All drugs that affect consciousness, behaviour and/or mood are known
as Psycho-active. This covers not only Cocaine, E, LSD, cannabis but
also Alcohol, caffeine and preparatory stimulants and depressants.
Depressants are drugs which as the name implies, depress the central
nervous system, these include the minor tranquillisers, barbiturates
(sleeping pills ) and ethyl alcohol (booze).
In small quantities, alcohol appears to increase energy and make them
more lively and sociable. In reality it is a central nervous system
depressant and not a stimulant. The initial stimulating effect is
believed to occur because the inhibitory synopses in the brain are
depressed slightly earlier than the excitatory ones leaving an
imbalance on the side of excitation since the brains neurons maintain
a close balance between excitation and inhibition. However the
excitatory synopses are soon overridden (depending on dosage and
frequency of alcohol intake) causing drowsiness and slowed sensory
and motor functions. Alcohol probably produces both positive and
negative reinforcements. Positive reinforcement is caused by the
presence of an appetitive stimulus, related to the release of
dopamines. Negative reinforcement is caused by termination of an
aversive stimulus, e.g. an animal can be trained to press a lever to
switch off a loud noise. Negative reinforcement in drinkers is
provided by the anxiolytic effect of alcohol. If a person feels
anxious and uncomfortable, alcohol will provide temporary relief.
The brain does attempt to compensate for this dopamine effect and
therefore more alcohol is needed to achieve the same result. This
leads to physiological effects such as cirrhosis of the liver, cancer
of the stomach, liver, mouth and throat and brain deterioration as
the balance of fluids in the membranes is permanently destablised.
Opium and it's derivatives are collectively known as opiates, they are drugs that diminish physical sensation and suppress the central nervous system. These drugs are sometimes known as narcotics but are correctly called opiates since narcotics also covers synthetic drugs. Opiates are derived from the air dried juice of the opium poppy and contain a number of chemicals including Morphine and Codeine. Codeine is a common prescription drug and is included in small amounts in painkillers and cough suppressants. Morphine and it's derivative heroin are much more potent and because of it's concentration, heroin is the most popular because it is easier to smuggle, handle and disguise. Opiates act on very specific receptive sites in the brain, they are similar in molecular construction to the brains own chemical endorphins which suppress pain and increase a feeling of well being in larger doses. As this unnatural brain chemical binds with the brains receptors in larger quantities than was designed for in normal daily life the brain shuts down it's own production of endorphins and specifically enkophalin, leading to a down felling and the need for another larger fix to generate the effect of the combined amount of endorphins both natural and introduced by opiate ingestion. Larger and frequent doses exemplified by addiction cause many physiological effects. The central nervous system can become so depressed that the autonomous inhaling reflex is suppressed leading to suffocation and the heart can also suffer an infarction (heart attack), continued use which is almost inevitable unless one undergoes detoxification can result in permanent brain disfunction caused by alteration of the cell membranes and neurons, although this is sometimes caused much earlier by the additives to the pure opiate used to "cut" it.
In contrast to depressants and opiates stimulants increase arousal. Amphetamines are powerful stimulants sold under names such as Methadrine, Benzedrine, Dexadrine etc. The immediate effects are an increase in alertness and a decrease in fatigue and boredom. As with other drugs the ability to alter mood and increase self confidence is a reason for their use. Most prescription weight loss medications contain amphetamines, even though they only temporarily decrease the appetite for three or four weeks usually. Both Cocaine and Amphetamines have similar behavioural effects. Both act as dopamine antagonists by blocking it's re-uptake after it is released by the terminal buttons in the neurons on the brain, therefore a larger concentration of dopamine is present giving the mood reinforcement and changes. In addition amphetamines directly stimulate the release of dopamines increasing the effect. Crack is a potent form of cocaine because it is smoked and reaches the brain quickly in higher concentrations. Whilst cocaine causes a high of hours, a crack high last at most 25 minutes. Regular use of cocaine and amphetamines produces psychotic behaviour, hallucinations, delusions of persecution, mood disturbances and repetitive behaviour ( e.g. hand washing and ritualistic behaviour) as well as frequent movement of heads, hands and limbs in general. These symptoms so closely resemble schizophrenia that mental health professionals are sometimes fooled if they do not know of the patients drug use. Indeed research into amphetamine and cocaine abuse has helped research into schizophrenia where research has shown that dopamine over activity caused by use of antagonists is one of the causes of schizophrenia. If a person stops taking the drug, withdrawal will occur but not as severe as opiates as the brain regains it's normal chemical balance. However exposure to the drug appears to have long term effects that make the person much more likely to exhibit psychotic effects if they return to drug use later.
A pair of innocuous seeming drugs in comparison to the above but they
both have addictive potential. Caffeine is fairly mild, few people
take enough to produce behavioural effects. Nicotine however usually
is combined with other substances in cigarette smoke which is
carcinogenic and leads to cancer of the mouth, lungs, throat and
oesophagus, some of these are metastasis and give rise to cancers in
other parts of the body notably the brain. Although nicotine is less
potent than say cocaine, more who try it go on to become addicts and
will stay addicts even in the face of very severe health problems.
It is known for patients undergoing cancer treatment in hospital to
sneak out for a smoke. Nicotine stimulates the dopamine system which
would make it more difficult for a smoker to stop use of heroin or
cocaine type drugs.
These include LSD, PCP, Ecstasy, Mescaline, Psilocybin and a newer
designer drug DOM, all if not most are alkaloids. All hallucinogenic
drugs cause perception changes. Some are natural, Mescaline from
cactus and psilocybin from mushrooms (eaten in Mexico and known as
Gods Flesh). Others are manufactured in laboratories such as, LSD,
PCP, E, DOM. LSD or acid is a colourless, odourless tasteless
substance that produces hallucinations in low doses. Some users have
mystical trips, others frightening or bad trips. Another adverse
reaction is flashbacks which can occur weeks or months afterwards
when the user experiences similar hallucinations to the experienced
when actually using the drug. Since LSD is almost completely
eliminated from the body 24hrs. after the usage it is likely these
are a restoration of memories. Most threatening to the user is the
loss of reality where the user losses orientation and fells that they
cannot control what the body is doing. LSD use has declined since
the '70s due to widespread adverse reports and possible genetic
damage to users and their children. PCP, also known as angel dust,
Shermans or super acid is sold as a hallucinogen but is more
accurately a dissociative anaesthetic. It may cause hallucinations
but it also causes the user to fell disassociated or apart from the
environment. It was first synthesized in 1956 as an anaesthetic but
its use was discontinued when doctors found it produced
hallucinations and schizophrenic like behaviour. Because the
ingredients are cheap and it is easily manufactured, PCP is widely
sold as a adulterant of more expensive street drugs. In low doses
PCP produces insensitivity to pain and experiences similar to mild
intoxication, users also have heightened sensory awareness and can
often feel overloaded or bombarded with stimuli when being talked to
whilst under the influence. PCP users are not often violent but the
sensation of being touched or arrested can cause the user to flail
around to escape the heightened sensations. ECSTASY or E refers to
two closely related compounds MDA and MDMA which are chemically
similar to mescaline and amphetamines and is the psycho-active agent
in Nutmeg. It was first synthesized in 1910 but its use as a
consciousness expanding drug was not noted until the '60s. Users
report increased awareness of music art etc., better interpersonal
relationships whilst taking the drug and elevated mood. It also can
cause rapid movement, a breakdown of the bodies temperature
regulating system, anxiety, depression and confusion. The United
States DEA considers it a serious threat to health.
Derived from cactus and mushroom and have been known and used by
Mexicans in religious rites for hundreds of years, as a part of the
plant which produces them. They were isolated in 1896. Effects are
similar to amphetamines but can produce psychosis and schizophrenia
like effects with effects lasting 90 minutes or so. the problem
being that there is no standard doses for either drug and effects
vary widely. DOM(STP). Another amphetamine type, closely related to
Mescaline but with 100 times the potency and about 1/30th the effect
of LSD weight for weight. As in other hallucinogenic drug heavy use
can cause severe physiological effects whilst taking it, although how
the drugs work is not well known their chemical compositions are.
Or Marijuana, Hash etc. is the leaves and flowering tops of the Hemp
plant. Marijuana is popular because of it's pleasurable effects,
similar to alcohol but without the hangover. People report feeling
good, relaxed, as if time were drawn out, and enhanced perceptions.
Small doses have the above effect, larger doses contribute to loss of
memory, mood changes, dulled attention whilst extremely heavy doses
have LSD like effects. Doses are difficult to judge because the
effect lags half an hour or more behind the taking. The major active
ingredient in Marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC) but the
marijuana also contains more than 400 other substances, some of which
are thought to have psychological effects. Some studies tentatively
suggest that marijuana may lower sperm counts, decreasing fertility.
Aside from the effects mentioned earlier, marijuana increases heart
rate which can be a risk in users with a less than perfect heart,
this of course raises blood pressure with its attendant affects.
Because of the holding of smoke in the lungs the tobacco content of a
marijuana cigarette can cause cancer more quickly. Research has
shown that smoking one marijuana cigarette is the equivalent of
sixteen normal cigarettes in terms of carcinogenic substance
retention in the lungs. Withdrawal symptoms of loss of appetite,
irritability develop if a user ceases. Marijuana increases the
effect of other drugs, e.g. Amphetamines, Alcohol, Barbiturates.
etc., so it's use must be carefully judged. The Stepping Stone
theory of drug dependence sought to show that users of Marijuana were
more likely to try other harder drugs like Heroin. This is because
they are often supplied from the same source and according to an
American survey, of people who used Marijuana 24% said they had or
would try a harder drug. It must be remembered that persons who take drugs of any sort from
Caffeine to Heroin, can if they want to give them up. If they are
prepared to suffer the after effects and withdrawal symptoms. It
must also be stressed that very rarely do users go through the TV
cold turkey of week long shivers, sweats and hallucinations and pain.
When most users give up they find they can give up permanently, the
most potent reason to return to drug use is "secondary reinforcement"
where an ex user finds themselves in a situation where drug use is
expected, like an ex drinker going out to the pub with his mated, it
would be very difficult to refuse a drink. Indeed Alcoholics
Anonymous have been criticised by Psychologists because of this.
They teach total abstinence and not control explaining the high rate
of their clients who return to alcohol in times of stress. I hope you all find this interesting and that it's given you some
information on drugs, how they work and the after effects.