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Apex Recovery Blog

Adderall Addiction and Misuse Among Teens

A man being supported during an AA meeting.

50% of teens have misused a substance in their life at least once. One of the most common substances for teenagers to misuse is Adderall.

If you suspect your child of an Adderall addiction, it’s important you check out this guide and discover why Tennessee rehab centers are the best place to seek addiction treatment from.

We’re going to detail the signs of addiction, ways to prevent it, and treatment that can help your teenager before it’s too late.

Read on now.

What is Adderall?

Adderall is a stimulant drug that combines amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. The combination of these two drugs makes it possible for those that have problems with ADHD to focus.

It also helps to increase their attention span. Everyone that has an Adderall prescription doesn’t have ADHD.

However, for some people, it’s been prescribed as a solution to increased fatigue and sleepiness they feel throughout the day. If your teen has problems with narcolepsy, it’s prescribed to stimulate their nervous system.

This can help reduce the effects of the condition. Even though Adderall can be helpful, it is known to suppress a person’s appetite, which can lead to a significant loss in weight.

Although someone has a prescription for focus or fatigue issues, it doesn’t reduce the chances of addiction happening.

How Does Adderall Addiction Happen?

Most teenagers addicted to Adderall have either a prescription to help them focus in school, or they’ve gotten it from a friend to try. Adderall stimulates the nervous system of those who take it.

Adderall abuse is when teenagers take medication they aren’t prescribed or take too much medication at once. If you begin to notice any Adderall addiction symptoms, it’s important to take action.

Start by sitting down with your teenager and talking about what needs to happen to ensure their addiction doesn’t continue.

Adderall Addiction Symptoms

The signs of Adderall addiction can be challenging to spot. This is because they are like the side effects most people get when taking medication.

For example, people might experience constipation, which happens when they take medication regularly. Another sign of Adderall misuse is when your teenager begins to show signs of extreme fatigue or the opposite of an increase in energy.

Your teenager might also begin to experience a sudden increase in insomnia and trouble going to sleep at night. Much like other types of substance abuse disorders, your child might also begin to do things such as lying.

They may also start becoming secretive about their drug use. They might refuse to speak with you about why they’re suddenly experiencing an increase in energy.

Or they might hide their medication bottle, so you don’t know they’re taking more medicine than they’re supposed to be taking.

How to Prevent Your Teen From Becoming Addicted to Adderall

When Adderall is used the way it’s supposed to be, it can help your child in numerous ways. But it can be detrimental when they don’t use it the way they’re supposed to.

If your child is misusing Adderall or you suspect it could happen, there are some prevention steps you can take to reduce the risk of addiction. The first step in preventing Adderall misuse is to monitor your teenager’s medication.

This is to ensure no more than needed goes missing from the bottle.
If you suspect they’re having issues with taking their medication as prescribed, it might be beneficial to keep it locked up.

This helps you keep an eye on the medication and distribute it to them as needed. If your child doesn’t have a prescription for Adderall, it’s important to seek treatment from rehab centers in Tennessee.

Another prevention strategy you can use is to provide your child with constructive activities. These activities can give them an outlet for the stress they feel as a developing teen.

It also gives them a chance to find hobbies they enjoy and positive people to hang out with that won’t influence them to do things like abuse substances. As your child works their treatment program, they’ll mature and learn different strategies to cope with addiction.

These tools will also help them learn how to deal with triggers. And help them refrain from using when they return to school or need to continue taking their medication for focus help.

Why Treatment Matters?

Teenagers are still developing into young adults. They need your help as their parents to continue making the right decisions and choices.

Peer pressure is a driving factor in addiction for many teens.

This makes it even more important for parents to get their children to help if they suspect they have an Adderall addiction. It’s important you take time to do your research and find an Adderall addiction treatment facility that has the programs your child needs to be successful.

Treatment will help your teenager address the issues that led to the beginning of their addiction. It will also help them learn to stand up against peer pressure.

Treatment teaches them that just because they’re having problems right now doesn’t mean they can’t get their life back on track. Your teenager can still accomplish the things they’ve wanted to accomplish in their life.

Tennessee Rehab Centers and Teenage Adderall Addiction

The Tennessee rehab centers don’t just focus on the treatment of alcoholism; they also provide help with other addictions, including Adderall addiction. If you suspect your child is addicted to Adderall, you’ve got to get them the help they need right away. 

Contact Apex Recovery and let us help you save your teen before it’s too late.

Call Our Toll-Free Hotline 24/7 at 877.881.2689