1. Chapter 3
PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS

2. HALLUCINATIONS Def.: false perceptions with no external stimulation
Created by Sensory deprivation  brain creates own stimulation if not enough in the environment (imaginary friends, seclusion, solitary confinement)
Or too much stimulation causes it (schizophrenia)

3. HALLUCINATIONS & DRUGS
LSD, alcohol, opium, caffeine, etc can create psychoactive hallucinations
Impairs judgment & emotion-based brain mechanisms
Most widely abused: marijuana, cocaine, heroin, & amphetamines

4. PSYCHOACTIVE DRUG CATEGORIES (1)
HALLUCINOGENS/ PSYCHEDELICS: ex, PCP (“angel dust”) user feels disembodied & insensitive to pain; Shrooms; LSD ; Marijuana

5. PSYCHOACTIVE DRUG CATEGORIES (2)
OPIATES: highly addictive drugs; suppress sensation & response to stimulation
Morphine & codeine: pain-relieving properties like body’s own endorphins
Heroin is made from morphine & 1st developed by Bayer Co.  rush of euphoria & addiction starts from 1st use!!

6. PSYCHOACTIVE DRUG CATEGORIES (3)
DEPRESSANTS: slow down mental & physical activity by inhibiting CNS
Barbiturates, anti-anxiety meds, & alcohol  all actually reduce REM-sleep, so still tired despite full nights rest!
Overdoses cause loss of all sensations, coma, or death
Alcohol one of 1st psychoactive drugs used by humans  now 1 in 10 Americans suffer from alcoholism

7. PSYCHOACTIVE DRUG CATEGORIES (4)
STIMULANTS: speed up mental & physical rates of activity & increases CNS activity  Used for ADHD & narcolepsy
Cocaine users want higher pleasure sensations & greater energy and awareness; heavy users experience hallucinations

8. Natural Stimulants

9. BUT ARE THEY DRUGS?
Physiological Dependence: process by which the body adjusts to, and becomes dependent on, a drug
Two other stimulants: caffeine & nicotine…do you think they are drugs??

10. BRAIN GAMES: ADDICTION