Drugs and Addiction
Specification – Page 48
Definition of the application
a) Define health psychology, showing understanding that
health psychology is about understanding health from
study of the biological bases of behaviour (such as the
study of drugs and their effects) and the cognitive
and social bases for behaviour and that health
psychology is about promoting good health.
By the end of today’s lesson
you will be able to…
Describe, with reference to heroin and one
other drug from alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy,
marijuana, smoking/nicotine:
i mode of action (eg at the synapse)
ii effects
Drugs are…
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A drug is any chemical you take that affects the way
your body works.
A drug must be able to pass from your body into your
brain.
Drugs can change the messages your brain cells are
sending to each other - by interfering with your brain's
own chemical signals.
What were the 3 major drug
types we looked at previously?
Hallucinogens
Sedatives
Recap
Stimulants
Hallucinogens
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These drugs change a person’s
perception of the world.
Distort what is heard or seen.
Lead a person to experience things that
do not really exist.
Sedatives
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These substances have the common property of
down-regulating mental activity.
Produce a state of relaxation or sleepiness.
They can slow reaction time and impair coordination.
Higher doses produce intoxication and sometimes
unconsciousness.
Stimulants
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These drugs up-regulate mental activity.
Cause alertness, feelings of enhanced energy, and
excitement.
These drugs can also produce agitation and anxiety.
Long-term use of stimulants can produce symptoms
that closely resemble paranoid psychosis, i.e.
thought disorder and hallucinations.
HW: Exam question due next lesson
May 2010 (Adapted)
1 (a) Describe the mode of action (how it
affects brain functioning) of three drugs
you have studied.
Make it clear which drugs you are
referring to. (9)
We will spend the rest of the
lesson in the LRC
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Go to the blog and click open on the
Mouse Party worksheet.
It is hyperlinked to the Website
There are lots of fun activities for you
to explore.
The HW exam question is at the bottom
of the worksheet.
Be ready to report back on your
findings next lesson