Can amphetamines cause mental illness?
Updated October 28, 2014.
Taking amphetamines does not automatically cause mental illness in everyone who takes them. But in some people, amphetamine use can cause a variety of problems with thought processes, learning, memory, a group of mental skills known as executive functioning skills, problems with managing emotions and behavior, and even psychosis. Whether mental health problems develop in response to amphetamine use depends on many different factors, including set and setting, events that occur while the person is intoxicated, mental and physical health history --especially if you have had mental health problems in the past, trauma history, including childhood abuse, family history of mental health problems, how much of drug is taken, and so on.
Amphetamine-induced anxiety disorder is similar to other anxiety disorders, in that the person experiences a greater degree of anxiety than is manageable for them, to the point where it causes significant distress, and interferes with their day to day functioning. For example, some people experience so much fear and worry that they are unable to work, they avoid situations where it would be in their interests to participate, or in extreme cases, they feel unable to leave their home.
What distinguishes amphetamine-induced anxiety disorders from other anxiety disorders is that the anxiety develops in response to taking amphetamines.
Amphetamine-induced depressive disorder is similar to other depressive disorders, in that the person feels excessive sadness, sometimes to the point of despair, which interferes with their ability to enjoy life.
As with other substance-induced disorders, amphetamine-induced depressive disorder develops in response to the use of amphetamines in people who were not depressed before they took the drug.
Amphetamine-induced psychosis is a type of substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder. Psychosis is a loss of contact with some aspect of reality, for example, by experiencing sights, sounds or feelings without appropriate sensory input -- hallucinations, or by believing unusual ideas which have no foundation in reality --delusions.
Unlike other forms of psychosis, amphetamine-induced psychosis happens in response to taking amphetamines, not as a result of a pre-existing mental condition, such as schizophrenia.
Amphetamines can have a lasting negative impact on learning and memory, even in occasional users. This has been demonstrated both in users of pharmaceutical amphetamines, which are often prescribed as a treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder, and in animal studies. Alternative treatments that do not involve amphetamines are now well established, and, according to the American Pediatric Association, should be considered before medication.
Executive functioning skills are a group of abilities that are important for planning, decision-making, organization, and impulse control. Research with current and past amphetamine users shows that both groups perform more poorly than non-drug users on tests of executive functioning. Even after years of abstinence, deficits were apparent, although chronic drug users showed the most pronounced executive and memory performance.
If you have been using amphetamines, and are concerned about any of the amphetamine-induced disorders discussed in this article, it is important to seek help as soon as possible. Your doctor can help you find the right treatment.
Ersche, K.D., Clark, L., London, M., Robbins, T.W., & Sahakian, B.J. Profile of executive and memory function associated with amphetamine and opiate dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology 31, 1036–1047. 2006.
Reske, M., Eidt, C., Delis, D., Paulus, M. Nondependent stimulant users of cocaine and prescription amphetamines show verbal learning and memory deficits. Biological Psychiatry, 68(8), 762-769. 2010.
Taking amphetamines does not automatically cause mental illness in everyone who takes them. But in some people, amphetamine use can cause a variety of problems with thought processes, learning, memory, a group of mental skills known as executive functioning skills, problems with managing emotions and behavior, and even psychosis. Whether mental health problems develop in response to amphetamine use depends on many different factors, including set and setting, events that occur while the person is intoxicated, mental and physical health history --especially if you have had mental health problems in the past, trauma history, including childhood abuse, family history of mental health problems, how much of drug is taken, and so on.
Amphetamine-Induced Anxiety Disorder
Amphetamine-induced anxiety disorder is similar to other anxiety disorders, in that the person experiences a greater degree of anxiety than is manageable for them, to the point where it causes significant distress, and interferes with their day to day functioning. For example, some people experience so much fear and worry that they are unable to work, they avoid situations where it would be in their interests to participate, or in extreme cases, they feel unable to leave their home.
What distinguishes amphetamine-induced anxiety disorders from other anxiety disorders is that the anxiety develops in response to taking amphetamines.
Amphetamine-Induced Depressive Disorder
Amphetamine-induced depressive disorder is similar to other depressive disorders, in that the person feels excessive sadness, sometimes to the point of despair, which interferes with their ability to enjoy life.
As with other substance-induced disorders, amphetamine-induced depressive disorder develops in response to the use of amphetamines in people who were not depressed before they took the drug.
Amphetamine-Induced Psychosis
Amphetamine-induced psychosis is a type of substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder. Psychosis is a loss of contact with some aspect of reality, for example, by experiencing sights, sounds or feelings without appropriate sensory input -- hallucinations, or by believing unusual ideas which have no foundation in reality --delusions.
Unlike other forms of psychosis, amphetamine-induced psychosis happens in response to taking amphetamines, not as a result of a pre-existing mental condition, such as schizophrenia.
Problems With Learning and Memory
Amphetamines can have a lasting negative impact on learning and memory, even in occasional users. This has been demonstrated both in users of pharmaceutical amphetamines, which are often prescribed as a treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder, and in animal studies. Alternative treatments that do not involve amphetamines are now well established, and, according to the American Pediatric Association, should be considered before medication.
Problems With Executive Functioning Skills
Executive functioning skills are a group of abilities that are important for planning, decision-making, organization, and impulse control. Research with current and past amphetamine users shows that both groups perform more poorly than non-drug users on tests of executive functioning. Even after years of abstinence, deficits were apparent, although chronic drug users showed the most pronounced executive and memory performance.
Getting Help
If you have been using amphetamines, and are concerned about any of the amphetamine-induced disorders discussed in this article, it is important to seek help as soon as possible. Your doctor can help you find the right treatment.
Sources
Ersche, K.D., Clark, L., London, M., Robbins, T.W., & Sahakian, B.J. Profile of executive and memory function associated with amphetamine and opiate dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology 31, 1036–1047. 2006.
Reske, M., Eidt, C., Delis, D., Paulus, M. Nondependent stimulant users of cocaine and prescription amphetamines show verbal learning and memory deficits. Biological Psychiatry, 68(8), 762-769. 2010.
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