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WHATS SPEED GOT TO DO WITH IT?HATS SPEED GOT TO DO WITH IT?IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL PROBLEMSIMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS

Speed, whizz, sulphate; the drugsthat hype you up and give you arush. They include Amphetaminesand Cocaine and are called psychostimulants because they speed upmessages going through yournervous system. They can reducetiredness, increase endurance andhelp you stay awake.

Amphetamines usually come as a

smelly white, yellow or brownpowder, but you can also find it astablets, capsules, crystals or redliquid. It can be smoked, swallowed,inhaled through the nose (snorted)or dissolved in a small amount ofwater and injected.

Because they dont have manymedical uses, most amphetaminesare crudely made in backyardlaboratories, often mixed with other

substances, which means they canhave very unpredictable effects.

STIMULANTS AND MENTALHEALTH

People who have emotional orpsychiatric problems are worse off ifthey use speed. Whileamphetamines can make someonefeel full of energy and confidence, ina person with a mental illness it is

more likely to set off a majorbreakdown.

Speed is one of the few drugs that isthought can actually cause mentalillness. Some drugs can trigger ahidden illness, but anyone who takesspeed long enough or in largeamounts can become mentally ill.Even small doses can cause peopleto experience the symptoms of bi-polar illness, so people who already

have schizophrenia or bipolardisorder should think about avoiding

speed. Other illnesses, includingObsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD) and Post Traumatic StressDisorder (PTSD) can also be madeworse by speed.

DEPRESSION AND SPEED

All the good effects that go withusing speed have a down side.Feeling full of energy and self-confidence easily becomes out of

control, hyperactive behaviour.Speed is often linked withaggression and violence.

It is very common to becomedepressed after using speed, oreven suicidal. This is part of thewithdrawal effect and while itnormally wears off in a few day orweeks, thats not always the case.There is a special kind of depressioncaused by speed and cocaine, whichcan last for months.

Speed or uppers make people feelgood by flooding the brain with achemical called serotonin. Ecstasyreleases even more serotonin thanspeed. It makes many people feelopen and warm towards each other.But regular use damages yourbrains ability to handle serotonin,and the long periods of depression

that follow can last for ages, evenneeding psychiatric treatment to helpthe sufferer cope. It takes manymonths without speed before thiscondition starts to get better, and forsome people, it never does.

ECSTASY (MDMA)

Methylenedioxymethamphetamineor ecstasy is an unusual stimulant,because it also acts likes ahallucinogenic (hallucinogenics are

drugs like LSD).

The immediate effects of ecstasyinclude:

A feeling of tranquillity

Increased confidence

Raised blood pressure

Increased heart rate

Feeling close to other people

Jaw clenching, grinding teeth

Dry mouth and throat

Nausea and loss of appetite

Anxiety and paranoia

Larger does cause:

Sweating

Hallucinations

Irrational behaviour

Vomiting

Convulsions

The next day a severe hangovermay leave you feeling burned out.Symptoms include: loss of appetite,insomnia, depression, achingmuscles and difficulty inconcentrating.

Too much ecstasy results in veryhigh blood pressure, bodytemperature and racing heartbeat,which can lead to heart failure andstroke.

SCHIZOPHRENIA AND SPEED

All the symptoms of schizophreniacan be caused by speed:, delusions,paranoid thoughts / feelings,hallucinations and badly scrambledthinking. The illness (often called adrug-induced psychosis)) is treatedlike schizophrenia usually in apsychiatric ward, and can take a fewweeks t bring under control. Once aperson has had one drug inducedpsychosis, they may be more likelyto have further episodes, and a small

number of people will continue toexperience these symptoms even if

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they stop using stimulantsaltogether.

For people who have schizophrenia,or who have a relative with theillness, speed is a very risky drug touse. It will make the illness worseand prevent medication workingproperly.

The earlier schizophrenia starts, theharder it can be to treat, many youngpeople use speed and because itmay be a trigger for the first episodein people who are vulnerable to theillness (E.g. If a close family memberhas schizophrenia) it may be worth

avoiding.

BIPOLAR DISORDER AND SPEED

Speed does more than mimic mania;it triggers manic episodes in peoplewho have a bipolar disorder. In thesame way, the crash that followsspeed use can result in a severedepressive episode in someone whohas a bipolar disorder, leading tofeelings of suicide or hospitalisation.The effects are usually worse with

cocaine and crack cocaine.

DEPRESSION AND SPEED

If you are depressed it seems logicalto take a drug like speed that makesyou feel happy, high and confident.But there is a catch: two catchesreally. The first is that what is true forbipolar illness is also true fordepression. When you come off, youare likely to be far more depressed

than when you took it. The othercatch is that taking speed or cocaineover a long period burns out certainparts of the brain (serotoninreceptors), leading to chronicdepression, which does not respondwell to treatment with medication.

IS SPEED ADDICTIVE?

Some speed users find that theyneed increasingly larger doses to getthe effect they are looking for from

the drug. This increasing toleranceis an indication of physical addiction.

More importantly, stimulant use cancome to have such an importantplace in a users life that it interfereswith relationships, education, work,friendships and family life. Health isoften neglected and people do somevery risky things to ensure theirsupply is not interfered with.

IS SPEED A DANGEROUS DRUG?

Speed is currently one of the mostwidely used injecting drugs in theUK.

Because of the way it ismanufactured, people who usespeed have a higher chance of

contracting HIV / AIDS, hepatitis andother blood borne diseases. Usingspeed is also associated with violentor aggressive behaviour. You mightinjure someone else, or you could bethe victim!

SPEED AND OTHER DRUGS

Speed & CannabisCannabis starves your body ofoxygen and increases the amount ofpoisonous carbon monoxide in yourbloodstream. Speed pumps up yourheart and makes sure this poisongets to your brain and to all theorgans of your body. Thats notgood. Cannabis will also make manypeople paranoid at times and thatincreases the chance of triggering aschizophrenic illness especiallywhen you use stimulants on top.They shouldnt be used together, oreven within a few days of each

other, because the active part ofcannabis stays in your system for avery long time after you take it.

Speed & AlcoholSpeed increases your heart rate to120 beats per minute or more. At thesame time, it increases your bloodpressure, and makes the heart beatirregular and erratic. Add alcohol,which also interferes with circulationand blood pressure and the

combination is pretty dangerous.

Depressants (alcohol, Benzos andopiates) work on different parts ofthe brain, giving your bodyconflicting signals, which disruptmany functions. Depressants canslow your breathing reflex whichresults in less oxygen at the timeyour racing, irregular pulse isdemanding extra. It can be a fatalcombination and the risk grows asyou get older.

Speed & MedicationSome HIV / AIDS drugs can lead toliver damage if taken with speed.Medications for mental illness wontwork properly if you are on speed,

but the side effects will actually getworse, and antidepressants areineffective while you are takingspeed. The combination of speedand antidepressants increases therisk of having an amphetaminepsychosis. Some drugs, likeanticoagulants (for stroke, heartdisease and blood clots) canbecome fatal if used with speed.

OTHER ISSUES

Users often take other drugs tocounter effects like insomnia, leadingto polydrug use. Stimulants areappetite suppressants, and loss ofweight; poor nutrition and neglect goalong with using. So does becomingvulnerable to infection and disease.

If you want to know more aboutspeed and your mental health orwant a fact sheet on anothersubstance call Manchester DualDiagnosis Service on 0161 7202005.

Acknowledgements:

D. Rich, SW Sydney Area Health Service.

S. Bazire, Psychotropic Drug Directory.

Drugscope, Drug Abuse Briefing.

Manchester Dual Diagnosis Service: A

Collaboration between Manchester Drug &

Alcohol Strategy Team and Manchester

Mental Health & Social Care Trust.