How Drugs Affects The Brain

How do drugs affect the teen brain? When you put drugs into your body either by smoking, injecting, or eating them. They tap into the brains communication system and tamper with the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. Drugs like nicotine, cocaine, and marijuana and others affect the brains reward circuit, which is part of the limbic system. "In the last two decades, research has increasingly supported the view that addition is a disease of the brain." (Nicole Grey, Bio Pharma Dive) Normally, the reward circuit responds to

Drugs are chemicals that change the way a person 's body or mind works. Drugs are not good for health as they have many side effects and damage our brain, heart and other important organs. Drug is a depressant that slows down the functions of the central nervous system and makes us less aware of the events around us. It exaggerates communication, and destroys our physical and emotional pains. Drug use is illegal and is rarely prescribed by doctors. Some of the illegal drugs are marijuana, nicotine, cocaine, and heroin. Drugs are consumed in different ways, by inhaling, taking by mouth, injecting, applying on skin, and smoking. When a person is addicted to drug,

Drugs are chemicals that affect the brain by tapping into its communication system and interfering with the way neurons normally send, receive, and process information. Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter. This similarity in structure “fools” receptors and allows the drugs to attach onto and activate the neurons. Although these drugs mimic the brain’s own chemicals, they don’t activate neurons in the same way as a natural neurotransmitter, and they lead to abnormal messages being transmitted through the network.

Drugs are chemicals they work in the brain by tapping into the brain's communication system and interfering with the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter. This fools receptors and allows the drugs to lock onto and activate the nerve cells. Although these drugs mimic brain chemicals, they don't activate nerve cells in the same way as a natural neurotransmitter, and they lead to abnormal messages being transmitted through the network.

Methamphetamine stimulates different parts of the brain, as shown in figure 2 of a PET scan. In Figure 2 it reveals that a methamphetamine addict has various parts of their brain more stimulated than the control, and other section of their brain were not stimulated. Imaging studies have shown changes in the activity of the dopamine system that are associated with reduced motor skills and impaired verbal learning (NIH,2). Methamphetamine affects the parts of the brain that control judgment, reward and memory. In addition, methamphetamine has an effect on the reward system of the brain, which makes the user feel pleasure, which is normally felt through things such as eating, sex, and drinking. Furthermore, Methamphetamine affects the limbic

These chemicals can interfere with the process of brain cells communicating with each other. According to Dr. Marissa Merandez (2006), “Psychoactive drugs alter communications between brain cells. Individual brain cells (neurons) communicate with one another through a series of biological messengers called neurotransmitters.” The altered communications of these neurotransmitters is determined by the chemical in use. Psychoactive chemicals can tinker with these communications in many ways. “[Psychoactive chemicals] interfere with normal brain function by blocking it [neurotransmitter communication], or by altering the way neurotransmitters are stored, released, and removed...” (Marissa Merandez, 2006). Interfering with neurotransmitter communications and the distribution of neurotransmitters is what gives a psychoactive chemical its intended effects. The general groupings of these substances fall into either depressants, stimulants, opioids, and hallucinogens. Depressants diminish the activity of the central nervous system. Also, possible long term effects could result in changed brain function and structure, reduced mental capacity, and decreased brain volume. Stimulants increase the activity of the central nervous system, but risk abnormalities in specific regions of the brain, loss of some mental capacity,

Addictive drugs cause dopamine neurons to release dopamine, the pleasure hormone. The narcotics disable the neurons that would usually keep the dopamine neurons in check; becoming over stimulated. Endorphins are produced and released within the brain, creating a high and reinforcing the individual’s positive associations with the activity. Hence “the rush” (Molintas, 2006)

The brain consist of several large regions each responsible for some activities vital for living .The brain is made up of millions of nerve cells. A neuron contains three important parts; a central cell body that directs all activities of the neurons. Short fibers that receive messages from the neurons and relay them to the cell body. And an Axon a long single fiber that transmits message’s. Most neurons contain three parts but are very diverse. The transfer of a message from the axon of one nerve cell to the dendrites of another is known as neurotransmission. These messages don’t do not occur through direct contact. The effects of drug abuse on the brain range from bad to very bad. If you do something pleasurable and good the brain tends to

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

To fully understand the affects that psychoactive drugs can have on an individual’s brain, one has to first define the term, dissect the history and use, know what factors cause addiction, and what leads to drug dependency. What is a psychoactive drug? A psychoactive drug, psycho-pharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that changes brain function and results in alterations in perception, mood, or consciousness (drug, n.d). Typically the term drug alone can be seen or associated with a positive or negative view. For example, when an individual is under the weather suffering from cold-like symptoms, they may take cough syrup to aid them into recovery sooner. Whereas an individual who is perfectly healthy may take this same

there are three main parts that drugs affect in the brain. these three sections are called the brain stem, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex. some effects drugs can have on the human brain is the Imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers and overstimulating the “reward circuit” of the brain. some other effects is that neurons may die and a very large amounts of dopamine to flood the system. drugs also cause problems with communication channels.

A drug is a chemical substance that acts on the brain and nervous system, and changes a individual's mood, emotion or state of consciousness (Health Service Executive 2013).

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

A medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body Drugs are substances that change a person 's physical or mental state. The vast majority of drugs are used to treat medical conditions, both physical and mental. Some, however, are used outside the medical setting for their effects on the mind.’’ These are referred to as recreational drugs, and many of them are illegal in all fifty states’’(Quain). There are several different kinds of drugs. When a doctor prescribe you a medication and you use it as followed it is still considered a drug because it altar’s your body normal body cells, it can impair how you think see and handle situation’s while under the influence this is why medicine bottles or labled that while taking this medication it can alter how you handle situtions and you shouldn’t drive a car until you know how the drug will affect your body. Drugs can affect person 's mental state, whether prescribed for a medical condition or taken for recreational purposes such as alcohol. There are some drugs affect the way a person thinks and feels—which may also affect the way they behave. Many people misuse used legal drugs, apart from drugs taken on prescription, are alcohol and tobacco. The most commonly used illegal drug is cannabis (marijuana). People use marijuana for the purpose of getting high .

Have you ever dealt with the effects of drug addict? A drug is a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, which has a psychological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. The effects of drug use can vary depending on the person. According to “Causes and types of narcotic addiction: A Psychosocial View” in the Psychiatric Quarterly it says, “The causes of drugs stem from the manner of which you were introduced to it whether it be by abnormal curiosity, chance encounters with addicts and narcotic peddlers, or prolonged illness” (Ausubel). The effects of drugs can be have different effects on everyone differently depending if its for pleasure or for relieving pain Most of the effects of drugs occur in the brain, where it increases the level of dopamine at a specific site possibly giving the addict the pleasure they were feigning for (Robbins). As a child I didn’t know much about drugs except for what your parents and teachers at school tell you which is, “Just Say No.”