Speed Addiction

Speed is clinically known as amphetamines or, colloquially, 'uppers' because of the stimulant effects they produce. They are available in a variety of forms and, like many other drugs, have a history of being used in medicine. As they can increase the focus and activity of user, while under their effects, amphetamines have been used on sufferers of narcolepsy. They can seriously damage your health and users often become dependent on them.

Usually available in powder, paste or tablet form, speed can be ingested, snorted or rubbed into the gums and has associations with nineteen nineties rave and club culture. In fact amphetamines were commonly taken in pill form during the nineteen sixties too. Use leads to increased activity in users whose brains have been stimulated by the drug. Increased confidence and alertness might seem like benefits at the time but users often have trouble sleeping, long after it seems that the effects have worn off.

Psychological dependence becomes a real risk, especially as users find that after using amphetamines they are restless, irritable and paranoid. Intense mood swings are common amongst users, partly as a result of the lack of sleep. Amphetamine psychosis presents real risks for the user as he or she begins to lose their grasp on the reality of life and their behaviour becomes ever more unpredictable. Social problems can then occur with users becoming more withdrawn and depressed. The long term psychological effects of prolonged amphetamine use can be extremely damaging on the user, which only makes stopping the habit of using more difficult.

The immediate risks of using speed are heart attacks and strokes because of the way that your heart beat will increase so quickly. This is too much for some people to cope with and particularly risky is using speed at the same time as the consumption of alcohol. Unfortunately this is common because of the fact that speed is often used in social situations like parties where alcohol is readily available.

Amphetamines are illegal in the United Kingdom and possession and supply of the drug is punished with fines and sentences in prison. Yet users often find themselves in a cycle of self abuse as they binge on speed and find the after effects so difficult to cope with that they return to the drug as soon as they can. Those who inject the drug are at heightened risk of damage to veins and arteries and HIV/AIDS and hepatitis if they share needles.

It is always better to involve medical professionals and other bodies in your problems so that you can have some help and support in your struggle. Your doctor is an excellent place to start and, from there, you ought to be able to have access to the best possible treatments and methods to help you stay free from speed and its harmful effects.