Module 9 Flashcards
origins of drug abuse
sometimes used during religious rituals, or to control pain and increase energy during war
substance use disorder
drug use continues despite significant life disruption; brain changes may persist after quitting substance; ranges from mild (2-3) to severe (6+ indicators)
how drugs work
enters the bloodstream via ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or injection; affects synapse; can be agonist or antagonists
liver
produces enzymes that metabolize drugs
psychoactive drugs
chemicals that change perceptions and mood
depressants
calm neural activity; slow body functions and behavior; opposite of stimulants
alcohol
depressant; agonist (causes GABA); equal-opportunity drug; low doses produce similar effects as stimulants; slows neural processing, memory disruption, reduced self-awareness and self-control
alcohol poisoning
often causes by moderate drinking followed by heavy drinking (reduces urge to vomit)
expectancy effects
simply believing one is consuming a drug (alcohol) can cause to act as if they were on it; people jump at the chance to attribute behavior and thoughts to outside sources
barbiturates
depressant; tranquilizers; can impair memory and judgement; sometimes prescribed to decrease anxiety
opioids/opiates/narcotics
can be considered depressant/stimulant too; elevate mood; pain relief; artificial endorphins; affects ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (dopamine-producing neurons/neurla reward circuitry)
examples of opioids
codeine, morphine, heroin
stimulants
increase neural activity, body functions, and behavior; used recreationally (illegally) to improve academic/atheltic performance
caffiene
stimulant; most common drug; increases alertness
nicotine
stimulant; delivered through e-cigs w/o cancer-causing tar; each cig = -12 min of life; correlates with higher of depression, chronic disabilities and divorce; ex-smokers sometimes return during stress
cocaine
stimulant; snorted, injected, or smoked (crack); decreases dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine supply; back and forth between euphoria and aggitation
amphetamines
stimulant; stimulate neural activity, mood, and energy
methamphetamine (meth)
stimulant; chemically similar to amphetamine, triggeres dopamine release; highly addictive (most dangerous)
ectasy/MDMA/Molly
stimulant and mild hallucinogen; triggers dopamine and stored serotonin release; “hug drug” - causes increased mood and sociableness; “club drug”
hallucinogens/psychedelics
alter perception; can lead to hallucinations; “out-of-body” experience; 10-15% of people on these drugs have a near-death experience
near-death experience
altered state of consciousness; reported by some cardiac arrest survivors; similar hallucinogen symptoms
LSD (acid)
hallucinogen; causes stream of pictures and euphoria (kaleidoscope); “visual trip;” risk of panic/detachment
marijuana
mild hallucinogen; consists of THC; produces high; less withdrawals bc stays in body longer; can be used medically for anxiety; may decrease male sex hormones; increases brain cell loss (hippocampus)
heroin
depressant/opioid; rush of euphoria, relief from pain; highly addictive and dangerous
antipsychotics
used to treat many symptoms associated with schizophrenia; dopamine receptor block (antagonist)
antidepressants
treats symptoms associated with depression; agonist; keeps serotonin and norepinephrine in synapse
biological influences on drug abuse
higher risk with identical twins (alcohol and weed); genes associated with alcohol abuse (deficients to dopamine reward system)
psychological influences
lacking sense of purpose; significant stress; psychological disorders (depression, eating disorders(; sexual abuse
sociocultural influences
difficult environment; cultural acceptance of drug use; peer influences; school/neighborhood transitions; expectations
influences on smoking
usually starts in adolescence bc influencing factors are stronger; companies market towards adolescents; smokers tend to quit in clusters
psychiatric meds
prescribed; antidepressants, stimulants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, depressants
recreational drugs
used for pleasure; stimulants, hallucinogens, hypnotics, opioid analgesics, inhalents (“huffing”)
