Is Adderall a Gateway Drug?

How Common is the Progression from ADHD Medications to Meth?

Misuse of prescription stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin is common, with an estimated 2.1% of our total population (over 5 million people!) abusing these drugs across the United States.

Adderall is popular among college students, people in high-stress occupations, and even parents with too much on their plate. But is Adderall a gateway drug? Does using this stimulant occasionally leave you at risk of trying other stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamine?

In addition to consequences for your physical health, Adderall abuse does increase the likelihood of drug use in the future, including stimulant abuse and other types of drugs. Called the “study drug”, Adderall is a popular prescription medication misused by college students.

Keep reading to learn more about the link between prescription stimulants and other drugs and how to reach out to Catalina Behavioral Health if you are struggling with Adderall abuse.

Understanding How Adderall Works and Becomes Abused

Abusing Adderall has several effects on your brain. It binds to dopamine and norepinephrine receptors and increases the amount of epinephrine produced by the adrenal gland. This heightens activity and levels of pleasure-inducing chemicals in the brain, increasing focus, alertness, and euphoria.

The euphoric effects of Adderall mimic the effects of illegal stimulants like cocaine and meth. Unfortunately, this makes Adderall and other prescription stimulants just as addictive as illicit drugs. They also open the gateway to developing addiction in the form of stimulant addiction, alcohol abuse, or other substance use disorders.

How Does Adderall Treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

The prescription drug Adderall is one of the most common medications medical professionals prescribe to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It increases key neurotransmitters in the brain that affect focus, attention, and impulse control. Adderall can also help you stay awake, which is why it is sometimes prescribed for narcolepsy.

Increased dopamine from Adderall benefits the brain’s reward center, increasing motivation. Adderall also relieves symptoms including problems with task completion, organization, following directions, and listening.

Because of these benefits, high school and college students who misuse Adderall might be trying to increase their academic performance. This is rarely the reality, as they do not benefit the same way from this prescription drug. In fact, research from the National Institute for Drug Abuse shows lower grades from students who abuse Adderall.

How Does Adderall Affect You if You Don’t Have ADHD?

People who take Adderall that is not prescribed to them might want to enhance their mental performance or feel alert and focused. It does work similarly to a stimulant in the brain. Unfortunately, when you do not need Adderall to make your brain focus, it doesn’t have the same expected physiological response.

Over time, abusing Adderall causes appetite loss, pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, vomiting, trouble sleeping, mood swings, and aggression. The risk is worse for people taking Adderall for illicit purposes since your dosage is not regulated by a healthcare professional.

Some people also have severe side effects from Adderall use, particularly in high doses, including extreme mood swings, aggression, panic attacks, depression, erratic behavior, hallucinations, delusions, seizures, convulsions, and heart attacks.

How Adderall Leads to Other Drug Use

When you take a prescription stimulant like Adderall or Ritalin, it stimulates the central nervous system. Over time, your body and brain become dependent on this stimulation to feel “normal”. You may feel fatigued or unable to function when you don’t have it.

For people taking Adderall without a prescription, there may be times when you can’t find it. This can cause withdrawal, which might make you seek other stimulants to reduce your symptoms.

Even in cases where physical dependence doesn’t lead to illicit stimulant abuse, long-term use of Adderall can lead to other drug abuse. Long-term substance abuse affects things like sleep, self-care, and mental health. Further evidence shows that it becomes harder to fight off stress, which makes it more tempting to turn to alcohol, marijuana, or other illicit drugs or medications to relax.

The Dangers of Mixing Adderall with Other Substances

It can be tempting to mix Adderall with other substances. Its stimulating effects can make it hard to sleep and people sometimes take it with alcohol and marijuana to help themselves comedown.

When a person abuses Adderall in high doses or mixes it with other substances, there’s also a risk of overdose. Symptoms of Adderall overdose include:

• Restlessness and agitation
• Confusion
• Rapid breathing and heartbeat
• Increased blood pressure
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
• Chest pain
• Tremors and convulsions
• Coma
• Increased risk of heart attack or stroke

Combining Adderall with depressants like alcohol is especially dangerous. You become less aware of alcohol’s intoxicating and harmful effects and there’s a greater risk of alcohol poisoning and overdose. Seek immediate medical intervention if you believe you are at risk of a stimulant drug overdose.

The Most Noticeable Signs of Adderall Addiction

If you are worried about Adderall being a gateway drug, you are likely already worrying about its impact on your life. Some warning signs of Adderall dependence include:

• Feeling drained, exhausted, or mentally foggy without Adderall use
• Feeling a need to use, even after knowing its effects
• Needing an increased dose to feel the same effects
• Spending a lot of time either using or recovering from Adderall
• Neglecting other priorities including relationships, sleep, and self-care
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you do not have access to Adderall

When you start recognizing these signs, seek professional help to stop Adderall misuse before it spirals into a full-blown addiction. Few people develop a substance use disorder the first time that they abuse Adderall – it is something that progresses over time.

Assessing Adderall Abuse and Misuse

Prescription drug addiction is as serious as abusing cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, or fentanyl. Prescription drugs are just as addictive and interact with the same receptors in the brain. Both also cause mental and physical dependence that is hard to overcome.

A drug and alcohol assessment is one of the best ways to assess your mental and physical dependency on Adderall. It helps determine whether you are addicted or at risk for becoming addicted to Adderall. During this assessment, you’ll be asked questions about your overall health, drug and alcohol habits, and family history.

At Catalina, we start with a drug and alcohol assessment as part of the intake process. We use this assessment to make recommendations for your personalized Adderall addiction treatment program.

Often, this involves a comprehensive approach that helps you learn more about your relationship with addiction, managing stress and cravings, and developing healthy habits that support lasting sobriety. We might also make recommendations to work with a mental health specialist.

Can I Get Addicted to Adderall if I Have ADHD?

Adderall has an especially high chance of triggering dependence and corresponding addiction when a person struggles with the symptoms of ADHD. You can even become dependent on prescribed Adderall because your brain becomes reliant on it to function.

Common warning signs of Adderall dependence look similar to addiction. If you are worried about how long-term Adderall use might affect you, it’s important to talk to the medical professional that wrote your prescription. Alternatively, if you are not comfortable with this option, get a second opinion, whether from an individual provider or treatment facility like ours.

Typical Adderall Withdrawal Symptoms

Adderall is a stimulant that causes dependence with prolonged use. This physical and psychological dependence causes withdrawal symptoms when you suddenly stop taking Adderall. Some of the most common withdrawal symptoms include:

• Depressed, angry, or generally negative mood
• Feeling exhausted but unable to sleep
• Extreme hunger
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Irrational fears and phobias
• Suicidal thoughts
• Cravings to use

Typically, you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms starting from 6-36 hours after your last dose. They are most intense for the first week and start to taper off. However, some people, especially heavy users, experience symptoms for a full month or longer.

How is Adderall Addiction Treated?

When Adderall addiction is caught in the early stages, it is easier to treat through inpatient or outpatient care. However, with the support of our staff at Catalina, even clients who have been using substances for years successfully recover with our programs. You can have success recovering from Adderall use disorder, too!

Inpatient Addiction Treatment

For severe Adderall addiction, residential treatment programs might be recommended. It might also be recommended if you are going through severe withdrawal, especially if the symptoms are dangerous. Medication-assisted treatment and medical detox may be recommended for severe symptoms.

During inpatient rehab, you’ll work with licensed therapists in individual and group therapy sessions to develop healthy habits and coping skills for a drug-free life. Group therapy can also be useful for discussing struggles and celebrating wins with people who understand addiction.

Outpatient Treatment

For many people addicted to Adderall, an intensive outpatient program or partial hospitalization program might be recommended. These programs are offered in an outpatient setting. You’ll live at home while completing treatment.

Each treatment session lasts several hours, typically on different days of the week. This makes it easy to adjust to fit your work or school schedule.

Get Help Overcoming Adderall Abuse at Catalina

Adderall can seem harmless at first, whether you’re taking it to give yourself a competitive edge at school or to stay up and have a good time with friends. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most common ‘gateway’ drugs because of the way it interacts with the brain.

For professionals, college students, and young adults who may be struggling with Adderall abuse, getting help now is critical to stopping the risk of using illicit substances in the future. You can find the help that you need at Catalina Behavioral Health.

Our customized treatment plans ensure you’ll get help tailored to your schedule, budget, and support needs. We also work with a wide range of insurance companies, so please reach out confidentially today!

References

1. https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/2022/12/most-reported-substance-use-among-adolescents-held-steady-in-2022
2. https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/4798/study-drugs-set-the-stage-for-other-drug-use-and-mental-health-decline
3. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/misuse-prescription-drugs/what-scope-prescription-drug-misuse