7.3 drugs and consciousness psychoactive drugs: chemicals that affect the nervous system and result...
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7.3 Drugs and Consciousness
• Psychoactive Drugs: chemicals that affect the nervous system and result in altered consciousness.
Drug Tolerance• A person has
developed the need to take greater doses of the drug to get the same effect initial doses had
Drug Dependency• A person now
needs to take the drug to prevent withdrawal symptoms of NS
Withdrawal• Painful
physical and psychological symptoms that occur after a drug-dependent person stops using the drug
StimulantsAmphetamines• Speed, crank, crystal, ice• Methamphetamine (new
twist---not pill form, but smoked or snorted, for a faster high)
• Increase blood pressure, heart rate, enhanced mood, alertness, and energy
Stimulants cont.
Amphetamines (cont.)
• Leads to excessive restless behavior, repetitive beh., depression, agitation, insomnia, paranoia
• Brain damage, NS destruction
Stimulants
Cocaine• Horse, snow, crack
• Increased physiological and psychological arousal (energy, alert)
• Appetite suppression, insomnia, irritation, nose damage, hallucinations, bugs---circle of depresssion, fatigue, withdrawal, craving
Stimulants cont.
Cocaine (cont.)
• Usually only lasts 30 minutes or so
• Impaired decision-making, analysis of self and abilities
• Brain damage, NS destruction
Legal StimulantsCaffeine
– Physiological arousal---hyper feeling, energy, improved reaction time
– Psychological arousal---decreased feeling of fatigue and drowsiness, alertness, improved mental reaction time
Legal StimulantsNicotine
– Physiological effects---lung cancer, heart and vascular disease, emphysema
– Psychological arousal---improves attention, concentration, and short-term memory in low doses
Opiates• Opium, morphine, heroin
• Reduce pain, create euphoria (like state between waking and sleeping), constipation
• One of the fastest “tolerance” drugs
Opiates (cont.)
• Dependence leads to:
– Hot and cold flashes
– Sweating
– Muscle tremors
– Stomach cramps
• Overdose leads to:
– Respiratory failure
Hallucinogens• Psychoactive drugs that
produce strange perceptual, sensory, and cognitive experiences
• The person sees or hears things that he knows are not realistic
• Cultural uses
Hallucinogens (cont.)
• LSD (lycergic acid diethylamide)
– Visual hallucinations, perceptual distortions, increased sensory awareness, and intense psychological feelings
– “Tripping” is dependent on user’s state of mind
Hallucinogens (cont.)
• LSD dangers include:– Psychotic paranoia (can
require hospitalization)
– Uncontrolled frightening flashbacks of the trip
– Tolerance develops quickly, but no reports of dependence
Hallucinogens (cont.)
• Psilocybin (mushrooms)– Pleasant and relaxed state
(low dose) to perceptual distortions in time and space (med. dose) to hallucinations, body image distortions, etc.
– Tripping is like an “awake dream”
Hallucinogens (cont.)
• Psilocybin dangers include:– Psychotic states last long
and are unpredictable
– Accidental poisoning from bad ‘shrooms
Hallucinogens (cont.)
• Designer drugs
– Manufactured or synthetic drugs designed to mimic existing illegal psychoactive drugs / effects
• Ecstasy (MDMA) is an example
Hallucinogens (cont.)• Ecstasy (MDMA)
– Resembles both mescaline (hallucinogen) and amphetamine (upper)
– Increases emotional awareness and intimacy, and alters visual perceptions
– Lowers inhibitions (aphrodisiac)
Hallucinogens (cont.)
• Ecstasy (MDMA) dangers include:– Jitteriness, anxiety, jaw clenching,
fear and insomnia (low doses)
– Panic, rapid heartbeat, paranoia, and psychotic episodes (med. dose)
– Confusion, fatigue, depression, severe nausea (high, prolonged dose)
Hallucinogens (cont.)
• Ecstasy (MDMA) dangers include (cont):– Physically damages neurons
over time which can lead to an uncountable number of neurological problems
Alcohol• Psychoactive drug
• Depressant: depresses CNS activity
• Seems like a stimulant first, but later depresses many physio / psycho responses
Alcohol (cont.)
• Few drinks = friendliness and loss of inhibitions
• Several drinks = interferes with ability to understand events around them
• Many drinks = Impairs motor coord, cognitive abilities, decision making, speech
Marijuana• Psychoactive drug (THC in the
leaves creates the effect)
• One of the few drugs where no deaths are caused by its direct biological effects
• 5-10 minute effect after inhalation
• Dose indicates type of high
Marijuana (cont.)
• Low dose = mild euphoria
• Moderate dose = perceptual and time distortion
• High dose = hallucinations, delusions, and distortions of the body image