7.3 Drugs and Consciousness

• Psychoactive Drugs: chemicals that affect the nervous system and result in altered consciousness.

Drug Tolerance• A person has

developed the need to take greater doses of the drug to get the same effect initial doses had

Drug Dependency• A person now

needs to take the drug to prevent withdrawal symptoms of NS

Withdrawal• Painful

physical and psychological symptoms that occur after a drug-dependent person stops using the drug

StimulantsAmphetamines• Speed, crank, crystal, ice• Methamphetamine (new

twist---not pill form, but smoked or snorted, for a faster high)

• Increase blood pressure, heart rate, enhanced mood, alertness, and energy

Stimulants cont.

Amphetamines (cont.)

• Leads to excessive restless behavior, repetitive beh., depression, agitation, insomnia, paranoia

• Brain damage, NS destruction

Stimulants

Cocaine• Horse, snow, crack

• Increased physiological and psychological arousal (energy, alert)

• Appetite suppression, insomnia, irritation, nose damage, hallucinations, bugs---circle of depresssion, fatigue, withdrawal, craving

Stimulants cont.

Cocaine (cont.)

• Usually only lasts 30 minutes or so

• Impaired decision-making, analysis of self and abilities

• Brain damage, NS destruction

Legal StimulantsCaffeine

– Physiological arousal---hyper feeling, energy, improved reaction time

– Psychological arousal---decreased feeling of fatigue and drowsiness, alertness, improved mental reaction time

Legal StimulantsNicotine

– Physiological effects---lung cancer, heart and vascular disease, emphysema

– Psychological arousal---improves attention, concentration, and short-term memory in low doses

Opiates• Opium, morphine, heroin

• Reduce pain, create euphoria (like state between waking and sleeping), constipation

• One of the fastest “tolerance” drugs

Opiates (cont.)

• Dependence leads to:

– Hot and cold flashes

– Sweating

– Muscle tremors

– Stomach cramps

• Overdose leads to:

– Respiratory failure

Hallucinogens• Psychoactive drugs that

produce strange perceptual, sensory, and cognitive experiences

• The person sees or hears things that he knows are not realistic

• Cultural uses

Hallucinogens (cont.)

• LSD (lycergic acid diethylamide)

– Visual hallucinations, perceptual distortions, increased sensory awareness, and intense psychological feelings

– “Tripping” is dependent on user’s state of mind

Hallucinogens (cont.)

• LSD dangers include:– Psychotic paranoia (can

require hospitalization)

– Uncontrolled frightening flashbacks of the trip

– Tolerance develops quickly, but no reports of dependence

Hallucinogens (cont.)

• Psilocybin (mushrooms)– Pleasant and relaxed state

(low dose) to perceptual distortions in time and space (med. dose) to hallucinations, body image distortions, etc.

– Tripping is like an “awake dream”

Hallucinogens (cont.)

• Psilocybin dangers include:– Psychotic states last long

and are unpredictable

– Accidental poisoning from bad ‘shrooms

Hallucinogens (cont.)

• Designer drugs

– Manufactured or synthetic drugs designed to mimic existing illegal psychoactive drugs / effects

• Ecstasy (MDMA) is an example

Hallucinogens (cont.)• Ecstasy (MDMA)

– Resembles both mescaline (hallucinogen) and amphetamine (upper)

– Increases emotional awareness and intimacy, and alters visual perceptions

– Lowers inhibitions (aphrodisiac)

Hallucinogens (cont.)

• Ecstasy (MDMA) dangers include:– Jitteriness, anxiety, jaw clenching,

fear and insomnia (low doses)

– Panic, rapid heartbeat, paranoia, and psychotic episodes (med. dose)

– Confusion, fatigue, depression, severe nausea (high, prolonged dose)

Hallucinogens (cont.)

• Ecstasy (MDMA) dangers include (cont):– Physically damages neurons

over time which can lead to an uncountable number of neurological problems

Alcohol• Psychoactive drug

• Depressant: depresses CNS activity

• Seems like a stimulant first, but later depresses many physio / psycho responses

Alcohol (cont.)

• Few drinks = friendliness and loss of inhibitions

• Several drinks = interferes with ability to understand events around them

• Many drinks = Impairs motor coord, cognitive abilities, decision making, speech

Marijuana• Psychoactive drug (THC in the

leaves creates the effect)

• One of the few drugs where no deaths are caused by its direct biological effects

• 5-10 minute effect after inhalation

• Dose indicates type of high

Marijuana (cont.)

• Low dose = mild euphoria

• Moderate dose = perceptual and time distortion

• High dose = hallucinations, delusions, and distortions of the body image