What does speed do to you?

Although you’ve made up your mind it’s important to remember the best way to stay safe is to avoid using speed altogether. But you’re definitely doing the next best thing by trying to find out information about using it safely. 

Defining Speed

So, your first question is probably ‘What does speed do to you?’ Well, we’ve got a scientific answer, because we’re smart like that. 

Speed (a.k.a amphetamine) is a type of drug within the family of stimulant drugs. Stimulants, as the name suggests, stimulate the way your body works. They speed up your heart rate and breathing which gets your body and brain worked up. When you’re on speed, you feel like you don’t need to sleep and you lose your appetite. This might sound like a good thing and it may feel like it the first few times, but the difficulty with speed is that it can trick you into thinking that it will always make you feel that way.

Effects of Speed

Unfortunately, the speed drug effects aren’t all pleasant. The more you use it the worse it can make you feel, and sometimes this feeling can spiral out of control. User experiences will vary but generally speaking the lack of sleep can make you irritable and you could start feeling anxious, even paranoid. At worst, long-term speed drug effects include brain damage, problems with the central nervous systems, psychotic episodes and death. Short-term high doses (or higher doses than you’re used to) can cause these same effects of Speed. But there’s no guarantee about what the street drug will do to you. The withdrawal symptoms if you get addicted aren’t going to be a picnic either. So take it slow, and know your limits.

A common side-effect for men is their penis getting smaller. Now, this may seem counter-intuitive if you know that speed increases your sex drive, but stick with us. Since speed is a stimulant it increases the rate at which your body functions. One of your bodily functions is the narrowing and dilation of blood-vessels and on Speed, the first one happens. This means that blood flow to your penis is restricted, which then changes its shape. It could also make it difficult to get a hard on. To find out more about sex and drugs, click here.

Our advice

If you’re definitely sure that you want to take it after finding out what speed does, Here’s our advice:  

• Try swallowing it the first time rather than snorting or smoking. Swallowing can be less of a shock to the body because it can take a bit longer to take effect. This will give you time to decide whether or not you like it and will reduce the intensity of side effects. 
• It’s incredibly dangerous to inject, so don’t. It could very easily lead to an overdose.
• Try and be somewhere that you feel comfortable and have people around you that you can trust. This is just in case you have a bad experience. 

If you want to get some help, feel free to reach out to our confidential support service. Alternatively, you can contact Frank on 0300 123 6600 for free advice and information. There is also help available from the Amy Winehouse Foundation. Whatever you’re struggling with, don’t be afraid to reach out, we’re all here to support you.