Effects Of Drugs On The Central Nervous System

Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, alcohol, opium, tobacco, hypnotics, just to name a few. Addiction is a chronic disease that affects the chemicals in the brain. It dysfunctions the circuits in the brain that deal with memory, reward, sex, motivation, behavior, relationships and emotions all mostly resulting in substance use or other behaviors to fulfill those circuit rewards. This world is in a current addiction epidemic on drugs. Let’s try to understand addiction to make it a little clearer.

The meaning of a word portrays what it encompasses and if the phrase itself is misunderstood then defining what it’s trying to explain can be a studious task. Addiction has been defined by many and holds different meanings based on the context it’s used in. Addiction can be defined as a condition in which a person undertakes the use of substance, or engages in activities, which in turn brings pleasure, and tends to divert oneself from their day-to-day duties and responsibilities. Addiction is mostly related to drug use but it is also used to describe non-drug entities, such as gambling, and Internet addictions (Avena et al, 2008). Researchers (Herbert, J. D., Forman, E. M., 2010) have been keen on identifying the factors that lead to

The definition of addiction involves among others: the existence of tolerance (must gradually increase the dose to get the same effect); withdrawal in its absence and the compulsive use of a drug despite knowing the negative consequences on

Addiction is the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity. Know just imagine someone’s addiction is alcohol, drinking all day and

Addiction is a physical and or a psychological dependence on a mood altering substance or behavior that is continued despite negative consequences. In Gerald G. Mays’ book Addiction & Grace

When it comes to neuroenhancement, the ethics are about as fuzzy as the science behind them. In a modern world of busy schedules and busier lives, people are turning to neuro-enhancing drugs to gain a competitive edge. In “From Brain Gain: The Underground World of “Neuroenhancing” Drugs,” Margaret Talbot examines that most students use Neuroenhancing drugs to do better than they would have otherwise in their classes.

What is addiction? The most common definition is the condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity. Addiction is so much more than that. People with addiction may not realize that their problem is out of control and could be causing problems for themselves or others around them. Addiction becomes an all-time thing and interferes with usual life responsibilities like relationships, social life, work, and health. People that are struggling with addiction, often cannot quit on their own. Addiction is an illness that entails treatment,

Throughout history, mankind has always been interested in getting more of anything to the point at which some go absolutely insane. For example, mankind has not been totally satisfied with the human mind and its natural capabilities, which has led to countless attempts of manipulation. This manipulation of the psyche, a partially uncharted topic of human knowledge, can be triggered through certain chemicals. These chemicals have helped and stimulated the minds of many who use them properly, but have also hurt and depressed many who have used them improperly. Those that intermeddle with the brain’s functions through chemical mental enhancement are clearly affected and show how

Stimulant drugs rev up the central nervous system by increasing heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure. Thus, someone who abuses stimulants will experience enhanced positive emotional reactions and a minimized level of negaitve emotional reactions, as well as alertness. Someone who abuses nicotine, a stimulant, will experiecne relaxation and alertness due to the way in which nicotine activates receptors sensitive to the neurotransimitter acetylcholine. Someone who abusues the stimulant cocaine will experience euphoria, enhanced mental and physical capabilities, stimulation, a decrease in hunger, indifference to pain, and diminished fatigue. Crack cocaine will generate intense euphoria, but will follow with unpleasant feelings. Stimulants

Drugs have been around for a very long time. They are used for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include relaxation, socialization, curiosity, stress relief, or a form of escapism. However, most people don’t know the threats and danger that it can cause to the body. In this paper, we are going to examine the changes that happen inside the brain due to the effects of different drugs. We will look closely at how drugs such as hallucinogens, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, and cannabis affect an individual psychologically. I will explain the origin of the drugs, how a person feels while on the drug, how the drugs

Substance addiction can hugely impact on a person’s thinking, functioning and behaviour. Whilst depressant drugs such as alcohol and opioids slow down your central nervous system (CNS), stimulants such as cocaine or amphetamine increase the activity of the CNS, leading to higher blood pressure, heart rate and increased alertness. Repeated abuse of the substance leads to tolerance and withdrawal, in turn this leads to the user showing signs of irrational behaviour. Another form of substance abuse is hallucinogens; they can cause powerful changes in sensory perceptions. It works by binding to the serotonin receptors, these neurons control visual information and emotions, and this can lead to various effects on the user. Neurobiology can help us understand the reasons for addiction and the effects they have on us. Groman and Jentsch (2012) discuss key issues of differentiating the causes and consequences of addiction through neuroimaging and behavioural research on monkeys, they found that the dysfunction of the dopamine

An individual’s behavior and emotion becomes chemically altered often resulting in dependency, aggression, onset of diseases and poor judgement. This poses a dangerous threat to the neurotransmitters since they have multiple jobs in different parts of the brain. Drugs of abuse are able to exert influence over the brain reward pathway either by directly influencing the action of dopamine within the system, or by altering the activity of other neurotransmitters that exert a modulatory influence over this pathway. These drugs are often powerful and have been known to trigger schizophrenic behavior and can also cause a person to cease breathing, for example hallucinogens such as LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin are able to artificially stimulate the serotonin receptor (Sapolsky, 2005).

Addiction is a dependence on a substance in which the affected individual feels powerless to stop. Millions of Americans have addictions to drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and even to behaviors such as compulsive gambling and shopping. Recent studies suggest that millions of Americans are addicted to food, as well.

Drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and cannabis, are of natural or synthetic origin, which can alter the emotional state, perception, body functioning and behaviour of an individual. Drugs are known to work in the brain by activating certain brain circuits via different mechanisms, and stimulate or inhibit different neurons in the pathway. However, due to the effects of each drug being different, a drug will affect either different pathways and neurons in the brain to that of another, or through a different process, i.e. direct or indirect activity. This essay will discuss the different mechanisms of action that cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and

Addiction is defined as an overuse of any substance that changes the natural chemical balance of the brain. It is generally agreed upon that addiction includes biological, psychological, and behavioral factors.