When you consume a drink that has caffeine, you assume that it will cause you to become restless and hyper. You may also attribute sugar consumption or ingesting any type of stimulant to poor sleep or other mental or physical health issues. However, for some, the use of stimulants actually makes it easier to focus or get to sleep in a timely manner. Let’s take a look at why stimulants may actually be the key to improving your quality of life and well-being.
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What’s a Stimulant?
To understand how stimulants impact your life, it’s first important to understand what a stimulant is. Generally speaking, it is any substance that causes you to become more alert by increasing activity in the central nervous system.
Stimulants enhance synaptic levels of the monoamines dopamine (DA) or levels of dopamine, serotonin (5-HT), and norepinephrine (NE). A stimulant reward is primarily due to elevated DA in the reward circuitry, however, DA stimulation alone cannot explain the rewarding effects of stimulants.
Examples of stimulants include legal substances such as caffeine or nicotine, as well as illegal substances such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Adderall is another example of a prescription stimulant and is commonly used to help people concentrate. It is also popular among students and others who need to stay awake throughout the night to study or to speak with clients in other time zones.
Other common stimulants are amphetamine, betel nut, khat, dexamphetamine, dextroamphetamine, and synthetic cathinone.
You Might Have Undiagnosed ADHD
There is a good chance that you have an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD and were never properly diagnosed as a child. This may be especially true if you’re a woman, as the condition can present differently in boys and girls. For example, women who have this condition are less likely to be hyperactive or have other symptoms of ADHD commonly associated with it.
In some cases, ADHD goes undiagnosed because it can mirror other conditions, such as depression or anxiety. It’s also not uncommon for people who have this condition to simply be labeled as lazy or unmotivated as opposed to being afflicted with something that needs to be dealt with.
Finally, it is possible for adults to have ADHD, even though it is commonly associated with something that you grow out of as you get older. This could explain why you struggle to concentrate at work, have attention span issues, or can’t seem to stick to a constant sleep schedule.
You’re Not Getting Enough Dopamine
One of the hallmarks of ADHD is the lack of dopamine and other chemicals that regulate executive function. In other words, the reason why you can’t focus is because you don’t have enough of the stuff that tells your brain to focus on a specific task. In addition, dopamine is the chemical that rewards you for completing a task.
If you don’t have enough dopamine in your brain, you may not feel as if getting out of bed or finishing your homework is worth doing. Even if you do understand how important a task is, the chemical imbalance in your head might make it difficult or impossible to get started with it. Instead, you’ll simply go back to sleep or watch another YouTube video because it’s easier to deal with.
When you drink soda, eat candy, or take a prescribed stimulant, you get the extra dopamine that your mind needs to succeed. Therefore, instead of feeling jittery or like you want to run a marathon, you’ll instead sit down and finish your school or work assignment.
If you think that you might have ADHD or some other neurodivergent condition, you’re strongly encouraged to see your doctor. Although there is no magic cure for ADHD or similar disorders, getting an official diagnosis can give you a roadmap for success in the future.
We Get What We Expect
Our brains have a powerful ability to trick us into seeing or feeling what we want to see or feel. Therefore, it’s entirely possible that you get jittery after drinking soda merely because you’ve been conditioned to believe that you should feel jittery after drinking soda.
Of course, it’s possible that you don’t feel jittery after drinking soda because you mixed it with something that acts as a depressant. For example, if you drink soda mixed with alcohol, you might feel relaxed or mellow because the alcohol is stronger than the soda. The same is often true for those who drink lean, which is soda mixed with codeine.
Finally, you might not think that stimulants have a negative impact on your health simply because you don’t notice these impacts. For example, you may not think that your sleep has been negatively impacted because you’re still getting seven or eight hours of rest. However, you may actually wake up several times a night without realizing it or fail to achieve sufficient periods of random eye movement (REM) sleep.
Potential Risks of Using Stimulants
Although the use of stimulants can be beneficial for people who have ADHD or similar conditions, there is a potential for dependency. The risk of dependency may increase as your body builds up a tolerance to caffeine, Adderall, or whatever you choose to use. Ultimately, you may be tempted to take these substances in higher doses or without a doctor’s approval.
When taken in high doses, stimulants can cause you to sweat profusely or feel dizzy. You may also notice that your heart rate is extremely high or develop severe headaches. You might also experience high levels of anxiety or have an anxiety disorder, a reduced appetite, or other changes in your mood or personality.
While using Adderall or other ADHD medications is legal with a prescription, using it without doctor approval is generally prohibited by state and federal law. Furthermore, using cocaine or other controlled stimulants might also result in criminal charges or other consequences.
If you are convicted of a drug crime, you might lose your scholarship or access to federal student loans. You may also have a harder time finding a job or adequate housing with a criminal record. It may also be harder to have a relationship with your kids as a judge may find it’s not in a child’s best interest to interact with someone who is dependent on a controlled substance.
Using Stimulants Responsibly
Ideally, you will talk to your doctor prior to using stimulants or any other type of medications. Your doctor will want to know as much as possible about your medical history, your family’s medical history, and any other information about your physical and mental health.
For instance, you’ll likely be asked if you are depressed, use alcohol, or take medications that might negatively interact with ADHD medication or other stimulants. The answers to these questions will help your doctor choose a stimulant that is right for you, as well as determine the proper dose and delivery method.
As a general rule, you can take stimulant medication on your own. However, your physician may ask that you do so under supervision to ensure that you aren’t abusing it. Over time, you may be granted more freedom to medicate without supervision or other special restrictions.
It’s also important to talk to your doctor if you aren’t responding to a medication or are struggling with side effects. It may be possible to change your medication or change the amount that you take to help you achieve greater focus during the day or to help you sleep at night.
If you have ADHD, you will likely find that stimulants actually make it easier to focus on what you need to get done. However, it’s important that you stick to legal substances and only use them as prescribed to get the most from them. The staff at the Illinois Recovery Center, a healthcare provider, is available right now if you need help overcoming addiction to ADHD drugs such as Adderall, cocaine, or any other type of stimulant and even other substance abuse and addiction treatment programs. Our personalized treatment options can help you achieve long-term sobriety without causing financial hardship.
Resources:
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-do-stimulants-calm-adhd#:~:text=Stimulants%20appear%20to%20have%20a%20calming%20effect%20on,behavior.%20Dopamine%20helps%20support%20memory%2C%20motivation%2C%20and%20learning.
- https://my.vanderbilthealth.com/undiagnosed-adhd/
- https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Stimulants-2020.pdf
