Stimulant Addiction
Stimulants, sometimes known as "uppers" are in many substances and are commonly used to fight fatigue. The most commonly available stimulants are nicotine and caffeine. Nicotine is found in cigarettes and caffeine is traditionally in coffee and tea products, however, in more recent years, has been added to soft drinks, "energy" drinks, etc.
There is a whole class of stimulants that are tightly regulated and fall into the Schedule II category given they have such a high potential for addiction and abuse. Many of these stimulants were initially prescription drugs that have moved over into street drugs. These drugs include, methamphetamine, Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine, cocaine, Benzedrine, amphetamines, etc.
Stimulants are often taken as drugs of abuse to produce a strong sense of exhilaration, "improve" mental and physical performance, increase activity, and "get high". They are taken orally, sniffed, smoked or injected. The result among the numerous side effects can be psychosis, physical exhaustion and dependence.
The True Definition of a Drug
Although each stimulant may react slightly differently, there is a common rule of thumb that applies to all stimulants. Drugs are essentially poisons, a small amount taken acts as a stimulant (speeds one up), a larger amount acts as a depressant (slows one down) enough of the drug fast enough will kill one.
Although the above definition can apply to any drug, stimulants are particularly noteworthy. A small amount of caffeine, as in a cup of coffee speeds one up. If one were to have 5 or 6 cups of coffee, one after another, one would notice one was slowing down and feeling tired. If one could actually take 100 cups of coffee in one sitting, one would be dead. Coffee is hard to take in such large amounts as it is diluted by water. However, if one were to take nicotine, one could more easily see this. One cigarette or two might make one feel sped up. A whole pack of cigarettes at one time would make one feel sluggish, if one were to chew an ashtray full of cigarette butts, the concentrated nicotine would kill one. Again it takes a sizable amount.
If one were to do the same "test" with drugs such as cocaine or Ritalin, it would not take very much to overdose and kill one. The human body can only metabolize so much poison at one time before the system is overwhelmed and shuts down.
The Social Impacts of Amphetamine Abuse
There is one stimulant, a concentrated form of cocaine called "Crack" that has had serious social implications. "Crack" the "rock" form of cocaine, is smoked and delivers a large quantity of cocaine to the lungs causing immediate drug effects. The result to crack users is acute respiratory problems and severe chest pains, with lung damage including bleeding. Socially, the impact on society, by the abuse of crack, can be seen in the dramatic increase in drug abuse problems and drug-related violence since its introduction in the mid 1980s.
The connection between drugs and crime are notorious among law enforcement officers. Despite the fact that drugs are abused illegally, the very use of drugs can lead to crime. Drug addiction often leads to crime and criminal acts. This usually starts in small ways and gradually leads to bigger crimes. The first acts are usually in the form of dishonesties and neglect of responsibilities and eventually lead to theft of money or possessions for drugs as well as more serious crimes. As amphetamine abuse can also cause violent and psychotic episodes, violent crimes also become part of the equation.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, approximately one-quarter of offenders in state and local correctional facilities and more than half of offenders in federal facilities are incarcerated for drug-related charges. That is an enormous amount of taxpayer dollars invested in simply handling drug-related activities.
The other side is the unemployed. 19.6 percent of the unemployed in 2008 were current users of illicit drugs. This translates into 1.8 million unemployed drug abusers. Put this in terms of lost production and the resultant negative activity of drug use and the problem can be bad.
How Narconon Can Help
Narconon is the answer to drug addiction and stimulant abuse. Narconon has a long successful history of handling even the most severe drug addicts and rehabilitating them into successful productive members of society.
By doing the Narconon program, an addict initially addresses his own body and the damage drugs have done to it. The nutritional imbalances are restored, in conjunction with medical advice, and the person begins to feel better physically and this in turn improves his mental outlook.,
As one continues through the Narconon program the person is put through a series of drills and exercises with another individual. The two learn to take responsibility for each other and help them through these activities which improve communication skills and extroverts them in the environment.
Once this step is complete, the Narconon student is far more aware of his surroundings and the others in his life. He then embarks on a series of life skill courses that each address a certain aspect of drug addiction. Handling these factors the student comes to his own personal realizations on how he got into the situations that led to drug addiction. He is then given the solutions to undo these difficulties and handle them. Families are reunited and other gains occur as responsibility increases with the students new found truths about life.
The Narconon drug rehabilitation program offers the total solution to drug abuse. If you would like more information contact us at