Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Drugs and Consciousness Lesson 7-3 Psychoactive Drugs • Starts at a young age • is a psychoactive drug – drug that affect the nervous system and result in altered consciousness – can affect mood, perception, behavior Psychoactive Drugs • Range from stimulants in cola to depressants like alcohol to hallucinogens like marijuana and lsd How Drugs Work • Drugs are carried in the blood and taken to other tissues in the body • they then attach onto the ends of nerve cells (neurons) and sent out their own messages (neurotransmitters) – may tell a nerve cell not to fire (coma) or have them fire all at once (hallucinations) Marijuana • Dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant that causes an altered state of consciousness when smoked or ingested. – Also called cannabis Marijuana • Legal and accepted in some cultures • Abundant in U.S. in 1960’s • made by drying the plant to form hashish, a gummy powder – can be cooked and eaten Marijuana • Affects vary from person to person • Affects can vary based on on the setting in which drug taken and user’s past experience • music sounds fuller, colors look brighter, may feel elated Marijuana • Is not physically addictive but can become psychologically addictive • Can heighten unpleasant experiences Marijuana • More damaging to the lungs than cigarettes – no link to cancer • Disrupts memory formation • Adults using marijuana scored lower than equal-IQ nonusers on a 12th grade achievement test Hallucinations • Perceptions that have no direct external cause – seeing, hearing, tasting things that aren’t there • Can happen when a person is deprived of sleep – truck drivers swerve to avoid cars that aren’t there Hallucinations • Usually involve color • Caused when entire nervous system becomes aroused Hallucinogens • Substances that cause hallucinations • Also called psychedelic because they create a loss of contact with reality • LSD is one of the most powerful hallucinogens • Does not take much to produce a trip Hallucinogens • Often dissolved into strips of paper or sugar cubes • a person experiences many mood states and they are often quite intense – sometimes it can be terrifying – wall may pulsate or breath Hallucinogens • Sounds are seen and visuals are heard • Single stimulus can become the focus of attention for hours • LSD impairs thinking • panic reactions are the most common side effect Hallucinogens • Flashbacks- can occur months after taking LSD • PCP- also called angel dust – also very unpredictable Opiates • • • • Usually called narcotics opium, morphine and heroin Used as analgesics- reduce pain can produce euphoria- pleasurable state somewhere between sleep and awake Opiates • Can lead to physical addiction • overdose results in loss of breathing • heroine is so powerful it is illegal for Dr.’s to use Alcohol • Most widely used and abused drug • it is encouraged by advertisements and social expectations • causes a general loosing of inhibitions • depressant that inhibits brain function Alcohol • Can cause people to act without restraint • Affects depend on the amount and frequency of drinking • Also varies by body size and what you have eaten Alcohol • Slurred speech, blurred vision, impairment in judgement • big factor in accidents, divorces, and loss of jobs • Permanent damage to brain and liver Tranquilizers • Calm anxieties and tensions • perceive anxiety producing events, but remain detached from them • can be dangerous if used for long periods of time Stimulants • Stimulate the central nervous system • increase arousal and alertness • caffeine, amphetamines (speed) cocaine • users feel energized and invincible • can cause heart failure and death Drug Abuse and Treatment • When does use become abuse? • Drug abusers are people who regularly use illegal drugs or excessively use legal drugs Drug Abuse and Treatment • • • • • • Why do people abuse drugs? Avoid boredom pressure from peers gain self-confidence forget about problems feel good Drug Abuse and Treatment • Why should people not abuse drugs? • Danger of death or injury – overdose or accident • Can turn into an addiction – overwhelming desire to obtain the drugs • legal consequences • destructive behavior Treatment • First- must admit they have a problem • Enter treatment program or get therapy • Must remain drug free – Some join support groups to help with this