Drugs And Psychoactive Drugs

Psychoactive drugs, such as stimulants have a lot to do with the alteration or manipulation of brain activity (Cherry, K., 2015). A good example of how stimulants can alter brain activity would be, after a person takes a drugs such is cocaine they may experience a feeling of elevated alertness temporarily. According toCherry, K. (2015), drugs that are classified as stimulants include: caffeine, narcotics, cocaine, amphetamines and prescription drugs. The most common legitimate use for stimulant that drugs, would be for ADHD. The most common illegal uses for stimulant drugs would be for sports, parties and college students (studying). Stimulants work by increasing the speed of the the messages going between the brain and the body by increasing the activity of the central nervous system

People take social drugs to help them relax or occasionally give themselves the feeling of having more energy (BBC 2013). Social drugs are also known as recreational or non medicinal drugs. These types of drugs are used for recreational purposes and without medical justification. There are two types of social drugs, illegal and socially acceptable drugs. Illegal social drugs include heroin, cocaine, cannabis and LSD. Examples of socially acceptable drugs are caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. However, unlike social drugs, medicinal drugs are taken for the purpose of treating, preventing and diagnosing a disease (Taylor and Reide 1998 p3). Examples of medicinal drugs include amitriptyline – an

There are also biological and genetic propensities for addiction such as genes that have been identified as taking part in the addiction process like some genes have been found to make a person more susceptible to a disease. Treatment is needed for this disease like any other disease. Sometimes medication to reduce the harm, like the AIDs cocktail or methadone treatment, is meted out to offset the disease. Healing other mental issues and behavioral changes can be beneficial also.

Definition addiction/dependence, lots of theories this paper will provide a brief overview of the main theories of addiction in view to their relevance within treatment and recovery issues which will be discussed in later sections.

To begin with, studies have found that inherited genes are responsible for a considerably large part of the probability that someone will become addicted to any kind of substance or behavior. Addiction is strongly influenced by genetic factors in the later stages of addiction, such as problem use and dependence of an addictive substance. Some genetic factors can make an individual more likely to become addicted to only one specific drug. On the other hand, some genes can make an individual more likely to become addicted in general. Some individuals might be genetically inclined to risk-taking behavior such as receiving large jolts of dopamine through what they consider to be the “excitement” of drug use. These individuals could be subject to keep returning to the illicit and harmful drugs that they find enjoyable despite what they know of the harmful effects. These genetic influences could make them more likely to become addicted to alcohol, cocaine, tobacco, gambling, or any number of substances or activities. Addiction has an inherited component and it

Stimulants can be used to speed up the central nervous system making a person fell more alert and aware of their surroundings. Depressants are the opposites and reduce the activity of the nervous system and produce a feeling of calm and/or “taking the edge off”. Hallucinogenics can be used to make an individual have hallucinations and have distortions in space and

Additionally, prolonged use of opioid drugs changes the way opioid receptors work in the brain, making the receptors dependent on the drug to function normally. This is referred to as dependency. When a person is dependent on opioid drugs, they will become physically ill if they stop taking them. These symptoms, which can sometimes be mistaken for the flu, are known as withdrawal symptoms and they are the body’s response to no longer having the drug in their

Genes and environment both prove to be important when determining who will be susceptible to becoming addicted to substances and who will not (Durand, Barlow, 2016, 388-389). Using drugs is based on environmental factors but becoming dependent on drugs will occur if a person is genetically vulnerable. There is no specific gene that can be held responsible for this phenomenon, but rather a group of genes that put one at risk for substance use disorder broadly. Susceptibility to addiction to one substance in particular does not occur. Psychological factors must also be considered when discussing what causes substance abuse disorder. Positive reinforcement (making one feel good) and negative reinforcement (making one feel less bad) are two primary reasons for continuing drug use.

Other substance/medication-induced disorders are disorders that develop as a direct result of drug use. It must occur within one month of a person engaging in drug use. It must be identified that these disorders did not develop until a person engaged in drug use and no longer remain once a person is no longer engaging in that particular drug. The exclusions to this criterion is substance-induced neurocognitive disorders or hallucinogen persisting perception

Psychotropic drugs are medications which affect the central nervous system. It changes how the brain processes information and alters the mood, thoughts, behaviors and perceptions. Most psychotropic drugs are prescribed after the method of psychoeducation and therapy have failed in improving the current state and condition of the patient.

Drugs have been around for a very long time. They are used for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include relaxation, socialization, curiosity, stress relief, or a form of escapism. However, most people don’t know the threats and danger that it can cause to the body. In this paper, we are going to examine the changes that happen inside the brain due to the effects of different drugs. We will look closely at how drugs such as hallucinogens, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, and cannabis affect an individual psychologically. I will explain the origin of the drugs, how a person feels while on the drug, how the drugs

An individual’s behavior and emotion becomes chemically altered often resulting in dependency, aggression, onset of diseases and poor judgement. This poses a dangerous threat to the neurotransmitters since they have multiple jobs in different parts of the brain. Drugs of abuse are able to exert influence over the brain reward pathway either by directly influencing the action of dopamine within the system, or by altering the activity of other neurotransmitters that exert a modulatory influence over this pathway. These drugs are often powerful and have been known to trigger schizophrenic behavior and can also cause a person to cease breathing, for example hallucinogens such as LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin are able to artificially stimulate the serotonin receptor (Sapolsky, 2005).

Probably one of the most common forms of psychoactive drugs is stimulants. Stimulants are a class of psychoactive drugs that elevate mood, increase feelings of well-being, and increase energy and alertness. Nearly everybody has tried a stimulant and many people rely on them every single day. The best example of this is the drug caffeine, which is in many of the sodas or coffee we drink. Other forms of stimulants include: cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, nicotine, and MDMA. An additional common stimulant is nicotine, which is found in various types of tobacco. Stimulants change the way the brain functions by inhibiting neurons, which are nerve cells. These nerve cells communicate using neurotransmitters . One of the neurotransmitters they affect is dopamine, which makes people feel good. Dopamine can be released naturally by simply doing something you enjoy such as riding a bike or eating your favorite food. While these drugs may give the user pleasure, continual use may render their dopamine system useless. This will give the user little to no pleasure, which is often followed by an increased amount used in order to chase that high (NIDA).

They assume addicts lack moral principles or self-discipline and that they can quit by simply deciding to. The reality is, people who have struggled with substance abuse have often found it extremely difficult to quit due to the physical and/or mental addiction. Drug have the ability to change the brain patterns and cause health complications, making things harder in the long-term and may determine life or death. Fortunately, because of more research, there are more ways to back out of an addiction and seek help through an enduring and extensive treatment. Factors that affect the likelihood and speed of developing an addiction are environmental and individual factors, including genetics and

Recreational drug is ‘a drug used without medical justification for its psychoactive effects often in the belief that occasional use of such a substance is not habit-forming or addictive.’ (Merriam Webster, recreational drug, 2013) Most of people use recreational drug in order to enchant their recreational experience. Some of recreational drugs are illegal in most country but there is some common drugs that are universally legal such as nicotine, caffeine and alcohol (ethanol). Regretless it is legal or illegal recreational drugs can be categorize into four major category: Stimulants, Depressants, Opioids and Hallucinogens. (Castle Craig Hospital, 2013)