If you’re struggling with substance use and feel like your life is spiraling out of control, understanding the drug behind your addiction is a critical first step toward healing. Many people who misuse stimulant drugs have asked the questions: What is speed, and how does it affect the body and mind? The answers may help you recognize just how powerful and dangerous this drug can be—and why addiction treatment is often necessary to break free.
Below, you’ll learn more about what speed is, how it differs from other stimulants, what the side effects are, and how a speed addiction can change your life. You’ll also learn about the symptoms to watch for and where to find real, lasting support.
What Is Speed?
Speed is a common street name for amphetamine, a powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It increases alertness, energy, and concentration while suppressing appetite and reducing the need for sleep. While amphetamines are sometimes prescribed in small doses to treat conditions like ADHD or narcolepsy, “speed” usually refers to illegal or recreational use of the drug—often in forms that are much more potent and dangerous.
Speed can be taken in pill form, crushed and snorted, smoked, or injected. It goes by many names, including crank, uppers, and bennies, and is commonly used to stay awake, enhance performance, or get high. However, repeated use often leads to a powerful and destructive pattern of dependency.
Amphetamine vs Methamphetamine: What’s the Difference?
A common question is the difference between amphetamine and methamphetamine. Both drugs are stimulants, but methamphetamine (or meth) is a chemically altered version of amphetamine that is more potent and longer-lasting. Meth is also more likely to cause rapid and severe physical and emotional deterioration due to its high potential for abuse.
While both can lead to similar effects, methamphetamine is often smoked or injected, resulting in a more intense and immediate high. Amphetamine may seem “milder,” but when misused, it can still result in harmful addiction, risky behavior, and long-term health consequences.
The Side Effects of Speed
Speed doesn’t just make you feel more energized—it drastically alters how your body and brain function. Over time, these changes can become dangerous or even life-threatening. The side effects of speed can be both short-term and long-term, impacting nearly every part of your life.
Short-term side effects may include:
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Decreased appetite
- Hyperactivity or restlessness
- Anxiety or paranoia
- Agitation and aggression
Long-term side effects may include:
- Heart problems and stroke risk
- Severe weight loss and malnutrition
- Dental issues (“meth mouth” when meth is used)
- Memory loss and concentration problems
- Mood swings and erratic behavior
- Relationship breakdowns and job loss
Even occasional use of speed can lead to unpredictable reactions. Once dependence begins, the body starts needing more of the drug to feel the same effects, leading to a dangerous cycle of escalating use.
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We know how hard that can be. Give us a call to find out what options you have.
+18442884672 Speed Addiction Symptoms: What to Look For
Recognizing speed addiction symptoms in yourself or a loved one can be difficult, especially since many users hide or deny the problem. But speed addiction often shows up in physical, emotional, and behavioral changes that become hard to ignore.
Common symptoms of speed addiction include:
- Obsessive thoughts about using the drug
- Needing more speed to feel the same effect
- Difficulty sleeping or eating
- Social withdrawal or secrecy
- Lying, stealing, or other risky behavior to obtain the drug
- Physical symptoms like tremors, weight loss, or rapid speech
- Emotional instability, anger, or paranoia
Over time, addiction can take over your life—damaging relationships, impacting your health, and making it harder to work, study, or function normally. If you’re seeing these signs, it’s time to consider getting help.
How Speed Addiction Can Impact Your Life
Living with a speed addiction can feel like being trapped in a fast-moving storm. At first, you may feel powerful, in control, and focused—but that illusion quickly fades. Speed can take a serious toll on your physical health, lead to severe mood swings, and make everyday responsibilities feel impossible.
The longer the addiction continues, the more it can erode your confidence, your sense of self, and your hope for the future. Relationships suffer. Career goals get derailed. You may find yourself alone, anxious, or wondering how you got to this point. But no matter how far things have gone, it’s never too late to make a change.
Find Your Strength. Discover Your Path.
You don’t have to continue down this road alone. Recovery is possible with the right support, compassionate care, and the courage to take the first step.
Discover Recovery is here to help you take back your life from speed addiction. Our individualized programs are designed to meet you where you are and guide you toward a healthier, more stable future.
Visit Discover Recovery online or call [Direct] today to talk with our admissions team. Let us help you find your strength—and discover your path to recovery.
