Concentration pills: can they lead to addictive disorders?

The concept of “concentration pills” refers to various types of stimulant-type psychotropic drugs that in most cases they are prescribed to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and narcolepsy.

However, beyond their use in the clinical context, there are those who make the use of these substances a habit; These are mainly students or professionals who are subjected to high pressure situations and feel that they need to use this kind of product to face the demands of day to day.

These types of consumers who use the pills outside of the indications of a doctor are especially vulnerable to develop dependency problems, so in many cases, in the medium term the use of these drugs leads to a health problem. In this article we will see to what extent this use of concentration pills can trigger addictions.

• Related article: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

What are concentration pills?

In most cases, what is usually understood by pills for concentration or pills to study are a set of drugs for oral consumption that belong to two categories:

methylphenidates and methamphetamines. The most famous examples of each are Ritalin and Adderall, respectively.

These are substances that have a stimulating and activating effect on the nervous system, although through mechanisms different, and that are used in the face of psychological disorders such as ADHD in boys and girls (especially in methylphenidate).

These substances emulate the functioning of some chemicals naturally present in the human brain., and that is why once they have been introduced into the body and have reached the nervous system, they begin to interact with neurons and cause their functioning to be altered; in this case, making the nerve cells very activated and therefore with a great capacity to get involved in tasks.

• You may be interested in: "Types of psychostimulants (or psychoanalleptics)"

The risk of addiction

These products present very significant risks to consider. First of all, as with all psychoactive drugs, have side effects capable of, under the circumstances, causing more harm than good. They do not always have to occur, but among them, the most frequent are the following:

• Arterial hypertension
• Dizziness
• Abdominal pain
• Irregular heartbeat
• Anxiety

In addition, other side effects that can occur and that have a higher level of danger (mainly associated with methamphetamines) are the following:

• Seizures
• Cerebrovascular accidents

Second, these pills can lead to an addictive disorder. Although the risk of this happening is relatively low if the doctor's instructions are followed and the doses are not high, There are many people who end up becoming addicted by self-administering these drugs. (even if access to them without a prescription is illegal).

This occurs because as doses have been taken, the brain "gets used to" supporting its functioning in the constant presence of this drug in the brain. functioning of its neurons, so that as the weeks go by it depends more and more on that class of molecules introduced from the Exterior. What's more, increasing doses are needed to stop feeling bad due to withdrawal.

On the other hand, addiction to concentration pills can occur at almost any age, although the risk of its occurrence is higher in adults, considering that it is relatively difficult to have access to they.

Are you looking for professional help against addictions?

If you have developed a chemical or behavioral addiction and are looking for healthcare professionals to offer treatment, please contact us.

On CITA Clinics we specialize in the treatment of addictions, and we also offer our patients a module Fully equipped residential area with all kinds of activities, located in an environment in which calm and nature. You can find us in Barcelona and Dosrius (Mataró).

Bibliographic references:

• Berman, S.; O'Neill, J.; Fears, S.; Bartzokis, G.; London, E.D. (2008). Abuse of amphetamines and structural abnormalities in the brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1141 (1): pp. 195 - 220.
• Gilmore A.; Milne R. (2001). "Methylphenidate in children with hyperactivity: review and cost-utility analysis". Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf, 10 (2): pp. 85 - 94.
• Kimko, H.C.; Cross, J.T.; Abernethy, D.R. (1999). Pharmacokinetics and clinical effectiveness of methylphenidate. Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 37 (6): pp. 457 - 470.
• Patrick, K.S.; González, M.A.; Straughn, A.B.; Markowitz, J.S. (2005). New methylphenidate formulations for the treatment of attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 2 (1): pp. 121 - 43.
• Spiller, H.A.; Hays, H.L.; Aleguas, A. (2013). Overdose of drugs for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: clinical presentation, mechanisms of toxicity, and management. CNS Drugs, 27 (7): pp. 531 - 543.