Altering Consciousness Flashcards
Combines refocusing attention with relaxation:
Meditation
A state of heightened suggestibility discovered by Anton Mesmer:
Hypnosis
Power resides in the subject’s openness to ______ and highly focused awareness, and intensified imagination:
Suggestion
This approach says consciousness is divided into two parts, each aware:
Divided Consciousness
Who created Divided Consciousness:
Ernest Hilgard
In divided consciousness, you are in a state of ________, or split between different levels of consciousness:
Dissociation
Playing a role while hypnotized just like an actor in a movie:
Social Influence Theory
What is the most common method of deliberately altering consciousness?
Ingesting psychoactive drugs
Psychoactive drugs affect nerve synapses and neurotransmitters in three ways:
- Bind with receptors and support action
- Block receptor sites to stop action
- Block reuptake of neurotransmitters
Diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the same effect:
Tolerance
Process whereby neurons increase or decrease the production of neurotransmitters in response to chemicals ingested:
Neuroadaption
Compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors (gambling) despite adverse consequences:
Addiction
Discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior:
Withdrawal
The body becomes so accustomed to functioning in the presence of the drug that it cannot function without it. Absence of a drug may lead to feeling of physical pain and intense cravings:
Physiological Drug Dependence
People believe they need the drug to respond to stresses of daily living. Absence of a drug may lead to negative emotions or stress:
Psychological Drug Dependence
Why do people take drugs in the first place?
_______ _______ of the experience:
Perceived Pleasure
Why do people take drugs in the first place?
The drug induced high allows people to _____, at least temporarily, from daily pressures:
Escape
Why do people take drugs in the first place?
Influenced to use drugs by ___ _____ or ______:
Role Models or Peers
Why do people take drugs in the first place?
_____ of trying something new:
Thrill
Why do people take drugs in the first place?
_______ factors predispose some people to be more susceptible to drugs and addiction:
Genetic
People who are addicted…
Make _______ the primary reward rather than relationships, career, and family:
Substance
People who are addicted…
Ignore _____ memories from addiction and ignore positive memories before addiction:
Negative
People who are addicted…
Lack _____ _______ - frontal lobe inhibitor to make proper judgements
Impulse Control
Excite neural activity and speeds up body functions. Pupils dilate, heart and breathing rates increase. blood sugar levels rise causing appetite to drop:
Stimulants
Serotonin and Dopamine also rise:
Stimulants
Withdrawal symptoms:
Apathy, fatigue, depression, agitation
Stimulants
What drugs are stimulants? (6)
Caffeine
Nicotine
Cocaine
Amphetamines
Meth
MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly)
-Most used drug in the world
-Average dose stays in your body for 3-4 hours
-Affects ADENOSINE, a central nervous system neuromodulator that has receptors to slow a person down and induce sleepiness, so caffeine slows down the impact of adenosine
Caffeine
-Produces several reactions like increase in attentiveness, improvement in mood
-Too much can have adverse effects: anxiety, restlessness, insomnia in high doses, uncomfortable withdrawal
Caffeine
-Highly addictive because of its soothing effects
-Increases adrenaline
-Imitates Ach by attaching to its receptor and increases dopamine making the smoker feel good 7 second after intake
Nicotine
-Arouses brain’s alertness, reduces pain, increases heart rate and blood pressure, relaxes muscles, reduces stress, suppresses appetite
-Adverse effects: nervousness, drowsy, insomnia, weight gain, heart disease, and cancer
Nicotine
-Blocks the reuptake of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine because the cocaine stays in the synapse creating dopamine dependency, boosting confidence, and giving more energy
-Immediate rush followed by a crash
Cocaine
-Crack produces a brief but more intense high followed by more intense crash
-Adverse effects: emotional disturbances, suspiciousness, convulsions, cardiac arrest, and more
Cocaine
-Benzedrine or Dexedrine; street name is SPEED
-High potential for abuse and dependence
-Used to increase wakefulness and enhance cognitive performance by increasing concentration of DOPAMINE is synapes
Amphetamines
-Sometimes used to treat ADHD (Adderall)
-Often abused by people who need to stay awake and is cheap and available
-Adverse effects: irregular heartbeat, anxiety, psychosis
Amphetamines
-Illegal substance, “super” stimulant used as recreational drug, not medically prescribed
-Chemically like amphetamine but is methylated twice making it faster acting, more potent, and more dangerous
Meth
-Can cause 8 hours or so of euphoria and increased energy
-Adverse effects: irritability, insomnia, hypertensions, seizures, social isolation, depression, and sometimes violent outbursts
Meth
-Street name: Ecstasy or Molly
-A stimulant AND hallucinogen
-Feel effect about half an hour after taking and lasts for 3-4 hours
MDMA
-Creates feelings of euphoria, increases sensitivity to light and touch, reduced inhibitions because it increases serotonin levels and blocks reabsorption while increasing norepinephrine and dopamine
-Has dehydrating effect, increases blood pressure, suppresses immune system, impairs memory, and disrupts sleep
MDMA
What drugs are depressants? (4)
-Alcohol
-Barbiturates
-Narcotics
-Opiates and Opioids
Effects: Anxiety reduction, impulsiveness, dramatic mood swings, odd thoughts, suicidal behavior, slurred speech, disorientation, slowed mental and physical functioning, limited attention span
Depressants
Withdrawal symptoms: Weakness, restless, nausea and vomiting, irritable, depression, acute anxiety
Depressants
Adverse/overdose reactions: Confusion, decrease response to pain, shallow respiration, dilated pupils, weak and rapid pulse
Depressants
-Slows neural processing and thinking, impairs physical activity by reducing activity of prefrontal cortex
-Reduces self-awareness and impairs memory by preventing long term memories
-Intensifies GABA so speech is slurred and slow movements and reduces glutamate to slow reactions and judgement making
Alcohol
-Affects balance and fine motor coordination
-In low doses, it has a relaxing effect, lowering tensions and inhibitions yet impairs concentration, slows reflexes and reaction time
-In medium doses, it slurs speech, makes you sleepy, and alters emotions
-In high doses, you vomit and your breathing is depressed causing comas or death
Alcohol
-Sedatives or Tranquilizers that reduce anxiety or induce sleep but can impair memory and judgement
-Work to make receptor sites more efficient so they increase efficiency of GABA
-If combined with alcohol, can create total depressive effect of body functions that can be lethal
Barbiturates
-Drugs that increase relaxation, relieve pain and anxiety
Narcotics
Narcotics that are derived from natural substances like morphine and heroin which comes from poppy seed pods:
Opiates
Synthetic narcotics such as Vicodin, Percode, fentanyl, and OxyContin:
Opioids
Effects: reduction of anxiety and pain, difficulty in concentration, slowed speech, decreased physical activity, euphoria, pain reduction, shallow breathing, slow heartbeat, convulsions, cold clammy skin, confusion, death
Withdrawal Symptoms: Anxiety, vomiting, flu like symptoms, abdominal cramps
Narcotics
Opium, morphine, codeine, heroin, Oxycontin, Vicodin Percocet, Fentanyl
Opiates and Opioids
-Reducing neurotransmission and temporarily lessen pain and anxiety by reducing GABA that slows the release of dopamine. This allows dopamine to flow freely creating euphoria
-The body produces natural opiates to regulate pain. Outside opiates bind to the same sites and will stop the brain from producing dopamine and natural endorphins over time
Opiates and Opioids
Inability to feel pleasure physically:
Anhedonia
Psychedelics alter perceptions, thoughts, and feelings. They can even produce HALLUCINATIONS:
Hallucinogens
-Many psychedelics are chemically like serotonin so blocks its action
-Effects: Euphoria, relaxed inhibitions increased appetite, disoriented behavior, vision and depth distortion, magnified feelings, paranoia, panic
Hallucinogens
Withdrawal symptoms: depression, anxiety, sleepiness
Adverse/overdose reactions: panic, paranoia, fatigue,dangerous behavior, memory difficulties, dangerous behavior
Hallucinogens
Leaves, stems, resin, or flowers from hemp plant that when smoked can lower inhibitions and produce relaxation and mild euphoria. When ingested, it can interfere with appetite, pain, cognition, and emotion:
Marijuana
Active ingredient is THC:
Marijuana
-Can stay in the body for a week or more so frequent users can achieve high with smaller amounts
-Chronic use can disrupt memory, lower attention, and impair learning ability
Marijuana
-Accidentally created by Albert Hoffman
-Leads to an array of emotions from euphoria to detachment to panic
-Typical “trip” starts with spirals then goes to a more meaningful image with the hallucinations peaking with people feeling separated from their body and experience dreamlike scenes that can leave them panic-stricken or cause self-harm
LSD
Help overcome shyness, make friends and fit in, rebelling against societal/parental norms, life changing situations like death, bullying, family problems:
Sociocultural factors
Lack of purpose, sensation-seeking personalities,untreated mental illness:
Psychological Factors
Genetic connection:
Brain Biology
