What Are the Negative Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Effects of Stimulant Addiction?
The Buddha famously said, “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.” This is especially true when it comes to recovering from stimulant addiction. Stimulant addiction can try to rob one of every aspect that they hold dear – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. However, addiction never has to win; there is a solution – recovery.
Better Understanding Addiction
Addiction affects millions of people every day. This is true both in the U.S. and abroad. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “40.3 million people in the United States had an SUD in 2020. In 2020, only 6.5 percent of people with SUD received treatment.” Also, “In 2021, about 107,000 people died of drug overdoses.” This last statistic is just a reminder of how deadly of a disease addiction is, and yes, addiction is most definitely a disease.
Many people are under the misconception that addiction is some type of moral failing or choice. This is simply false, and it also adds to the preexisting stigma that exists around addiction. No, addiction is a disease. Addiction has more in common with other chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease than it does with a “choice.” This is also true with stimulant addiction.
Better Understanding Stimulant Addiction
Stimulant addiction (also known as stimulant use disorder) is both prevalent and dangerous. According to the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE, “Stimulant use and stimulant use disorder are associated with a range of health and social harms, including psychiatric and cardiovascular morbidity, infectious disease transmission (i.e., HIV and hepatitis C), drug-associated crime, and homelessness. The global prevalence of stimulant use has increased over the past decade, and there has been an alarming rise in the use of amphetamine-type stimulants in many jurisdictions. Recent estimates indicate there are approximately 18.1 million cocaine users worldwide, with the highest rates in North America.”
There are also many other dangers and potentially deadly side effects that come with stimulant use. According to the peer-reviewed journal The Mental Health Clinician, “The presence of fentanyl in methamphetamine and cocaine increases polysubstance use and could contribute to accidental overdose and death as opioids are involved in more than 50% of all stimulant-related overdose deaths. Acute intoxication of stimulants is associated with increases in heart rate and body temperature, vasoconstriction, panic attacks, hostility, paranoia, psychosis, and violent behavior. Tolerance occurs with repeated stimulant use, and patients can experience withdrawal symptoms, such as fatigue, depression, insomnia, and increased appetite.”
Prescription Stimulant Addiction
Stimulant addiction is not a monolith. There are many different types of stimulant addiction. One of the least discussed is prescription stimulant addiction. This includes Adderall addiction.
According to the peer-reviewed journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, “When used as prescribed, prescription stimulants do not pose significant health risks to individuals…. Several adverse events, however, have been reported when these drugs are misused. Serious potential risks associated with excessive dose include but are not limited to, cardiovascular failure, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and paranoia. Interestingly enough, these are similar risks associated with illicit stimulant use, such as cocaine and methamphetamine use.
Illicit Stimulant Addiction
Many people don’t realize that alongside the opioid crisis, there is a methamphetamine crisis. According to the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Psychiatry, “In the wake of the opioid crisis, methamphetamine has re-emerged as a challenge to mental health providers and researchers alike. Methamphetamine is now available in different forms such as ice, powder, and pills with different pharmacokinetic characteristics that make them popular among certain types of users. Recent seizure data suggest that its production and trafficking is spreading into new areas of the globe.”
Perhaps the most well-known illicit stimulant is cocaine. It also remains one of the most dangerous. According to the peer-reviewed journal Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, “Cocaine use disorder (CUD) – the compulsive use of cocaine despite its medical, psychological, and behavioral consequences – is a severe public health problem, affecting millions of people globally. In the United States (US) alone, approximately 2.2 million people use cocaine regularly (compared to 600,000 methamphetamine users), 1.5 million of whom meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria for CUD. Recent nationwide epidemiological data show that both cocaine use and cocaine-related problems, including CUD, are increasing in adults as well as in adolescents.”
The Signs and Symptoms of Stimulant Addiction
Now, the signs and symptoms of stimulant addiction (and mental illness) are always going to vary based on the individual. However, one can look out for many universal signs and symptoms of stimulant addiction and mental illnesses. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:
- Having trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
- Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
- Experiencing physical ailments such as headaches, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems
- Feeling anxious, nervous, or overly “stressed out”
- Having feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness
- Not being able to stop once using stimulants
- Loss of appetite and a lack of care regarding physical appearance and wellbeing
- Exhibiting excessive mood swings
- Isolating away from family and close friends
- Experiencing trouble at work or school
- Causing harm to oneself or others
- Having suicidal ideations
Now, many people can minimize stimulant addiction or falsely categorize it as that previously mentioned “choice.” However, as one can see, these signs and symptoms are significant and can be deadly. This is why reaching out for professional help as soon as possible is vital. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences. The good news is there are many effective means, methods, and modalities that can help one recover physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually from stimulant addiction.
How to Recover From Stimulant Addiction
Recovering from stimulant addiction is all about taking a multi-angled approach. This means utilizing as many recovery modalities as possible.
This is also the best way to ensure that one ends up with a comprehensive recovery plan that focuses on the individual and that they are healing at the cellular level.
A Focus on Healing at the Cellular Level
Healing at the cellular level is all about healing every aspect of the capital “S” Self – the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It is about holistic healing (holistic meaning “whole”).
Healing at the cellular level is also about connecting with the right recovery center. It is highly recommended that this recovery center focus on individualized and comprehensive stimulant addiction care.
A Focus on Individualized and Comprehensive Addiction Care
The recovery realm is now a multi-billion-dollar industry. While this is positive in that there are more places for people to recover, it has also opened the door for many bad actors to come in and put their financial bottom line over the well-being of their clients.
These are the same recovery centers that tend only to offer overarching “one-note” treatment plans that don’t focus on the individual. Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we know that this type of treatment rarely works. This is why we focus on individualized care from the intake process to the formation of alumni recovery groups – we see our clients through from beginning to end. We also know that this is the best way to get to the critical underlying root/core causes of stimulant addiction.
A Focus on Getting to the Underlying Root/Core Causes of Stimulant Addiction
It is important to remember that addiction is about much more than the drink or the drug. Addiction is about the underlying emotions that cause one to take that drink or drug. Often, these underlying emotions are related to issues of trauma and/or post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).
Many people don’t realize just how prevalent trauma is in the world. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychological Medicine, “General population studies have shown that a large proportion of people in developed countries have been exposed to at least one TE [traumatic event] in their lifetime (estimates from 28 to 90%), with the most common events being the unexpected death of a loved one, motor vehicle accidents and being mugged. Much more limited evidence for less developed countries suggests that fatalities due to injuries and accidents are more common in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries….”
It is also true that if these underlying issues are not addressed, there is a greater chance for relapse, and relapse is also very prevalent right now. According to the peer-reviewed journal Current Psychiatry Reports, “It has long been known that addictive disorders are chronic and relapsing in nature. Recent estimates from clinical treatment studies suggest that more than two-thirds of individuals relapse within weeks to months of initiating treatment. For 1-year outcomes across alcohol, nicotine, weight, and illicit drug abuse, studies show that more than 85% of individuals relapse and return to drug use within 1 year of treatment.”
The Benefits of Psychotherapy for Stimulant Addiction
It is important that some of the modalities used in one’s recovery plan are evidence-based. Some of the best evidence-based modalities reside in psychotherapy.
Psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can be particularly effective at helping people recover from stimulant addiction because they can get at the aforementioned underlying issues.
Utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Recovery
CBT and DBT work well because they can help an individual see how they have been negatively viewing themselves and the world around them. Once they are made aware of these negative viewpoints, then they can begin to adjust the negative addictive behaviors that are associated with them.
CBT is particularly effective because it makes the individual an “active participant” in their own recovery. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. In order to achieve this goal, the patient becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns…. Although these strategies greatly emphasize cognitive factors, physiological, emotional, and behavioral components are also recognized for the role that they play in the maintenance of the disorder.”
DBT is also effective because it focuses on mindfulness and acceptance. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychiatry (Edgmont), “In DBT, several interventions and skills are geared toward conveying acceptance of the patient and helping the patient accept him or herself, others, and the world. One such intervention is mindfulness…. Some of the mindfulness skills involve attending to and nonjudgmentally observing the current experience, describing the facts of the current experience or situation, and fully participating in the activity/experience of the present while attending to one thing at a time (“one mindfully”) and focusing on effective, skillful behavior.”
The Benefits of Experiential Therapy for Stimulant Addiction
Experiential therapy can also be highly beneficial for recovery from stimulant addiction. This is because it can help people better connect to themselves and nature.
There are many effective types of experiential therapy. There are creative types, like art therapy. Then, there are nature-based types, like nature immersion therapy, surf therapy, and horticulture therapy.
Utilizing Nature Immersion, Surf, and Horticulture Therapy for Recovery
Nature immersion therapy can help one connect to oneself by connecting to green (or blue) environments. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Besides improvements to physical and psychological well-being, exposure to natural environments has been shown to bring about positive impacts on cognitive functioning…. While cognitive restoration and physiological well-being are the prominent and renowned benefits of nature exposure, there is one important construct that is often overlooked in environmental psychology research studies – that is, the human-nature relationship, also known as connectedness to nature (CN).” This ”CN” can also be experienced during surf therapy.
Surf therapy offers a myriad of benefits for recovery from stimulant addiction.
According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Carefully planned water activities tailored to the needs of the individual can contribute to correct psychosocial and cognitive development. The International Surf Therapy Organization summarizes the benefits of adequately indicated surf therapy as follows: improved physical health and mobility; improved mental health, including reduction of specific symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress and depression; improved well-being (strengthening of trust and confidence, encouragement of independence, resilience and protective coping strategies) and improved social skills.”
Horticulture therapy is also an ideal way to connect to nature and recover. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “People’s interactions with plants, through goal-orientated horticultural activities in the form of active gardening, as well as the passive appreciation of nature, could be therapeutic to people with mental disorders in many ways. First, horticulture could have emotional benefits, such as reducing stress, reducing psychiatric symptoms, stabilizing mood, and increasing the sense of tranquility, spirituality, and enjoyment. Second, it could help people to reduce fatigue and restore attention and cognitive ability.” A combination of these nature-based therapies is an ideal way to heal at the cellular level.
Healing at the Cellular Level With Exclusive Hawaii Rehab
Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why we focus on individualized plans aimed at healing at the cellular level.
The Buddha also famously said, “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” The time for that self-love and affection is now.
Recovery is out there. It’s time to go and get it!
Stimulant addiction causes serious harm. However, most people see only the physical side of that harm. However, there are many ways that stimulant addiction can disrupt and harm a person’s life – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The good news is many effective means, methods, and modalities can help one recover at the cellular level. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or both, we can help get you on the right road to recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about stimulant addiction and recovery, reach out to Exclusive Hawaii Rehab at (808) 775-0200.