The Effects Of Drugs And Opiates On The Body

This book covers one of the most destructible problems to society which is drug abuse followed by crime and violence. Many people don't know and underestimate how others become addicted to drugs. They think that people who use drugs do not have moral principles and that they could stop drug use simply by just choosing and saying so. In reality, drug addiction is a complicated disease, and quitting takes more than good intentions or a strong will. Drugs change the brain function and how it works that makes quitting hard, even for those who really want to. Fortunately, after many researches and experiences with others scientists know more about how drugs can affect the brain and found treatments that can assist people to heal and recover from

Brain chemistry is a detailed system that helps the brain to interact with the chemicals that moves important around the brain. Brain chemistry changes depending on what substance or how much of the substance is used. These changes can indicate signs of the beginning of an addiction over time if the drug use begins to get worst it can lead to dramatic changes in the brains over all chemistry. This example supports the theory of brain change ”‘when we elevated levels of ΔFosB in the NAc, the mice exhibited behaviors that are considered reliable indicators that exposing people to the same conditions would cause addiction: They showed more sensitivity to the drug (responded to doses one-third those required to produce a response in normal animals), self-administered more drug, and displayed greater drive (or craving) for cocaine (they worked two to three times as hard to get the drug) ().” The opposing side stated this as their disagreement “human psychology is simply the reflection of human neurophysiology. Thus, for instance, although the authors claim that their account of addiction is relatively 'skeptical,' and has less explanatory power than that of their opponents, they nevertheless seem to accept at least the possibility of a complete account, which will only come about as a result of 'further advances in biological and psychological science (Foxcroft, L. J.

This research paper will evaluate the biological aspects of addictive substance or behavior and how it affects the brain and organs. Biological aspects include dopamine levels that are replaced in the brain due to the reward system being overtaken and the absorption rate of the drug once it is ingested will be discussed. The biological aspects are extensive and permanent if the individual does not get the help they need. Furthermore the clinical issues of addictive substance or behavior will be discussed along with medical treatments and ethical issues. This includes treatments such as counseling

“Can Neuroscience Improve Addiction Treatment and Policies?” is a research that focus in the causes and effects of drugs in the brain. There is not explanation or analyses in the probable social and cultural causes and effects for using a drug.

While the choice to use alcohol and drugs is initially voluntary, alcohol and/or drug addiction arises because the normal functioning of the brain is impaired so that alcoholism and drug addiction become a “chronic relapsing disease of the brain” (National Institute of Drug Abuse, Drugs, Brains and Behavior. The Science of Addiction. 2014, 5). Drugs impact the pathways of the brain by flooding the circuit with dopamine, which disturbs and distorts normal communication between the brain’s neurons. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain which regulates movement, emotion, motivation and feelings of pleasure. Over stimulating the system with drugs produces euphoric effects which strongly reinforce the behavior of drug use teaching the user to repeat drug use. Continuing alcohol and drug use despite the adverse consequences of such use results in abusers experiencing some or all of the following symptoms: mental stress, impulsive behavior, anger, disorganized thinking, poor coping skills, inadequate decision making and inflexible cognitive response patterns.

In order to fully understand addiction, one must examine the pathways and circuits in the brain as well as the genetic attributions that form this type of behavior. It is important to note that addiction has various forms such as with substances (alcohol, tobacco, drugs) and behavioral addictions (food, sex, shopping). With the forms listed and the many other types of addiction that are out there, they all contribute to alterations in brain structure and function. This article focuses on a particular addiction- cocaine addiction- and how it impacts gene expression and neuronal function. Like other substances of abuse, cocaine users have behaviors that cause them to compulsively take the drug with a loss of control in amount. Even with

The lasting effect cocaine has on the brain’s reward system can lead to an addiction in individuals. Cocaine addiction is a brain disorder that affects the health of millions of people across the world (Homberg et al., 2013). However, understanding the mechanism behind this addiction and the underlying reasons behind an individuals craving for a drug can help us distinguish the different responses males and females exhibit to an abusive drug, such as cocaine. Even though a higher prevalence of cocaine abuse is found

Heroin, as an illicit drug, is very powerful. What a lot of people do not know is that prescription drugs, such as Oxycodone and Vicodin, can be more powerful and even more addictive than their opiate brother. Pharmaceuticals can be so addictive because they, unlike heroin itself, are legal and easy to acquire. However, they often lead to the use of heroin because heroin is incredibly inexpensive when compared to prescriptions. To me, this is an interesting topic because of the prevalence heroin has in our society today. I have witnessed it in my family and understand the impact it can have. Heroin is an incredibly hard drug to be addicted to because of the power it has

Dopaminergic system: One of the main neurobilógicos systems involved in addiction to cocaine is the brain reward system (brain reward pathway), and dopamine its most important neurotransmitter (Koob, Le Moal, 1997). The dopaminégicos brain neurons that circuit are preferably located in the ventral tegmental area, projecting above for the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex (Tzschentke, 2001). The liberation of dopamine in these areas is involved with reward and positive reinforcement for certain type of behavior is well known that the action of cocaine causes such effect. Physiologically, these brain regions are activated when the individual performs a behavior closely related to their survival or their species, for example, to feed, quench thirst, have sex, take care of younger individuals. When cocaine increases dopamine release in these brain regions of reward, the body misinterprets the drug is related to their survival mechanisms, going to seek it incessantly (Koob, Le Moal, 2001). As mentioned, substance dependence relates also to the psychological profile of the consumer and to the environment where it is inserted. Adolescence is a difficult time for a large

There has been much research to prove that drugs cause chemical and structural changes in the brain and its function. As stated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “[Addiction] is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain—they change its structure and how it works. These brain changes can be long-lasting, and can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who abuse drugs” (2014). When the brain is chemically or structurally altered, it changes how the brain functions, influencing continued use of the drug (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014). Even though the changes in the brain lead to continued use of the drug and other harmful behaviors exhibited by those who use drugs, people often begin and continue taking drugs because of a lack of healthy connections to other people. Once a person learns to develop healthy relationships with other people, he or she stops taking drugs (Hari,

In this paper the many physical and psychological effects of Cocaine use will be presented to the reader. The reader will be able to see the rough timeline of Cocaine use and how it has evolved into the narcotic that is seen today. It will be clear to see just how much the theories on the drug has changed throughout history as a one point Sigmund Freud himself promoted the drug as healthy and could see no fault within its effects (UXL Encyclopedia of Science, 2015). In today’s world it is clear that cocaine is in fact dangerous and it is up to the reader to decide whether the physical effects or psychological effects are more drastic.

Cocaine abuse has been a persistent health problem worldwide for many years (Platt, 2002). Adults aged 18 to 25 year have a higher rate of current cocaine use than any other age group, with 1.5 percent of young adults reporting past month cocaine use (The Science of Drug Abuse & Addiction , 2013). Every drug has a history as to how it came about, also, as to why it is used and or abused among adults. Each drug has its own chemical make-up, along with how that drug works in the human body. Treatment of cocaine addiction must be comprehensive, and strategies need to assess the neurobiological, social, and medical aspects of the patient’s drug abuse (The Science of Drug Abuse & Addiction , 2013). Due to the treatment intensity, how willing one

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

The purpose of this paper is to give insight into a specific drug class, known as opiates, that have been a source for abuse in society for various decades. Opiates are used to aid in the relief of pain, allowing the user to feel a sense of toleration in regards to what they are consuming the substance for. For many years now, opiates have been misused by individuals resulting in a dangerous addiction, and ultimately, an unstable lifestyle. The effects that opiates can have on an individual varies from person to person, depending upon the ways in which they choose to intake the substance. When a controlled substance is in one’s possession, it is important to be aware of the possible side effects that come along with it; such side effects can

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