Essay Sample on Effects of Amphetamines

Amphetamines are stimulant drugs that affect the chemicals in the brain. They speed up the messages that pass to the brain and body. Amphetamines come in all sorts of forms, from powder to tablets, to crystals, to capsules. They also vary in color ranging from white to brown, and sometimes traces of gray or pink. There is no safe amount to using amphetamines. It's usually used to treat ADHD, obesity, narcolepsy, and other health issues. The usage of amphetamines affects everyone differently depending on the circumstances of their health, weight, the amount used, other medication in their body, and the strength of the drug. No matter how or when you use the drug it will always carry some risk. Amphetamines are highly addictive and should be used with caution or not used at all. Needless to say, the effects of using amphetamines are life-threatening and should be dealt with seriously, especially when you’re addicted. The abuse of this drug can cause adverse conditions to your physical health as well as your mental health. 

Amphetamines affect the central nervous system, which disrupts the way the brain communicates with the body. Amphetamines can cause long-term brain damage, as well as have an adverse effect on other systems in the body. Most of the principal effects caused to the mind are from synaptic levels of the biogenic amines, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin all increasing. When used dopamine levels increase in the brain quickly, using repeatedly and overusing can lead to psychosis, delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, memory loss, damage to nerve cells (can lead to strokes), and Parkinson-like symptoms like repeated motor activity. It has also been shown on at least one occasion where its shown that amphetamines abusers have decreased levels in gray and white matter. "Reduced gray matter has been reported within all of the cortical lobes from at least one study: temporal, frontal, occipital, and parietal” (NCBI). Grey matter affects information processing and white matter allows information to and from grey matter, as well as a grey matter to other parts of the body. Some effects amphetamines have on the body are a burst of energy, accelerated heart rate, high blood pressure, sweating, increased libido, loss of appetite, and damage to nasal passage (from snorting). Many of these factors are why people are addicted to amphetamines. After the mind comes accustomed to the constant surge in artificial dopamine the body starts to have a physical dependency, which you can see the withdrawal symptoms after a period of not using. Many of these factors are why people are addicted to amphetamines.

Those who continuously use amphetamines affect their behavior and the way they socialize with others. All the dopamine injected into the body on a repeated level causes a “burst in energy” and a burst in pleasure. The body would continue to seek out the surge in dopamine, always searching for the next high. “Earlier work in Wang's laboratory showed single voles sought out the rewarding effects of amphetamine and that repeated exposure to the drug threw off their drive to form lifelong partnerships” (ScienceDaily) These results indicate how voles would rather get another fix of the pleasure amphetamines bring than form a lifelong relationship. The results of this animal study also show that “the pair-bonding experience may alter the neurobiological response to drugs of abuse, which in turn may diminish the rewarding effects of the drug itself," (ScienceDaily) After multiple experiments the study concluded that the long-term relationships made the aspect of getting amphetamines less appealing. When addiction enters into a relationship it makes the relationship ten times more difficult to maintain. Once a person gets dependent on a drug their priorities shift into one thing: obtaining the drug. 

Stimulant drug use and use disorder fluctuate year to year but national surveys demonstrate that use has not risen over the period that stimulant drug overdoses. Most of the overdoses of amphetamines or other stimulant drugs are likely due to people combining them with other drugs like opiates or heroin. According to the International Journal of Drug Policy staff has reported that there's an increasing number of individuals injecting methamphetamines and opioids together. There are also reports that some people switch from opioids to methamphetamines because they fear the unpredictability of opioids. A study done by researchers at Washington University in 2018 found that methamphetamines use has increased. Currently, there's no approved medication for treatment for amphetamines or other stimulant drug use. There are a few NIDA-funded research searching for medications like vaccines.  Amphetamines are legal and are very controlled but they are illicitly abused for their stimulant and “high” effects. According to the 2012 Treatment Episode Data Set, “prescription stimulants like amphetamines were involved in 75% of admissions to treatment facilities.” Those admitted for amphetamines or methamphetamines treatment were more likely than other substance abusers to have been sent to a treatment center. 

Amphetamines have proven to be extremely addictive and can cause severe side effects if not used with care. Yet there isn’t much talk about addiction to amphetamines. Amphetamines have a euphoric effect, exciting neural activity, and speeding up the way the body works, affecting the mind and body but they can switch to negatively making changes to your brain and body. Loss of appetite, delusions, sweating, accelerated heart rate strokes, damaged nerve cells, and changes in grey and white matter, are just a few of the many effects that may happen when constant use of amphetamines is supplied into your body. These effect of amphetamines has a dramatic effect on relationships, causing a rift between the abusers' loved ones and themselves. Amphetamines can serve as a positive as well, helping to treat ADHD, obesity, narcolepsy, and other health conditions. Every day more and more research and experiments are being done to help find solutions to stimulant addictions.