Essay On Stimulants And Depressants

One in ten Americans are prescribed an antidepressant that they are told to take daily. Ronald Elson, a psychiatrist at the University of California stated that the use of antidepressants have increased 400% since the 1980s (Lancet, 2004). So what are antidepressants? Antidepressants are a class of drugs to diminish symptoms of depressive disorders, and other conditions such as: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), bulimia nervosa, and many more. Antidepressants also come in multiple differents forms (Kwon, 2013). There is the most commonly prescribed class called, SSRI (Selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors), and others being, NDRI (Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors), TCA (Tricyclic antidepressants),

Chemicals normally present in the body, blood or interstitial fluid influence the heart rate. “Heart rate, or heart pulse, is the speed of the heartbeat measured by the number of heartbeats per unit of time -typically beats per minute” (Medterms 2012) Substances that increase a heart rate are called stimulants. Substances that decrease the heart rate are called depressants. In this lab the students recorded information on the effects of stimulants and depressants on a Daphne. An example of depressants would be a sleeping pill. For clinical use a lot of consumers take this in order to decrease heart rate and to sleep better. Antianxiety medications affect people who have severe anxiety disorders. “Medications that act as depressants are able to imped this anxiety causing brain activity, thus relieving anxiety symptoms.” (Live strong quote) An example of a stimulant would be adrenaline. Adderall is a great example of a stimulant for clinical use. This drug helps people who are diagnosed with

One of the most common types of prescription drugs is a stimulant. Stimulants are a class of drug that elevates that mood of the user and increases their energy and alertness, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, nicotine, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine, which is also know as MDMA or ecstasy (NIDA, 2013). When a legitimate prescription for stimulants is written it is usually for disorders like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHA. ADHA is characterized by the inability to concentrate and being very hyperactive; it is estimated that eight percent of children ages four to seventeen and three to four and a half percent of adults suffer from ADHA (NIDA, 2009). The reason why

Anti-depressants are something that many people take. Not only do they help with depression issues, but they can also help with others. For example, many people take these types of medications to help with certain health conditions, like ADHD and anxiety as well.

The medical use of amphetamines was common in the 1950/60's when they were used to help cure depression and to help the user lose weight. An amphetamine is a drug that is a stimulant to the central nervous system. Amphetamines are colorless and may be inhaled, injected, or swallowed. Amphetamines are also used non-medically to avoid sleep, improve athletic performance, or to counter the effects of depressant drugs. Amphetamines are addictive. Because of this, when the user discontinues use or reduces the amount that they use, withdrawal symptoms may occur. Some withdrawal symptoms are as follows: severe exhaustion, deep sleep lasting from 24 to 48 hours, psychotic reaction, extreme hunger, deep depression, anxiety reactions, and long but

Background: There is an ongoing debate as to whether placebo trials have reliable efficacy against antidepressants. As a mental health nurse there is a need to understand the effects of medication and to be an effective advocate for patients who have depression.

Stimulants are a type of medication prescribed to treat various medical conditions. A stimulant is a drug that excites any bodily function, more specifically those that increase brain and central nervous system activity (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). When stimulant medications are taken, dopamine and norepinephrine levels are increased which helps transmit signals between nerves in the brain which increase brain activity. This medication promotes the brain to be alert, increase motor activity and, wakefulness which why it is prescribed to treat many medical conditions.

As a stimulant of the central nervous system, amphetamines are prevalently used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. ADHD is a psychiatric disorder “characterized by hyperactivity, irritability, mood instability, attention difficulties, lack of organization and impulsive behaviors” (medicalnewstoday.com), while narcolepsy is a neurological disorder causing “excessive daytime sleepiness and irresistible sleep episodes” (medicalnewstoday.com). To a lesser extent, amphetamines are also used in the treatment of depression and obesity. Anyway, amphetamines take effect only when it works on dopamine.

The effects of drug use can vary from person to person, but usually they fall along the lines of affecting the people around you, your body, your health, and drug use usually correlates with mental health problems. Due to the fact that drugs are chemicals, they can alter the brain and body permanently, even after the use has discontinued. In some cases, drug abuse can end in fatality.

Stimulants are used medically to treat a variety of conditions. People who suffer from ADHD use stimulants to improve concentration and focus, as well as reduce restlessness and hyperactivity. Cancer and AIDS patients use stimulants to offset the sedative effects of opiods. Commonly stimulants are used to relieve headache. Furthermore, stimulants can reduce sleepiness

There are many recreational drugs that are categorized as stimulants, hallucinogens, and depressants (Segal, 2014). An example of a stimulant would be something like coffee, people get addicted because that caffeine gives them a boost of energy. Hallucinogens distorts reality and makes you get a high or rush that makes you feel out of this world, and example being LSD. Alcohol

Recreational drugs refer to chemical substances that can cause changes to your mind. This is a psychoactive drug that affect people psychologically by changing their sensory perception, moods, thinking and behaviour. Recreational drugs can cause changes in mind because they are literally impacting the functions of neurotransmitters. These chemical substances are not used for medical reasons, instead they are used for leisurely purposes. Recreational drugs are divided into three groups which are stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens.

Drug abuse is generally defined as the use of a drug with such frequency that the user has physical or mental harm or it impairs social abilities. Drugs are used as pain killers to avert physical and/or emotional pain by providing the user with a temporary escape from life’s realities. Even though, they cause different, more serious problems with only a short escape from life’s agonies.

Drug abuse is the misuse or overdose of any medication or drug, including alcohol. Many people abuse drugs to deal with everyday life. “Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the

One drug that affects the body greatly is meth. This is just one of the drugs that can kill you. All drugs can be addictive but some are more addictive than others and cause you to keep using them. These drugs are not meant to be abused they are for medical use only. They can harm you though, and very badly harm others too! These drugs cause you to see things, hear things, and they just mess with your mental and physical state in general.