The Typical Signs of Stimulant Detox and Withdrawal
Prescription drugs are the third-most abused substance in the U.S. Adderall is the most popular stimulant for prescription drug abusers, chosen by 75.8% of stimulant abusers.
Adderall, a nervous system stimulant, is popular with people seeking a high. Problems develop when the body develops tolerance to the medication, requiring higher doses to achieve a high. This may result in substance use disorder.
If you or a family member are seeking information about safe withdrawal from prescription drug abuse, we can help. Keep reading to learn about coping with Adderall withdrawal symptoms.
1. Trouble Sleeping
You may experience oversleeping, insomnia, or a combination of both during withdrawal. Factors impacting sleep include anxiety, physical aches and pains, and changes in your brain chemistry, now deprived of Adderall.
The best way of coping with withdrawal is to maintain a regular sleep and wake-up schedule. Create an environment that promotes sleep. The room should be cool and dark, quiet or contain white noise, and have no distractions. Remove items such as cell phones and ask not to be disturbed.
2. Physical Aches and Pains
Your body is learning how to cope without Adderall. As you withdraw and detox, your body’s physical aches and pains may be so intense that they affect mobility.
The severity of your pain varies depending on the level of dependence. It may be joint pain, muscle pain, headaches, or body aches like the flu, including chills and fever.
Symptoms may begin within 12 hours of your last dose of Adderall. Some people experience this for a few days, others for weeks. It is better to undergo detoxing under the care of a drug treatment facility rather than going cold turkey, which increases the intensity of withdrawal symptoms.
Help your body eliminate toxins by staying hydrated, resting, and seeking assistance through a drug treatment program. Gentle stretching exercises, Epsom salt baths, applying hot or cold packs to painful areas, and light stretching to increase blood flow and help reduce symptoms.
3. Anxiety and Irritability
During withdrawal, your body experiences physical and emotional changes. While adjusting to life without Adderall, you may experience nervousness or panic, making it difficult to relax. This leads to irritability, manifesting in an inability to manage your emotions or outbursts of temper.
By asking for help with your addiction withdrawal, you develop a sounding board for times when you are struggling emotionally. Friends and family want to see you achieve sobriety. Professional therapy and support groups complete the support circle.
Recognize situations triggering your anxiety and develop coping mechanisms. This may be as simple as taking a walk or reading a book.
4. Depression or Sadness
Feelings of sadness or depression during withdrawal are normal but usually do not last long. Depression impacts the entire body, causing:
- Concentration problems
- Erratic eating and sleeping patterns
- Frequent crying
- Lack of energy or enthusiasm
- Low self-esteem and feeling hopeless
You may consider your life empty and worthless without the thrill of a drug high. This is part of a normal withdrawal and often lasts a few days.
5. Fatigue and Adderall Withdrawal Symptoms
Your body is under tremendous stress during withdrawal. The emotional and physical strain can cause exhaustion. Your body isn’t getting an artificial high and struggles to function without a substance boost.
Eat nutritious food to increase energy levels. Walking and stretching help ease tension in the body, making it easier to relax at night.
Strive for seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Before bed, use meditation, deep breathing, or yoga therapy to help the body relax.
6. Drug Cravings
One of the first withdrawal symptoms is an intense craving for Adderall. The desire to take the drug is so fierce that it’s all you can think about. This craving is normal and indicates your body’s dependency on the drug.
Adderall has a substantial impact on your brain chemicals. After taking a dose, you experience pleasant sensations and relief from pain, boosting your mood and self-confidence. These feelings are the trigger making you want to use again, increasing your drug dependency.
As your body develops a drug tolerance, you need higher concentrations to experience the same high. You now have an addiction.
When your brain doesn’t get the drug, you crave it. This is what you experience during the withdrawal period of treatment. When you undergo withdrawal in a professional facility, they monitor your cravings and provide you with the assistance you need to overcome that desire.
7. Social Anxiety
There is a fine line between a person having social anxiety that leads to drug abuse and drug abuse that leads to social anxiety. Drug addiction may interfere with recovery from social anxiety, and social anxiety can complicate the recovery process.
On a roller coaster of anxiety and abuse, they use drugs to medicate anxiety. If the drug wears off too soon, there may be a sudden onset of anxiety.
During withdrawal, the feelings of anxiety may become heightened, resulting in extreme social phobias. This makes recovery from addiction more complex and can develop into clinical social phobia without professional treatment.
Professional therapy during withdrawal helps recovering addicts understand that their addiction is a disease. Therapists help those seeking sobriety understand the emotional impact of the disease and how to manage their fears and recover.
8. Cold Turkey Risks
Some people attempt to go cold turkey to beat drug addiction. Stopping all consumption immediately may work for cigarette smokers but isn’t safe for not for prescription drug addiction.
Cold turkey causes severe withdrawal symptoms, leaving you more likely to relapse. The drug’s physical changes to the brain increase your cravings during withdrawal.
The severe shock to the Adderall-deprived body may cause severe health risks. If you relapse, you risk an overdose because your tolerance is now lower.
When you suddenly lower or stop your dosage, the body retaliates. The best way to avoid withdrawal symptoms is a supervised detox at a drug rehabilitation center. They can develop a treatment plan to safely remove drugs from your system with minimal risk.
9. Increased Hunger
Withdrawing from drug addiction often leads to an increase in hunger and weight gain. During addiction, your primary focus was on obtaining more drugs; nutrition was not significant.
Your body is likely lacking vitamins and minerals. Eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. This helps restore your health during recovery.
Monitor your food consumption because it’s easy for recovering addicts to substitute satisfaction from food for the pleasure once achieved by abusing drugs. This can lead to obesity.
10. Impaired Memory and Concentration
Excessive drug use can impair cognitive abilities, causing memory loss. Addiction invades the neural processes of the brain that support cognitive functions, including reasoning, learning, and memory.
The best way to reduce the risk of memory loss is to stop abusing Adderall. During withdrawal or detox treatment, the brain begins to heal. The sooner you eliminate the toxic substance from the body, and the longer you remain drug-free, the more time the brain has to heal and regain memory.
11. Dehydration
Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated during withdrawal. Drinking water helps:
- Assist Brain function
- Eliminate wastes
- Gain proper minerals and nutrients
- Increase energy
- Lubricate and cushion joints
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Maintain normal body temperature
- Protect the spinal cord and other tissues
- Regulate emotions
Drinking water helps the body resist drug cravings by working as a substitution for drugs. This decreases cravings.
Water flushes toxins from the body, helping you return to a healthy condition. Always carry a reusable water bottle and set reminder alarms on your phone to drink water. Consumer water with every snack and meal.
12. Nausea and Vomiting
When undergoing detox from Adderall addiction, you will likely experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. This is your body’s natural reaction to no longer receiving a foreign substance it depends on.
Drug addiction is a chronic disease that forces the body to compulsively and uncontrollably consume drugs. Once addicted, the body is unable to function without it. Elimination of the drug has an impact on your digestive functions.
Handle nausea by staying hydrated and eating simple foods like crackers, broth, or toast. Your healthcare professional or drug treatment program may recommend over-the-counter remedies to lessen the symptoms.
13. Nightmare Disorder
During withdrawal, nightmare disorder occurs when a recovering addict experiences disturbed sleep. Having difficulty falling asleep, they then experience a bad dream. This causes fear about experiencing another bad dream, increasing their inability to fall asleep.
If you experience nightmares or vivid dreams during your withdrawal, talk with your treatment professional about managing this withdrawal symptom. Don’t ignore your nightmares, as this can develop into a long-term sleep disorder and possible drug abuse relapse.
Overcome Adderall Withdrawal at Purpose Today
The best way to prevent Adderall withdrawal symptoms is to use a center that specializes in drug addiction. Both Purpose Healing Center locations offer inpatient and outpatient rehab programs, in Phoenix and Scottsdale. When you speak with our staff, they will assess your needs and recommend the best level of care for a successful withdrawal.
Start the path to sobriety today by reaching out and learning more about our drug treatment programs. Admissions staff is available 24/7 at 480-579-3319 to get you started on your journey. We even provide transportation!
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