The Effects of Prohibited Drug Intake on Human Behavior

Besides the obvious appeal of the "high" or elation, which occurs subsequent to drug administration, a greater influence leading to an increased dosage and necessitated use, would seem the acquisition of tolerance. There are three subtypes, pharmacokinetic/dispositional tolerance, pharmacodynamic tolerance, and behavioral tolerance which all prove relevant in the drugs of abuse, with the exception of the stimulants (cocaine, methylphenidate, etc). Pharmacokinetic tolerance refers to the changes in substance distribution due to the bodies metabolism of the drug, while pharmacodynamic tolerance addresses the adaptive changes which have taken place within the system thereby reducing the efficacy of the drug. The final, behavioral tolerance, seems perhaps at once the most confusing and most compelling. Behavioral tolerance has to do with the learned tolerance in relation to a specific situation and it's environmental cues by which the body adapts and prepares itself thus minimizing the drugs effect ( 6). Thus the physiological dependence, or the need to administer the drug in order to maintain even a state of normalcy, is a direct result of these developed tolerances. It is the re-setting of the bodies homeostatic mechanisms in order to adapt for the effect of

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.

The history of addiction goes back centuries, and unfortunately, there is still a long way to go for people to realize the effects of chemical substances do more harm than good. The difference between drug use and abuse relies heavily on a person’s dependence on the substance. The line between the differences is often very fine. Depending on other factors involved, such as morals, values, environment, and genetic predisposition, the line will most likely be crossed without regard to the consequences until treatment and recovery are the only options left. This is essay compares two theoretical explanations

This paper will illustrate several aspects of how drugs affect our lives. Addiction philosophies including the psychology and physiology will be explained in an attempt to describe how drugs affect our bodies both physically and mentally. Secondly, different drug categories types will be covered including: stimulants, depressants, narcotics, hallucinogens, and cannabis. Each of these categories has different addiction potentials and effect levels including withdrawal symptoms. Finally, the abuse of prescription drugs and their effects will be discussed.

McLellan. David Nutt is a professor at Edmond J. Safra Fundation. Besides, David Nutt is the Director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Science. Thomas M. McLellan is the Chief Executive Officer and cofounder of the Treatment Research Institute. In addition, Thomas M. McLellan is a substance abuse researcher. Moreover, McLellan served as Deputy Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. “Can Neuroscience Improve Addiction Treatment and Policies?” is a research that explains that the brain is the primary objective of psychoactive drugs. In the paper “Can Neuroscience Improve Addiction Treatment and Policies?” the authors state, “drugs are self-administered because they make people feel different – usually better”. They explain that the majority of the modifications related with drug consume are fast changes. The alterations produced by drugs are faster than most changes created by natural stimulus. Numerous activities that produce amusement feelings release neurotransmitters such as dopamine. The consume of drugs manufacture quickly and higher levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine. An important fact about the ingest of drugs according to the authors is that “this rapid release of reward-inducing experience is a significant part of the transition from exploratory, to regular, to compulsive use (addiction).”

A prevailing belief in the field of addiction is that drug addiction is a “brain disease” characterized by “uncontrollable, compulsive drug craving, seeking, and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences” (Leshner 2). In his article “Addiction Is a Brain Disease,” Alan I. Leshner claims that repeated use of drugs alters brain structure and function (1) and that once addicted, few are able to revert back to occasional use (2). Because of their “uncontrollable” behavior, he believes addicts cannot quit on their own and need formal treatment (4). Although Leshner’s ideas represent wide held beliefs in the psychiatric field, recently an array of studies, such as Rat Park and the Vietnam veterans, produce evidence that disproves Leshner’s beliefs that addiction is compulsive, does not exist on a spectrum, and needs professional intervention to resolve, and instead suggests that environmental factors play a larger role in addiction and recovery than was previously believed.

Substance misuse behaviour is the use of psychoactive substances in a manner that is harmful to the drug user, which often leads to addiction and thus the perpetuation of the substance misuse behaviour itself, the resulting substance dependence is a facet of substance misuse behaviour characterised by a strong desire to continually take the drug in uncontrolled manner, which leads to withdrawal symptoms once the dosage of the drug is discontinued (Koob, Sanna & Bloom, 1998). This disorder has its roots in both neurobiological and social processes (Galizio & Maisto, 2013), this essay will critically discuss both the biological and social catalysts in which substance misuse initiates and leads to substance misuse behaviour, with reference to the psychopharmacology of individual substances, biological processes as well as specific examples of social and psychosocial theories.

It is impossible to treat a disease without including all of the possible primary causes of the symptoms. In the same regard, it is unreasonable to identify addiction as coming from a singular source, or conceive a model in which to view it, without taking into consideration other influences. As the biopsychosocial model has come to the forefront in providing a better understanding of addiction, it is not enough; other pathways yet to be address require attention. Therefore, I maintain that until and unless we are willing to include all contributing factors in identifying a theory or model for addiction, we do a disservice to the individuals who are battling this disease. Let us examine the components of the FCP of Addiction Model. Biological influences take into consideration what the disease model classifies as an imbalance in the nervous system, though drug induced. The psychological component includes how a person learns, their motivation, personality, and how they interact with others. Since we are all a part of the world at large, and each of us identify with our own culture, we would be remiss not to consider the influence and impact of social norms and culture on addiction. I have intentionally touched briefly on the three modalities of the biopsychosocial model because my position is that there are other influential pathways to consider in the treatment of

Addiction as a whole is an epidemic which has grown rapidly in recent years, 23.5 million Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs (HBO, USA Today, The Gallup Poll, 2006). Approximately 46 Americans died per day in 2010 from drug overdoses (Jones, 2013). Addiction in its many forms is a habitual and debilitating disease which affects not only the addict but the loved ones around them. There is no solid answer as to why an addict is an addict nor pertaining to the selection of who becomes addicted and who does not, however, scientists are making profound advancements. The vast majority of medical practitioners acknowledge that

This chapter focuses on addiction through the use of rats. During the 1960’s and 1970’s scientists were attempting to understand how animals found some drugs to be “irresistible” ultimately to the point of addiction. It is believed that the brain produces its own natural opiates. When a person takes another form of these addictive substances, the brain stops producing its own supply of natural opiates. Thus, when drug users stop taking a certain drug, they experience withdrawal symptoms and the need to take the drug. The main scientist that is focused on in this chapter is Bruce Alexander. Alexander initially worked under Harry Harlow and his experiments. Alexander then moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada during the time of the Vietnam

Because is limited to work with laboratory animals and observing and examining current users. They cannot used variation of drugs in non-users human’s beings to find how the Central Nervous System reacts.

Regardless of the reasoning, habitual misuse of any chemical substance significantly affects mood, perception, thought and behavior. Further, how people administer the drug (by ingestion, injection, inhalation or absorption through the skin) affects how fast and intense the drug’s effects can be. While many drugs may act similarly in their effects, a drugs’ effect may also depend highly on the age of its user, their physical and mental conditioning, response time and the alternative effects produced between its younger and older subjects. Overall, this research and informative paper will better

Chapter two discusses how psychoactive drugs influence our behavior by it reaching the central nervous system first, the most common routes being inhalation, oral administration and injection. I found it interesting that heroin can cross the blood-brain barrier a 100 times more than morphine because it is more liquid soluble. Having stress when taking any of the psychoactive drugs only increases the effects it will have on the brain. Chemicals that normally could not go through the blood-brain barrier will now have access under stress. Combining stress with the use of psychoactive drugs can lead to more serious risk such as drug toxicity and even overdose. Another issue that I found fascinating in chapter two were the drug stimulants being

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

The sociological point of view stands contrary to what may be known as the chemicalistic misrepresentation the perspective that drug (A) causes behavioral conduct X, that what we see as conduct and impacts connected with a given medication are singularly or even basically a component of the biochemical properties of that medication, of the medication in addition to the human creature, or even of the medication in addition to a human organic entity with a certain character structure (Primm, 1992). Drugs impacts and drug related conduct are massively entangled, very variable, and dependent upon numerous things. Furthermore, the most imperative of these things are social and context oriented in nature (Primm, 1992). In the creature world, it is a considerable amount simpler to foresee what drugs will do; anyway, we must try many different things with rats but it does not let us know all that much about human conduct (Primm, 1992). This is the reason social setting is so vital.