I would like to, create a reference point (not only for addicts, but also future addicts and spectators as well) for the process of amphetamine addiction developing in the mind - mainly by noting what effects dwindle at what phases, and what effects become prominent at what stages. This is all mostly through self-experience although I am also researching a bit on the topic.



Amphetamine (and its derivatives) are unique from most other drugs. The effects of amphetamine work in discrete stages, and some effects may continue while other effects wear off.



A user develops tolerance to amphetamine in different ways than he would develop tolerance to say, opiates or benzos. Amphetamine tolerance is not caused by an increase of corresponding receptors, but instead it is mainly caused by depletion of the neurotransmitters it releases (dopamine, norepinephrine, and some serotonin) and also because amphetamine is neurotoxic (not only will the amphetamine molecule itself cause neuron damage, but the oxidation resulting from the metabolism of neurotransmitters reaches abnormally high levels and can kill neurons. Also, an increased body temperature can increase the potential for neuron death.) Amphetamine tolerance can also indirectly be the product of lack of sleep and poor nutrition. Amphetamine tolerance has many more factors which play in to it than traditional drugs. Some users find that with responsible usage, they can delay amphetamine tolerance indefinitely. Other users find that tolerance can be accumulated rapidly from just one period of binge usage.



The effects of amphetamine do not remain constant either; the effects transform into different types of effects over time. Some effects disappear, and sometimes new effects set in. Because of this, prolonged amphetamine use seems like it can be illustrated as working in phases or stages.



Note: The Cause of transitioning to further stages (past the first 2) is usually caused by factors such as Lack of sleep, Malnutrtion, Sedentary Lifestyle, or simply because the dose is too large.



Stage 1 of Amphetamine Use - During this stage, amphetamine will be at its hedonic peak; the pleasure of taking amphetamine will not get any higher from this point on. The most notable feelings are a "lovey" feeling, powerful euphoria, increased motivation, deep philosophical thinking, strong feelings of "lust", etc.



Length of phase: 1-3 days with binge usage; 5-10 days with daily usage; About 5-15 uses total if used sparingly with atleast several days inbetween doses.



Characteristic Effects of this Stage:

- Powerful euphoria

- Empathy and socialability

- Overwhelming amount of increased motivation



Stage 2 of Amphetamine Use - During this stage, the "lovey" and empathetic feelings of amphetamine quickly fade, although the "pleasurable" feelings of euphoria and increased motivation are still present. The decrease in empathetic feelings is likely responsible from a depletion of serotonergic vesicles. Most users note that it is impossible to transition back to "Stage 1" at this point, no matter how long of a break a person takes from amphetamine. This suggests that a permanent tolerance develops for the empathetic effects of the drug - whether this occurs from a psychological acclimation to the effects, or from physiological reasons, I don't know. This is the stage which doctors aim for when prescribing amphetamine for medicinal use with ADD and ADHD. This stage can be prolonged for quite some time (and if the dose is low enough, some medical professionals say that this phase can be prolonged indefinitely) this is assuming of course that the user continuously maintains an adequate amount of high quality sleep (7+ hours a night), proper nutrition, and a non-sedentary lifestyle.



Length of Stage: 1-7 days with binge usage (note that binge usage is defined by immediately taking another dose once the effects of one dose wear off or begin to wear off, interrupting sleep in the process). 2 Weeks to 6+ Months if used daily (and maintaining a healthy lifestyle). Indefinitely if used sparingly (with 3-5+ days inbetween uses).



Characteristic Effects of this Stage:

- Increased Motivation

- Slight Euphoria



Stage 3 of Amphetamine Use, the "Tool" phase - At this point, most if not all empathetic effects of usage have diminished. This point is characterized by the fact that amphetamine becomes the sole motivator for tasks, hence the nickname "The Tool Phase" because amphetamine is now used as a Tool for accomplishment. The negative physiological effects (the "body load") become more prominent.



Length of Stage: At this point, it is hard to define the length it will take to transition from one stage to the next. Some users will find that if they take breaks from their usage or just lower their dose, they can go backwards to earlier stages. Some binge users may even rapidly progress through the stages, possibly even skipping to the final ones or developing psychosis.



Characteristic Effects of this stage:

- Period of 'positive effects' and period of 'negative effects' from taking a dose begin to merge. (usually, if negative effects are present they only follow after the positive effects wear off)

- The user needs amphetamine to stay at/above a baseline level of motivation, and when amphetamine is not in effect the user is below a baseline level of motivation.

-In order for a task to be done effeciently, the user finds that they need to be on amphetamine.

- The level of euphoria decreases to a point where it is no more significant than the level of euphoria which most people get from daily life without amphetamine.



Stage 4 of Amphetamine Use, "The Decline" - The efficiency of amphetamine as a "Tool" begins to drop significantly, and this stage is characterized by the "comedown" (the period of negative effects after the drug begins to wear off) becoming much stronger. The "comedown" may even begin to merge in with the period of positive effects. At this point, the body load may begin to become painful.



Characteristic Effects of this Stage:

- Painful body load (Muscle Pain, High Blood Pressure, Inadequate Circulation, Dehydration, Malnutrition, deterioration of the skin and other tissues, etc).

- Depression

- Severe Anxiety





Stage 5 of Amphetamine Use, The Procrastination - This Stage may or may not be experienced by amphetamine users. In this stage, the positive effects of amphetamine are almost absent if not completely gone, and the "coming up" of a dose of amphetamine is subsequently followed by an immediate barrage of negative effects (both physiological and psychological). The reason this phase is called "The Procrastination" is because the user forgets how unbearable the negative sensations are (due to amphetamine compromising the brain's ability to efficiently make memories, especially goal-orientated memories); by the next day, even though the user may have told himself to not take amphetamine, he takes amphetamine again anyways (due to the brain not being able to make a goal-orientated memory, the brain was unable to produce counter-motivation to stop the user from taking more amphetamine the next day). This might possibly be the most psychologically painful and strenuous phase for the amphetamine user, since he is unable to figure out why he keeps taking amphetamine even though he clearly knows it only causes him pain.



Characteristic Effects:

- Repeatedly taking amphetamine despite knowledge that it no longer gives the desired effects, and only causes negative effects.



Stage 6 of Amphetamine Use, Irritability and Pessimism - This phase is characterized by extreme irritability. The user begins forgetting the drug is responsible for his negative feelings, and begins to blame things in the environment around them instead. The user begins to think that other people are responsible for how poorly he/she feels. The user might show hostility, or social withdrawal. The user also begins to develop an extremely pessimistic attitude towards life.



Characteristic Effects of this Stage:

- Acute Depression

- Severe Anxiety

- Irritability, even when the drug is out of the user's system

- Psychosis

- Inability to Sleep

- Severe Restlessness

- lack of willpower

- Inability to find "the right choice of words"

- Obsessive Thinking



Stage 7 of Amphetamine use, Nihilism and Dissociation - During this phase, incidences of psychosis begin to emerge (if they haven't already) even if the drug user has been maintaining an adequate amount of sleep. The user usually becomes nihilistic, thinking that nothing in life matters or has meaning. Some users may even become solipsistic, which means they think that they are the only things which are real in the world. Solipsism is often accompanied by paranoia, or thinking that others only have the intention of harming the solipsistic individual. If the user had obtained any philosophical or metacognitive methods of thinking during the earlier stages of amphetamine use, those same metacognitive methods begin to eat away at the person's psyche. They feel as if they are helpless to do anything besides sit back and watch their mind become unravelled. Even if the user realizes that his irritable attitude towards other people isn't how he truly feels, he is unable to manage his irritability (most likely due to a complete diminishment of serotonin, as well as the brain's ability to make memories being compromised). The individual's ego may begin to deconstruct itself, and the user may have a feeling that they completely lack any willpower to do anything. This stage is also accompanied by a large amount of confusion.



Characteristic Effects of this stage:

- Confusion

- Paranoia

- Unbearable Depression and Anxiety

- Delusions

- Increased Incidences of Psychosis

- Increasingly Painful Body Load

- Lack of willpower

- Cognition become confusing and incoherent. Users often claim things like their mind is "too loud", "jumping to false conclusions", or "doesn't make sense" and the user feels helpless to control this.

- Panic Attacks become very prominent

- Feelings of Deja Vu

- If weight loss was experienced in beginning stages, it may come to a hault or even reverse into weight gain

- Inability to experience pleasure

- Akathisia

- Feelings that an individual no longer has "free will"

- Difficult to form coherent sentences and speak properly. Similar to "Clanging" or "Word Salad" experienced in schizophrenics.



Stage 7b "Letting Go / Giving Up" - This stage is not always experienced, but in some instances after the user has experienced an excruciating and unbearable amount of anxiety and mental stress, he may experience a period of "Letting Go" in which the brain gives up on constructing/maintaining its deluded psychological structures. The negative effects of the drug temporarily fade, and the user has a "moment of peace". This temporary phase usually only lasts several hours (if not less) before the user returns to phase 7. Since the brain during this phase has completely abandoned any attempts to make goal orientated behaviour, the user may find it difficult (or simply not want to) to take care of themselves. However, during this phase, the user will find that they will actually be able to get to sleep, and they should take advantage of this temporary somnia to get sleep. I do not know what neurological mechanisms are responsible for this phase; it is almost as if it is the brain's last resort - to enter a careless and stressless stupor. Perhaps the brain releases endorphins in response to the unbearable anxiety?



Characteristic Effects:

- Stupor

- Irresponsiveness

- Carelessness

- Ironically, if effects of "word salad" or "clanging" were experienced in stage 7, they are no longer as present in stage 7b.



Stage 8, "The Stupor", Brain Damage - In this stage, amphetamine no longer gives effects, and the brain's desire for taking amphetamine (even if taking it has become a habit) begins to drop. As long as amphetamine use continues, the user makes no progress towards recovery of any sort. The individual is unresponsive and disconnected. Amphetamine has a tendency to make the user put too much effort into anything/everything, and this gives the brain not a single moment of psychological "rest" (where the individual doesn't think deeply). However, during this phase, it is quite the opposite - the individual's mind is in a prolonged state of resting and won't even follow through with the very act of thinking if the thought takes too much effort to think. During this phase, the user may have a steep decline in intelligence.



Characteristic Effects:

- Prolonged episodes of stupor and carelessness

- Lethargy

- Diminished Intelligence and mental efficiency

- Irreversible Psychological Damage

- Possible brain damage

- The individual may develop a "permanent stuttering" which persists even after amphetamine has long since been ceased.

- In a similar way that the stuttering develops, an individual may develop a possible permanent difficulty talking, using correct grammar and sentence structure, or expressing thoughts to others. In severe cases, this may even resemble a schizophrenic's clanging or word salad.

- Essentially, the mind at this point is irreversibly compromised. The user's personality might have changed permanently. The individual may be much more easily irritated for the rest of his/her life. Cognitive functioning will never work the same as it used to. Although the user may make improvements and greatly recover, it will almost always seem like something "isn't right" in the mind, or that something is "missing". Individuals will still be able to lead fulfilling lives, and some may make amazing recoveries where they feel normal again like they did before they ever began using. Unfortunately, in severe cases, the individual may never be the same again.