Stimulant use disorder is a type of substance use disorder that involves the non-medical use of stimulants. It is defined in the DSM-5 as "the continued use of amphetamine-type substances, cocaine, or other stimulants leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, from mild to severe". These psychoactive drugs, known as stimulants, are the most widely used drugs in the world today. Approximately 200 million Americans have used some type of stimulant in the past year alone. Definition
A psychoactive drug, such as a stimulant, is a chemical or substance that affects one’s behavior, mind, and body. A stimulant can be smoked, injected, snorted, taken in pill form, chewed, and even ingested in the form of a drink. Synthetic stimulants are becoming increasingly popular as users attempt to alter the chemicals in drugs to create different reactions, and ultimately steer clear of jail time, legal penalties, and detection in drug screening efforts.If a substance is used over a long period of time and the user becomes dependent upon it, a substance use disorder may develop. Substance use may lead to substance dependence and with time, addiction. Both mental and physiological dependence requires the development of tolerance leading to withdrawal symptoms. Stimulants come in a very large variety of subtypes and among the most common are caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamines, amphetamine congeners, electronic cigarettes, diet pills, plant stimulants, energy drinks, and the ever-evolving designer stimulants such as bath salts.
In 1879, Vassili von Anrep of the University of Würzburg conducted an experiment in which he applied cocaine to one side of a frog’s limbs before attempting an invasive medical procedure. Cocaine proved to be extremely effective as both an anesthetic and pain reducer.In World War II, soldiers were medicated using a type of stimulant called amphetamines to keep both pilots and soldiers alert, full of energy, and ready to fight. Amphetamines were given in pill form to American soldiers, as well as to Japanese and German military members. It is estimated that German soldiers ingested roughly 35 million doses of Pervitin® through the course of the war. Pervitin® is a brand-name for methamphetamine, a drug that belongs to the stimulant class of drugs. The use of methamphetamine was an attempt by the Nazi leadership to create "super soldiers" who felt no pain and operated with extreme energy and unwavering confidence. The United States, for comparison, had dispensed roughly 200 million Benzedrine® tablets. A mixture of amphetamine salts, these pills were favored for their ability to increase wakefulness and energy levels while simultaneously suppressing appetite.The United States, around the year 1960, saw large increases in amphetamines sold as diet pills, with pharmaceutical companies recognizing the appetite-suppressing and energy-boosting effects stimulants could provide. It was estimated that worldwide sales of diet pills containing stimulants rocketed to over 10 billion tablets sold and that between 6% and 8% of the U.S. population were prescribed these types of medications to aid in weight loss.