Is There Such a Thing as a Stimulant That Is Physically Addicting?
Question by Tracey Lynn: Is there such a thing as a stimulant that is physically addicting?
It seems to me the only drugs that cause painful (and even fatal) physical withdrawal symptoms are downers / depressants (alcohol, barbiturates, opiates).
The uppers cause a psychological craving, not not a physical addiction (cocaine and crack, amphetamines, meth).
I suppose nicotine is a stimulant, and while quitting smoking is hard (I am a smoker),the withdraws don’t come close to the withdraw from downers.
Is it possible for the body to become physically addicted to a stimulant?
Best answer:
Answer by collegegurl201
Yes as you said smoking you can have very physical withdraws from smoking. Shakes, tremors, some people have even experienced chills it is kinda scary how addicting nicotine really is not as bad as lets say heroin but still pretty bad.
Answer by Mathieu
A couple of things-
FIrstly by definition something can’t be “physically addicting.” Physical dependency has nothing to do with addiction aside from the fact that many addicts also happen to be physically dependent. Addiction is a behaviour, physical dependency is a normal, natural change that occurs when people use certain drugs- both addictive (morphine, Valium) and non addictive (prednisone, laxatives).
Also opioids like morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, heroin, and methadone do NOT cause a potentially lethal withdrawal syndrome. Opioids do certainly cause physical dependency but withdrawal, as painful as it may be, is not lethal (aside from suicide, which occasionally happens).
Stimulants like amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine, and methylphenidate (Ritalin) can certainly cause addiction but they do not lead to physical dependency.
You are right withdrawal from sedative/hypnotics like benzodiazepines, barbiturates, alcohol, and the miscellaneous drugs like chloral hydrate, meprobamate, carisoprodol, zolpidem, zaleplon, zopiclone, eszopiclone, and of course alcohol is far worse. In fact withdrawal from sedative/hypnotics are considered worse than opioid withdrawal.
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