Physiological/Psychological Effects of Drugs

Question 1

What is tolerance?

Answer 1

The adaptation of the body as a result of the repeated exposure to a drug. The person needs to use more of the drug to attain the desired effect.

Question 2

What is withdrawal?

Answer 2

Refers to the physical impact of stopping the use of a drug. Functioning will overcompensate in the sudden absence of the drug.

Question 3

What is physical dependence?

Answer 3

The adjustment of bodily tissues in response to the continued presence of a drug.

Question 4

What is psychological dependence?

Answer 4

An emotional or mental drive to continue to take a drug because the user feels that he/she needs the drug to maintain a sense of well-being.

Question 5

What is addiction?

Answer 5

Most experts feel that it is related to dependent patterns of drug use although there is much debate over a formal definition.

Question 6

What are Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants?

Answer 6

Alcohol, barbiturates, inhalants/solvents, minor tranquilizers.

Question 7

What are hallucinogens?

Answer 7

Cannabis, LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, MDA, MDMA.

Question 8

What are opiates?

Answer 8

Heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone, oxycodone, percocet/percodan.

Question 9

What are stimulants?

Answer 9

Nicotine, caffeine, cocaine, amphetamines, khat, mephedrone.

Question 10

What is marijuana?

Answer 10

Comes from the plant named Cannabis Sativa. The active ingriedient is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Question 11

How is marijuana administered?

Answer 11

Smoking, eating, drinking, inhaling in a vaporizer.

Question 12

What does the experience of marijuana depend on?

Answer 12

Experience of the user, amount of THC administered, expectations of the user, route of administration, environment.

Question 13

What are some short term effects of marijuana?

Answer 13

May feel euphoric, excited or more relaxed. Increased heart rate and blood pressure. Impaired body movement. Dry mouth/throat/respiratory difficulty. Increased hunger, slowed reaction time. Difficulty with thinking/problem-solving.

Question 14

What are some long-term effects of marijuana?

Answer 14

Additive features such as withdrawal issues are presented by psychological symptoms. Stacking effect (half life is 4 days), amotivational syndrome: impaired ability for sequencing, weakened immune system.

Question 15

What are some factors to consider when thinking about side effects of alcohol?

Answer 15

How fast you drink, if you ate before/while drinking, your body size/build, male or female, what other drugs you have consumed.

Question 16

What are some short term effects of alcohol?

Answer 16

More calm and relaxed, more talkative and less shy, warm, less co-ordinated.

Question 17

What are some short term effects of alcohol when taken in higher amounts?

Answer 17

Blackouts, slurred speech, difficulty walking, feeling sleepy or loss of consciousness, more likely to have falls/other accidents.,

Question 18

What are some long term effects of alcohol?

Answer 18

Brain and nerve damage, high blood pressure and strokes, liver disease, damage to the fetus for pregnant women, cancer, low sex hormones.

Question 19

What are some withdrawal symptoms of alcohol?

Answer 19

Feel nervous/jumpy, sleeping problems, tremors, seizures, hallucinations.

Question 20

What is the lethality of alcohol?

Answer 20

Acute Alcohol poisoning signs are mental confusion, stupor, coma, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing, hypothermia.

Question 21

What should you not do in the event someone has alcohol poisoning?

Answer 21

Leave someone to sleep it off. Give them a coffee. It will dehydrate them even more which can cause permanent brain damage. Make them sick, their gag reflex won’t work properly which means they could choke on their vomit.

Question 22

What should you do if someone has alcohol poisoning?

Answer 22

Try to keep them awake and sitting up. Give them water if they can drink it. Lie them on their side in the recovery position if they have passed out. Check if they are breathing properly. Keep them warm. Stay with them to monitor their symptoms and get medical assistance.

Question 23

What is MDMA?

Answer 23

AKA ecstasy. Taken in pill form. Similar to amphetamine, but with hallucinogenic properties. Like most drugs it impacts the user by mimicking or causing the surge of different neurotransmitters.

Question 24

What should you know to understand the effects of MDMA?

Answer 24

It works by increasing the activity of 3 different neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin. Serotonin plays a significant role in mood.

Question 25

Serotonin plays a significant role in mood. What does serotonergic activity lead to the release of?

Answer 25

Oxytocin and vasopressin. These hormones play a role in feelings of trust, wellbeing, sexual arousal, and love.

Question 26

After ingesting MDMA, when do you start feeling the effects and how long does it last?

Answer 26

Usually experienced within an hour of ingesting. Sensations typically last between 3-6 hours.

Question 27

What are some short term side effects of MDMA?

Answer 27

General sense of well-being. Reduction or elimination of worry. Sense of empathy/caring towards others. Enhanced sensory perception.

Question 28

What are some less favorable side effects of MDMA?

Answer 28

Chills, nausea, jaw-clenching/teeth grinding, increased body temperature (hyperthermia), sweating, dehydration, increased blood pressure.

Question 29

What is the lethality of MDMA?

Answer 29

In some cases, the side effects can combine to produce arrhythmia, kidney failures, heart failures.

Question 30

What are the withdrawal symptoms of MDMA?

Answer 30

Poor appetite, depression, fatigue, anxiety, difficulty with concentration.

Question 31

What are some long-term effects of MDMA?

Answer 31

Increased risk of depression from prolonged use, neurons that use serotonin may be damaged, at risk for memory impairment.

Question 32

What are opiates?

Answer 32

A general term used to describe drugs that can be used to treat pain. Most are derived from opium which comes from the poppy plant. Some are also synthetic instead.

Question 33

How do opiates work?

Answer 33

They attach to opioid receptors in different locations brain and nervous system including the limbic system, the brain stem, and the spinal chord.

Question 34

How do opiates effect the nervous system?

Answer 34

Limbic System: controls emotions, can create feelings of pleasure and relaxation.
Brainstem: Controls things your body does automatically. Can slow breathing, stop coughing, reduce feelings of pain.
Spinal chord: Decreasing feelings of pain, even after serious injuries.

Question 35

What do the sensations of opiates depend on?

Answer 35

Route of administration, experience of user, environment, how body prepares itself from external cues, amount. If injected or snorted, the impact is felt quickly and more intensely. Not so if taken in pill form.

Question 36

What are some kinds of opiates?

Answer 36

Codeine, vicodin, morphine, oxycontin, percocet, percodan, heroin.

Question 37

What are some short term effects of opiates?

Answer 37

Relaxation, drowsiness, itching, sweating, dilated pupils, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, decreased appetite, slowed breathing.

Question 38

What are some long term effects of opiates?

Answer 38

Depression, insomnia, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis from injection usage, decreased concentration, decreased pain threshold, secondary health issues from poor nutrition and general health practices.

Question 39

What is the lethality of opiates?

Answer 39

Overdose by this drug is extremely lethal although users can overdose many times before they actually die. The person’s respiratory rate slows to the point that organs don’t get the oxygen they need.

Question 40

What are some withdrawal symptoms of opiates?

Answer 40

Not fatal, but can last for a week to a month. Low energy, anxiety, agitation, insomnia, runny nose, hot/cold sweats, muscle aches, pains, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea.

Question 41

What is cocaine?

Answer 41

A stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant. Perceived to be a powerfully addictive drug. Suppliers cut it with other powder like substances to make more profit.

Question 42

What is cocaine’s effect a result of?

Answer 42

Increased levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain circuits regulating pleasure/motivation system. Largely experienced in the limbic system of the brain. Cocaine interferes with the re-uptake of dopamine. Therefore there is a buildup.

Question 43

Over time what happens to a user of cocaine?

Answer 43

The user’s dopaminergic system is negatviely impacted. The results is that the person no longer experienced the pleasure that they once did.

Question 44

What are some short term effects of cocaine?

Answer 44

Euphoria, feeling energetic, talkative, mentally alert, increased sensitivity with respect to sight, sound and touch. Dilated pupils. Increased body temperature. Paranoia, increased heart rate.

Question 45

What are some long term effects of cocaine?

Answer 45

Anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure), depression, insomnia, nasal and bowel issues if snorting, respiratory issues if smoking, track marks and infection from injecting, various secondary health issues from poor nutrition and general health practices.

Question 46

What is the lethality of cocaine?

Answer 46

Death from this is possible and fairly unpredictable. Can result from the impact on the heart, or on the respiratory system. Most often a result of regular, long-term use. However some people have a sensitivity to it and their physiological response is stronger and sometimes fatal.

Question 47

What are some withdrawal symptoms of cocaine?

Answer 47

Agitation, restless behavior, depressed mood, fatigue, generalized malaise/ahendonia, increased appetite, slow movement, vivid unpleasant dreams.