PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS
RG 5c
DRUGS AND CONSCIOUSNESS
Psychoactive Drug: A chemical substance that
alters perceptions and mood (effects
consciousness).
DEPENDENCE & ADDICTION
Continued use of
psychoactive drug
produces tolerance.
With repeated
exposure to a drug,
the drug’s effect
lessens. Thus it takes
bigger doses to get the
desired effect.
WITHDRAWAL &
DEPENDENCE
• Withdrawal: Upon stopping a drug (after
addiction) users may experience undesirable
effects of withdrawal.
• Dependence: Absence of drug may lead to
feelings of physical pain, intense cravings
(physical dependence) and negative emotions
(psychological dependence).
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT
ADDICTION
Addiction is a craving for a chemical substance
despite its adverse consequences (physical &
psychological).
1.Addictive drugs quickly corrupt.
2.Addiction cannot be overcome voluntarily.
3.Addiction is not different than repetitive pleasure
seeking behavior
DEPRESSANTS
Depressants are drugs that reduce neural activity
and slow body functions, they include:
1.Alcohol
2.Barbiturates
3.Opiates
ALCOHOL
● In low doses – relaxes drinker by slowing down the
sympathetic nervous system (lowering inhibitions and
judgments)
● In high doses – reactions slow, speech slurs, and skilled
performance deteriorates
● Also affects memory by disrupting the processing of recent
events into long-term memory, reduces self-awareness, and
focuses one’s attention on immediate situation rather than
future consequences
ALCOHOL
●How does the body react to alcohol?
o generally it takes about one hour to metabolize
the alcohol in one drink (1 oz. 80-proof liquor, 4
oz. wine or 12 oz. beer)
o women metabolize alcohol more slowly than
men
 if woman and man of the same weight
consume the same amount of alcohol, the
woman would be more intoxicated than
man due to the way their bodies are
composed…men have more muscle which
speeds up the metabolizing of the alcohol
BARBITURATES
●drugs that mimic the effects of alcohol – depress
CNS activity & in larger doses, can lead to
impaired memory and judgment
●Nembutal, Seconal, and Amytal are some
examples. (Sleeping pills, some anti-anxiety
medications)
Opiates
Opiates: Opium and its
derivatives (morphine and
heroin) depress neural
activity, temporarily
lessening pain and
anxiety. They are highly
addictive.
http://opioids.com/timeli
ne
HEROIN
● user gets a short lived feeling of blissful pleasure
(lasts for about 3-5 hours), followed by craving for
another fix, the need for progressively larger
doses, and physical withdrawal symptoms
● Methadone is often used when trying to combat a
heroin addiction
o at the dosages given the individual does not get “high”
yet it is enough to reduce the intense physical cravings
o However, people can become addicted to Methadone
STIMULANTS
Stimulants are drugs that excite neural activity and
speed-up body functions.
1.Caffeine
2.Nicotine
3.Cocaine
4.Ecstasy
5.Amphetamines
6.Methamphetamines
CAFFEINE & NICOTINE
Caffeine and nicotine increase heart and
breathing rates, and other autonomic functions to
provide energy.
http://www.tech-resintl.com
CAFFEINE
● Found in coffee, tea, soda, chocolate and many over-the-counter
meds
● Most people use caffeine in some form everyday…it is considered
the most popular and widely used psychoactive drug
● Increases attentiveness & improves mood by mimicking adenosine
(a neurotransmitter)
● Is physically addictive
o Individuals can experience withdrawal symptoms if stop intake
(usually from a few days up to a week will have headaches, be
irritable, drowsy or be tired…esp. if a regular coffee, tea, soda
drinker)
● At high doses, it can produce anxiety, restlessness, insomnia &
increased heart rate – known as “coffee nerves”
CAFFEINE
The recommended amount of caffeine per day is 250 milligrams…
Nicotine, the drug found in tobacco leaves, is one of the
most common stimulants. It spurs the release of the
hormone adrenaline, which causes the heart rate to
increase.
Cigarette smoking is as addictive as heroin. Stopping can
cause nervousness, drowsiness, loss of energy,
headaches, and other side-effects.
Each year more than 400,000 Americans die from
smoking-related illnesses more than number who die from
car accidents, alcohol/drug abuse, suicide, homicide, and
AIDS combined.
Cigarette smoke contains 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which
are known to cause cancer.
Among adult smokers who have ever smoked, 86% began at age
21 or younger.
Men tend to smoke more than women.
Smoking is linked with social activities, which makes it more
difficult to stop.
Smoking in pregnancy accounts for an estimated 20-30% of lowbirth weight babies, up to 14% of preterm deliveries, and some
10% of all infant deaths.
In 2009, an estimated 20.6% of adults and 19.5% of high school
students were smokers. Over 5% of middle school students
admitted to being smokers, as well.
AMPHETAMINES
● (“speed” or “uppers”)
● Suppress appetite and were once prescribed as
diet pills
o No longer prescribed because of tolerance to its
appetite-suppressant effects occurs quickly, meaning
the individual needs more and more of the drug to
maintain effects
● Also increase concentration and reduce
fatigue…can increase anxiety and irritability as well
METHAMPHETAMINES (CRYSTAL
METH)
● lllegal drug manufactured in street laboratories that is
either smoked or injected
● as with all amphetamines, after
using for awhile one “crashes”,
exhibiting withdrawal symptoms
of fatigue, deep sleep, intense
mental depression & increased
appetite
o it is highly addictive…aftereffects include: irritability, insomnia, hypertension,
seizures, periods of disorientation and occasional violent behavior
o Over time, it appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels, leaving the users with
permanently depressed functioning
COCAINE
http://www.ohsinc.co
m
● Illegal stimulate derived from coca tree
o Derivatives (novocaine) are used today as anesthetics
o cocaine was part of Coca-Cola’s original formula in 1888, it
was replaced in 1903 by caffeine – yet coca leaves, with
cocaine extracted for medical purposes are still used today.
When inhaled/”snorted”, reaches brain in minutes –
producing intense euphoria, mental alertness & selfconfidence which lasts for several minutes
o usually 10-30 minutes if someone is a binge user
COCAINE
●Blocks the reuptake of dopamine…so the
brain is flooded with dopamine-produced
pleasure sensations
ECSTASY (MDMA)
● A stimulant and mild hallucinogen
● Increases empathy, peacefulness
and the person “feels” calm or
relaxed, yet they also seem to
have an unending supply of energy
o Making it a popular “club drug”
Greg Smith/ AP
Photos
 the immediate dehydrating effects, combined with
prolonged physical activity (like dancing) causes the
person risk of severe overheating, increased blood
pressure and death
● Researchers have found a decline in memory and
performance on IQ tests
o And they believe MDMA causes long-term serotonin changes in the
brain…leading to reduced serotonin levels & increased risk of depressed
mood
HALLUCINOGENS
Hallucinogens are
psychedelic (mindmanifesting) drugs that
distort perceptions and
evoke sensory images
in the absence of
sensory input.
Ronald K.
Siegel
LSD (LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE)
“ACID”
● one of the most powerful drugs known – only takes onemillionth of an ounce to produce altering effects
o first synthesized from rye fungus by Swiss chemist in late
1930s – Hoffman accidentally ingested a minuscule amount of
the substance, having the first LSD trip ever)
● trip lasts 6-14 hours – effects vary greatly
o visual distortions & hallucinations
o Emotions very intense & unstable and impaired thoughts
● “bad trips”
o terrifying & users are in a state of panic, feel as they will go
mad & never come out
 some have ended tragically in accidents, death or suicide)
Hemp Plant
MARIJUANA
● produces feeling of elation, promotes
relaxation, relieves inhibitions, relieves
anxiety & increases sensitivity to sights,
sounds & touch – causes sense of time to be distorted
● THC (tetrahydrocannibinol), ingredient that produces the high, remains in
body long after use
o 10% remains in system after 7 weeks
● effects: impairs attention/coordination, slows reaction time, interferes with
concentration, logical thinking, ability to form new memories & ability to
hold in mind what is said
o chronic use associated with loss of motivation and general apathy – it also
causes respiratory damage faster than cigarette smoking & heavy use/abuse
affects the reproductive system, esp. in males
Marijuana cigarettes yield almost 4 times as much tar as
tobacco cigarettes.
Regular use dulls emotions and suppresses the immune
system.
Marijuana is fat soluble, unlike alcohol which metabolizes
rather quickly. It can be detected for up to a month in the
body. Long-term use can result in chromosomal damage.
DRUGS
Summary
INFLUENCES ON DRUG USE
Use of drugs is based on biological, psychological
and social-cultural influences.
Treatment:
• Detoxification – the removal of harmful substances from
the body. Most common for alcoholics and narcotic
addicts.
• Maintenance Programs – participants are given
controlled and less dangerous amounts of the drug or
some less addictive substitute. Sometimes used for
narcotics addicts.
• Counseling – individual and group methods used for
treating stimulant and depressant abuse.
• Support Groups – consist of several people who share
common experiences, concerns, or problems. Group
setting provides emotional and moral support.