Ch. 5 S. 4 Drugs and Consciousness Obj: Describe the ways various kinds of drugs affect consciousness.

Many drugs are addictive Many drugs are addictive. Addiction to a drug means that after a person takes that drug for a while, his or her body craves it just to feel normal. Alcohol, nicotine, and many other drugs are considered addictive. Drugs also have a number of effects on consciousness. They distort people’s perceptions, change their moods, or cause them to see or hear things that are not real.

Depressants Depressants - Slow the activity of the nervous system and give people a sense of relaxation but can have negative effects. These include alcohol and narcotics.

Alcohol – most widely used legal drug in US Alcohol – most widely used legal drug in US. High doses of alcohol can put a person to sleep. Too much can be lethal. It also intoxicates, state of drunkenness, which slurs speech, blurs vision, makes one clumsy and difficult to concentrate. Also affects judgment; drunk driving, and reckless behavior.

Narcotics – addictive depressants that have been used to relieve pain and induce sleep and can give the user a feeling of pleasure. Examples morphine, heroin and codeine all derive from the opium poppy plant. Morphine was introduced during the Civil War for pain. Heroin, from the West in the 1800s, was meant to cure addictions to morphine. High doses can lead to coma or death.

Stimulants Stimulants – increase the activity of the nervous system and speed up the heart and breathing rate. Stimulants include nicotine, amphetamines, and cocaine.

Nicotine – a drug found in tobacco leaves that spurs the release of the hormone adrenaline which causes the heart rate to increase. Research shows it is as addictive as heroin.

Can cause lung cancer, heart disease, etc Can cause lung cancer, heart disease, etc. More people die every year of nicotine related deaths than car accidents. Smokers are 12 to 20 times as likely as nonsmokers to die of lung cancer. Moreover, the substances in smoke have been shown to cause several other kinds of cancer in lab animals. Research indicates that secondhand smoke can even increase the health risk of nonsmokers who inhale it. It accounts for thousands of deaths per year.

Amphetamines – (increase dopamine) help people stay awake and reduce appetite. Used by soldiers in WWII. Also called speed or uppers. Can be taken as pills or injected as liquid “meth” or methamphetamines. Can experience hallucinations (perception that seems real) and delusions (false idea that seems real)

Cocaine – a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca plant produces feelings of pleasure, reduces hunger, deadens pain, and boosts self-confidence. It also raises blood pressure and decreases the supply of oxygen to the heart while speeding up the heart rate, it can sometimes lead to death.

It has been used as a painkiller since the early 1800s It has been used as a painkiller since the early 1800s. It came to the attention of Sigmund Freud in 1884. Freud, then a young neurologist, first used the drug to overcome depression. But Freud’s excitement about cocaine’s healing powers was soon cooled by his awareness that the drug was dangerous and addictive. Crack is a very powerful form of cocaine. It is impure and strains the heart, overdoses of these drugs are sometimes fatal.

Hallucinogens Hallucinogen – drug that produces hallucinations. Marijuana – hallucinogenic drug produced from the leaves of the cannabis plant. Hashish, or “hash”, comes from the sticky part of plant. Hash has stronger effects than marijuana.

Marijuana impairs perception and coordination, making it difficult to operate machines. It impairs memory and learning, can cause anxiety and confusion, and increases the heart rate up to 140 to 150 beats per minute and may raise blood pressure. 100 years ago, it was used by some people almost the way aspirin is used today-headaches, and minor pains. It could be bought in any drugstore without a prescription.

LSD – Lysergic acid diethylamide is manmade in a lab and is sometimes called acid. Unpredictable, and sometimes frightening, people may injure someone, themselves, or commit suicide. Possibility of flashbacks.

Treatments for Drug Abuse Detoxification – the removal of the harmful substance from the body. Used with alcohol and narcotics. Maintenance Programs – Used for people addicted to narcotics. They are given controlled and less dangerous amounts of the drug or some less addictive substitute. Ex - Methodone.

Counseling – Both individual and group are used for treating stimulant and depressant abuse. Support groups – AA or NA…they share common experiences, concerns, or problems.