Download Y Drugs and Addiction1

Drugs and Addiction
Specification – Page 48
1 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.
• b) Define and use psychological terminology appropriately and accurately including the terms:
• i substance misuse
• ii synapse
• iii tolerance
• iv physical dependence
• v psychological dependence
• vi withdrawal
What are drugs?
• 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.
Your Task – Drug Speed-dating!
• Each of you are a particular drug
• Talk to the other drugs around you to get a
description of what they are and the effects they
have
• Complete the table given to you
• Make sure you meet every drug!
What type of drug do you think you are?
Hallucinogen
Stimulant
Sedative
Or a combination of two or three types?
Definitions
• In your groups, come up with a definition of your
drug type
- Hallucinogen
- Stimulant
- Sedative
- If mixture, why?
Hallucinogens
• 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
• These substances have the common property of downregulating mental activity.
• Produce a state of relaxation or sleepiness.
• They can slow reaction time and impair co-ordination.
• Higher doses produce intoxication and sometimes
unconsciousness.
Stimulants
• 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.
Your Task
• Colour code the table you created from
the drug speed-dating
• Use the colours to differentiate between
hallucinogens, stimulants and sedatives.
Homework
• Finish writing up you speed dating table in preparation for next
session