Update in Stimulant Use Disorder-Recording - Update in Stimulant Use Disorder

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Jason Beeman gives an overview of stimulant use disorder in the context of the U.S. overdose epidemic. He explains how overdose deaths have shifted from prescription opioids to heroin, fentanyl, and increasingly stimulants. He focuses on three major stimulants: methamphetamine, amphetamine (such as Adderall), and cocaine.<br /><br />Methamphetamine is emphasized as a major problem, especially in Oklahoma. Beeman describes how production has shifted from small, local labs to high-purity transnational trafficking from Mexico, making the drug cheaper, stronger, and more widely available. He outlines its effects, including intense euphoria, increased energy, decreased sleep and appetite, as well as serious harms like psychosis, stroke, seizures, hyperthermia, and death. Treatment options are limited, but supportive care, CBT, contingency management, and some off-label medications may help.<br /><br />He also discusses growing concerns about prescription amphetamines and overdiagnosis of adult ADHD, warning clinicians not to pathologize normal behavior.<br /><br />Finally, he reviews cocaine’s history, modern trafficking patterns, and the rise in overdose deaths, often due to fentanyl contamination or mixed overdoses. He concludes that stimulant problems require careful diagnosis, evidence-based treatment, and a broader understanding of drug use as part of the overdose crisis.

Keywords

stimulant use disorder

overdose epidemic

methamphetamine

amphetamine

Adderall

cocaine

fentanyl contamination

contingency management

adult ADHD overdiagnosis