Drugs and Consciousness

Chapter 5, Section 4

Addiction – after the person takes a drug for a period of time, his or her body craves it just to feel normal.

▪ Alcohol▪ Nicotine▪ Oxycontin▪ Heroin▪ Ambien▪ Cocaine▪ Meth

Depressants

Slow the activity of the nervous system, generally give people a sense of relaxation

Alcohol- widely used depressant

Intoxication – drunkenness▪ Slurs speech▪ Blurs vision▪ Makes clumsy▪ Difficult to concentrate▪ May be unable to write▪ Affects judgment and may

not realize they are intoxicated.

▪ Lose inhibitions▪ Long-term heavy drinking

may lead to liver problems, heart problems, and cancer

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)▪ Host of problems that can

occur in children of women who drink alcohol during pregnancy

▪ Deformities of the heart, face, kidneys, and fingers

▪ The brain of an infant with FAS is smaller than a normal infants brain

▪ FAS may occur if the mother drinks as little as one or two glasses of wine or beer a day during pregnancy

Narcotics

Greek ..narke “numbness” or “stupor” Addictive depressants that have been used to relieve

pain and induce sleep. Morphine – addiction to this drug became known as

“soldier’s disease”-- introduced during the civil war to deaden the pain from battle wounds

Heroin- “hero” cured addiction to morphine, gives the user feelings of pleasure. Coming off of heroin can cause the user to go into a deep depression. High doses can depress the respiratory system so much the user can lose consciousness, go into a coma, or die.

Codeine Withdrawal symptoms- tremors, cramps, chills, rapid

heartbeat, insomnia, vomitting, and diarrhea

Stimulants

Increase activity of the nervous system

Speed up heart and breathing rate▪ Nicotine▪ Amphetamines▪ Cocaine

Nicotine

Found in tobacco leaves, this is one of the most common stimulants▪ Cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco

Spurs the release of the hormone adrenaline, which causes an increase in heart rate

Makes people feel more alert and attentive, and raises the rate at which the body changes food to energy

Evidence shows it may be as addictive as heroin Withdrawal Symptoms – nervousness,

drowsiness, loss of energy, headaches, lightheadedness, insomnia, dizziness, cramps, heart palpitations, tremors, and sweating

Each year more than 400,000 Americans die from smoking-related diseases

Smokers are 12 to 30 times more likely than non-smokers to die of lung cancer

Also linked to heart disease, chronic lung and respiratory disease, miscarriage in pregnant women who smoke, premature births, and babies with birth defects

Amphetamines

Known for helping people stay awake and reducing appetite

Used by soldiers in WWII to keep them awake and alert during the night

Injected or in pill format those who take large doses can stay awake for days..these prolonged “highs” eventually lead to “crash” which may be a deep depression of deep sleep (some may commit suicide during a “crash”)

May cause:▪ Hallucinations – perception of an object or sound that is not

real▪ Delusions – false idea that seems real (ability to fly, being

chased)

Cocaine

Stimulant derived from the coca plant Produces feelings of pleasure, reduces

hunger, deadens pain, and boosts self-confidence

Raises blood pressure and decreases oxygen to the heart while speeding the heart rate which may result in death.

Freud used the drug to overcome depression A particular harmful form of cocaine is Crack

impure form which makes it more dangerous

Hallucinogens

A drug which produces hallucinations

Also causes relaxation, or feelings of pleasure

May also cause panic

Marijuana

Produced from the leaves of cannabis sativa plant which grows wild in many parts of the world

Hashish, or “hash” comes from the sticky part of the plant and has stronger effects than marijuana

Produces feeling of relaxation and hallucinations, impairs perception and coordination, and makes it difficult to operate machinery. It also impairs memory and learning.

It causes anxiety and confusion and increases heart rate

Originally used to treat minor aches and pains

LSD

Lysergic acid diethylamide – Acid Can cause intense hallucinations and

effects are not predictable Some users are in such a high panic

or confused the may injure themselves or commit suicide

May cause memory loss, violent outbursts, nightmares, feelings of panic, flashbacks

Treatments

Detoxification –removal of the harmful substance from the body

Maintenance Programs – given controlled less dangerous amounts of the drug..never become free of the drug

Counseling Support groups