Meth / Adderall Addiction

Meth and Adderall share many similarities including a very close chemical make-up and nearly identical highs when used illegally. Doctors classify meth, or methamphetamine, and Adderall, a mixture of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, as stimulants. Both drugs produce a sense of euphoria, energeticness, alertness and a feeling of invincibility. Users — even users of the prescription form of the drug, Adderall — can quickly find themselves addicted. Meth, however, often leads users to addiction more quickly since its formulation allows it to pass more easily from the bloodstream into the brain. Using Adderall, the prescription counterpart of meth, does not make that drug any safer, however.

Considered a Schedule II drug, the medical community recognizes both the benefits and addictive qualities of Adderall. (Meth remains a strictly recreational and illegal drug.) Adderall, when used as doctor-directed, enhances the mental concentration and stamina of ADHD sufferers and narcoleptics. A recent study highlights the potential for abuse though, showing that nearly a third of all Adderall prescriptions go to users who do not take the drug to treat a medical condition. When Adderall leads to meth abuse and addiction, users risk incurring permanent brain damage from neurotoxins in the drug. For both drugs, the risks of addiction and physical harm necessitate a medically supervised and integrated approach to detox.