15. Drugs Flashcards
drugs that can change perceptions and moods (cannabis, cocaine, LSDs, and etc)
psychoactive drugs
patients can become biologically and mentally addicted to _______
psychoactive drugs that result in substance use disorders
what happens to our bodies when they chemically adapt to those drugs?
it requires greater amounts each time to achieve a ‘high’ or altered state
what happens when someone addicted to a certain substance halts or reduces the use of it?
it can cause substantial mental and physical pain
discomfort and distress after discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior
withdrawal
drugs that reduce neural activity and slowdown body functions (ie: alcohols, barbiturates, and oplates)
depressants
inhibitor –> slows down brain activity that controls judgment inhibitions; also increases helplessness and reduces coordination, can increase harmful tendencies like sexual aggression
alcohol
what are specifics that alcohol can do to you ?
it slows down neural processing, speech and skills deteriorate, reduces self-awareness and self-control
what is a long term result of overuse of alcohol?
nerve cell death, blackouts, loss of memory, shrink brain, lung and liver damage
what can affect alcohol experiences?
social expectations
tranquilizers – like Nembutal, Seconal, and Amytal – prescribed to induce sleep or reduce anxiety
barbiturate
what can larger doses of barbiturates do to you?
it can impair memory and judgment and can be deadly when taken with alcohol
opium and derivatives – user’s pupils constrict, breathing slows, and lethargy sets in as blissful pleasure replaces anxiety: heroine, codeine, and morphine
opiates
what can opiates do to someone who is taking them?
cause:
- highly addictive craving
- extreme discomfort withdrawals as the brain reduces or halts the production of endorphins
what are endorphins and what happens to them when taking opiates?
they are natural pain killers and the body will stop creating them naturally
