Amphetamine addiction: Signs, symptoms and side-effects

Some big-name UK celebrities have opened up about their ADHD diagnoses and the medicines they take, including Ant McPartlin and Johnny Vegas. While this has helped to educate people about the condition, amphetamine addiction and abuse have become a growing concern in Britain. When you are struggling with any stimulant addiction, it can be hard to admit it to yourself, let alone to anyone else. But learning more about the symptoms, signs, and treatment options is the first step toward taking your life back.

Amphetamines-tablets

Defining amphetamine addiction

Amphetamines are stimulant drugs that speed up how the brain and body work. Amphetamine addiction is a type of prescription drug addiction, where you have lost control over your amphetamine use, and keep taking them even though the harm is obvious.

Amphetamines are most often prescribed to treat ADHD or sleep disorders like narcolepsy, but amphetamine abuse and misuse have become increasingly common. This can mean medical amphetamine use that gradually gets out of control, or taking the drugs recreationally for weight loss, athletic performance, or focus at school or work.

Part of the issue is that amphetamines have become so easily available. In just the last eight years, the number of patients prescribed central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and ADHD amphetamine medicines has more than doubled to roughly 233,000 people each year. Amphetamines can also be found all over the internet and are being sold as street drugs, making them easy to buy, abuse, and become addicted to.

Some of the most addictive amphetamines seen in Britain and around the world include:

Focalin

Focalin (dexmethylphenidate) is a powerful stimulant prescribed mainly for ADHD. Focalin addiction involves both a psychological reliance and withdrawal symptoms when you stop, like anxiety, exhaustion and depression.

Ritalin

Ritalin (methylphenidate) is also commonly prescribed in the UK for ADHD, but many people abuse it without a prescription to stay alert for exams or work. Ritalin addiction can cause serious health issues and a sense that life is empty without it.

Adderall

Adderall is a mixture of amphetamine salts that is not legally prescribed in the UK. Adderall addiction can have dangerous effects on your health and make it impossible to think about anything except where the next dose is coming from.

The stages of amphetamine addiction

No one wakes up one morning addicted to amphetamines. It is a slow slide that starts with a genuine prescription or “minor” amphetamine misuse, but ends with a life that feels completely taken over. Understanding how it develops can help you see where you are on the path and why getting help now can stop things from getting worse:

Amphetamine abuse

Amphetamine abuse means any use that doesn’t follow a medical prescription. This can mean taking more than you are supposed to, mixing your prescription amphetamines with other drugs or alcohol to get high, or taking amphetamines with no prescription at all. All can lead to you becoming tolerant of the effects, which means you start taking more and more all the time.

Amphetamine dependence

This is when your brain and body have adapted to life on amphetamines, and you need to take them to hold off cravings and withdrawal symptoms. This is the final step before full drug addiction, when you’ve stopped using amphetamines for the medical effects or even to get high, but just to feel okay.

Amphetamine addiction

Once addiction sets in, amphetamines become the centre of everything, from how you feel to how you act towards the people you love. At this point, trying to stop can be incredibly hard without professional stimulant rehab.

How to spot amphetamine addiction signs

It is easy to tell yourself that you’re just using amphetamines because you need them or that things aren’t as bad as they seem. This is called addiction denial, and it’s one of the biggest barriers to getting help. If you are beginning to have concerns about yourself or someone you know, here are some of the most common amphetamine addiction signs to look for:

Taking more than your prescribed dose or running out of amphetamines early
Needing amphetamines to start your day or cope with stress
Feeling agitated, depressed, or confused when you don’t take amphetamines
Going without sleep, then crashing for days
Neglecting your relationships, work, or studies
Hiding or downplaying your amphetamine use when people ask

Why is amphetamine addictive?

Amphetamine addiction usually starts with the medicine being used to fix or cope with some issue or issues under the surface. Everyone has their own personal story, but some of the biggest causes of amphetamine addiction include:

Stress and pressure: Many people become addicted to amphetamines when trying to keep up with long hours at work, school deadlines, or expectations they feel like they can’t meet alone.
Social influence: In workplaces, universities, or social circles where amphetamine abuse is common, it’s easy to start doing it yourself and become addicted before you realise it.
ADHD and addiction: For people with ADHD, prescribed stimulants can genuinely help, but misuse or rising doses can quickly cross into amphetamine addiction.
Amphetamine addiction and mental health issues: Anxiety, depression, or past trauma can all feed amphetamine abuse, with co-occurring issues affecting the majority of people in prescription drug rehab.
Genetics: Some people are just more likely to develop a drug or alcohol addiction because of inherited differences in how their brains work.

Amphetamine side effects and addiction dangers

Amphetamine addiction can damage every part of life, including your work, education, relationships, and future prospects. But the health effects can be particularly severe and sometimes even life-threatening, with some of the biggest dangers including:

Amphetamine overdose: Taking too much or mixing amphetamines with alcohol or other drugs can cause a racing heart, high blood pressure, fits, or even stop your heart. Without medical help, an amphetamine overdose can be fatal, and there were 111 amphetamine-related deaths in 2023.
Heart strain: Long-term amphetamine misuse can lead to an increased risk of fatal heart attacks or strokes.
Mental health: Many people develop anxiety, paranoia, or depression that can last long after stopping.
Sleep loss: Amphetamines can make you stay awake for days, which can seriously harm your physical and mental health.
Skin and teeth problems: Sores and tooth decay are both common with heavy amphetamine abuse.

Finding help if you have an amphetamine addiction

When you are choosing an addiction treatment centre, look for one that offers a safe amphetamine detox, where your body can rest and recover under professional care.

After detox, a full amphetamine rehab therapy programme is then needed to give you the chance to understand how amphetamines took over. You will look at the patterns, the stress, and the feelings that kept you stuck, and work out how to handle all of that without amphetamines.

The best rehab programmes will offer both of those stages as one inpatient plan with no gaps between them. They should also provide ongoing advice and support, which may include outpatient group therapy, relapse prevention planning, help finding local NA meetings, and alumni resources and events.

If you need help choosing a rehab programme or centre, Recovery.org is here for you. Contact us today, and we can match you with some of the UK’s top amphetamine addiction recovery options.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does amphetamine addiction affect mental health?

Amphetamine addiction and mental health problems are directly linked. Addiction can cause severe anxiety, paranoia, or depression that can ruin every part of your life and keep you entrenched in amphetamine abuse to try to cope.

Are prescription amphetamines (like Adderall or Dexedrine) addictive?

Yes, when taken too often or in higher doses, practically all prescription amphetamines can be addictive. That is why they should never be taken without a prescription and only under strict instructions from a doctor.

What’s the difference between amphetamines and methamphetamines?

Meth and amphetamines work in similar ways, but meth hits harder and stays in your system longer. This is what makes meth so addictive and destructive, with even small amounts quickly leading to serious physical and mental health problems.

(Click here to see works cited)

Statista. Drug Poisoning Deaths by Amphetamine in England and Wales from 1993 to 2023. Statista, 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/470819/drug-poisoning-deaths-by-amphetamine-in-england-and-wales/?srsltid=AfmBOoq3SDcuzMzGSFsyhU6iT3QttB1ayyGVUq3CUHTJe7TZrk0sBj6o.
The Pharmaceutical Journal. “Special Report: Charting the Rise in ADHD Prescribing.” The Pharmaceutical Journal, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 2024, https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/special-report-charting-the-rise-in-adhd-prescribing.