines or are addicted and take too many amphetamines, you risk losing more weight than you intended. This causes your body to go into a starvation reaction. Some byproducts of a starvation reaction are:
- Ketoacidosis
- Kidney failure
- Liver failure
- Pancreatic dysfunction
Drastic weight loss can cause liver or kidney failure.
As you continue to use amphetamines, your body begins to starve. Starvation is an extremely unhealthy condition; your body begins to metabolize itself. When it runs out of fat to metabolize, it will begin to eat away muscle and organ tissue.
Other Effects of Amphetamines
Weight loss is not the only effect of amphetamines. There are many other consequences such as:
- Addiction
- High body temperature
- High blood pressure
- Headache
- Heart palpitations
- Twitching and tremors
- Sexual issues
- Difficulty breathing
- Mental illness
- Malnutrition
- Psychological disorders
- Mood disorders
- Arrhythmia
- Motor ticks
- Toxic psychosis
- Convulsions
- Coma
- Death
Weight loss is not worth these long and short term effects. These are not rare side effects of an approved drug, they are common effects of taking large amounts of amphetamines. Most people who take this drug wind up with many of these symptoms and effects.
Treatment for Amphetamine Addiction
The treatment for amphetamine addiction is detox and counseling. Most people who undergo treatment do so in either an inpatient or an outpatient drug treatment facility. If someone is using amphetamines to lose weight and becomes addicted chances are they also have an eating disorder. The obsession with weight loss is a common symptom of most eating disorders.
In this case the eating disorder will need treatment as well as the addiction. Eating disorders if left untreated can go from just an amphetamine addiction to anorexia or bulimia. This is why you need treatment for an amphetamine addiction if you’ve been using it for weight loss.
Where to Find Amphetamine Addiction Treatment
For more information about addiction treatment or to find amphetamine addiction treatment and positive weight loss treatments, give us a call at 800-816-1059(Who Answers?). We can help you find a treatment center that suits your needs.
