Presentation on theme: "Module 9 Drugs and Consciousness"— Presentation transcript
Slide1
Module 9
Drugs and ConsciousnessSlide2
9-1:
WHAT ARE SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, AND WHAT ROLES DO TOLERANCE, WITHDRAWAL, AND ADDICTION PLAY IN THESE DISORDERS?
Psychoactive drugA chemical substance that alters perceptions and moodsSubstance use disorderContinued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk
Drugs and Consciousness
Tolerance and AddictionSlide3
The
severity
of
substance use disorder varies from
mild (
2 to 3 indicators) to moderate (4 to 5 indicators) to severe (6 or more indicators).
When Is
Drug
Use a Disorder?Slide4
Tolerance
The diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect.
Neuroadaptation: the user’s brain chemistry adapts to offset the drug effect.Tolerance occurs with continued use of alcohol and some other drugs (but not marijuana)
Tolerance and AddictionSlide5
Tolerance and Addiction:
Drug ToleranceSlide6
Addiction
Compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors (such as gambling) despite known harmful consequencesWithdrawalDiscomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behaviorTolerance and AddictionSlide7
9-2:
HOW HAS THE CONCEPT OF ADDICTION CHANGED?
Concept of addictionExtended to cover many behaviorsDegree and scope debatedAddiction as disease needing treatmentOffered for many driven, excessive behaviors that become compulsive and dysfunctionalLabeling a behavior doesn’t explain it
APA
(2013) manual proposes further study of Internet gaming disorderAddictionSlide8
9-3: WHAT ARE DEPRESSANTS, AND WHAT ARE THEIR EFFECTS?
Depressants:
Drugs such as alcohol, barbiturates (tranquilizers), and opiates that calm neural activity and slow body functionsAlcohol Acts as disinhibitorSlows neural processing and is a potent sedative when paired with sleep deprivationDisrupts memory and has long-term effect on brain and cognition; impairs growth of synaptic connections
Reduces self-awareness and self-control; produces myopia by focusing on arousing situation at expense of normal inhibitions and future consequence
Types of Psychoactive Drugs: DepressantsSlide9
MRI scans show
brain shrinkage in women with alcohol use disorder (left) compared with women in a control group
(right).
Disordered drinking shrinks the brainSlide10
Expectations influence behavior
Being
able to attribute social behaviors or sexual responses to alcohol releases inhibitionsFourteen intervention studies with college students lowered positive expectations of alcohol and reduced drinking in the ensuing monthAlcohol use disorder (popularly known as alcoholism
)
Alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic useAlcohol Expectancy EffectsSlide11
In addition to alcohol, this type of psychoactive drug includes:
Barbiturates
Depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgmentCan impair cognitive functioning; potentially lethal when combined with alcoholIncludes Nembutal, Seconal
, and Amytal
OpiatesInclude opium and its derivatives, such as heroin; includes the narcotics (codeine, morphine, methadone)Constricts pupils, slows breathing, causes lethargyDepress neural activity,
lessening pain and anxietyWithdrawal when repeated ingestion is stopped; brain stops producing natural endorphins DepressantsSlide12
9-4: WHAT ARE STIMULANTS, AND WHAT ARE THEIR EFFECTS?
Stimulants:
Drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine, Ecstasy [MDMA], and methamphetamine) that excite neural activity and speed up body functionsInvolves dilation of pupils, increase in heart and breathing rates, rise in blood sugar, and drop in appetiteOften involves increase in energy and self-confidence
Types
of Psychoactive Drugs: StimulantsSlide13
Nicotine
Is the stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco
Signals the central nervous system to release a flood of neurotransmittersDiminishes appetite, boosts alertness and mental efficiency, calms anxiety, and reduces sensitivity to painAddiction to nicotine involves acute craving and withdrawal symptoms which contribute to relapse; symptoms gradually dissipate over six monthsSmoking correlates with higher depression, chronic disability, and divorce, and a reduced life expectancy
Stimulants: NicotineSlide14
Nicotine reaches the brain within 7 seconds, twice as fast as intravenous heroin
.
Within minutes, the amount in the blood soars.
Where there’s smoke . . .
The physiological effects of nicotineSlide15
Cocaine
A powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant; produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria
Leads to a crash of agitated depression within the hour, after rush of neurotransmitters depletes the brain’s supply as the drug’s effect wears off
Psychological
effects depend partly on dosage and form consumed, but also the situation and user’s expectations and personality
Stimulants: CocaineSlide16
Methamphetamine
Related
to its parent drug, amphetamine; triggers release of neurotransmitter dopamineStimulates brain cells and enhances energy and moodAftereffects include irritability, insomnia, hypertension, seizures, social isolation, depression, occasional violenceOver time, use reduces
baseline dopamine levels in the user
Stimulants: MethamphetamineSlide17
Methamphetamine
Dramatic drug-induced decline
StimulantsSlide18
Ecstasy (
street
name for MDMA)Is a synthetic stimulant and a mild hallucinogenProduces euphoria and social intimacyLeads to short-term health risks and longer term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and mood and cognitionAlso known as the
hug drug
, and known as Molly in its powdered formStimulantsSlide19
9-5
:
WHAT ARE HALLUCINOGENS, AND WHAT ARE THEIR EFFECTS?HallucinogensPsychedelic (“mind-manifesting”) drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
Types
of Psychoactive Drugs: HallucinogensSlide20
Hallucinogens
Can
be derived synthetically (such as LSD and MDMA) or from natural substances (such as marijuana)As experienced hallucinations begin to peak,
people
frequently feel separated from their bodyDream-like scenes experiencedWhether provoked by drugs, loss of oxygen, or extreme sensory deprivation, the brain hallucinates in basically the same way
HallucinogensSlide21
Sensations
experienced with hallucinogens are strikingly similar to the
near-death experience:An altered-state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as cardiac arrest)Such experiences are often similar to drug-induced hallucinationsReported by about 10 to 15 percent of patients revived from cardiac arrest
HallucinogensSlide22
HALLUCINATION
OR
NEAR DEATH VISION? People under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs often see “a bright light in the center of the field of vision…”
Near-death
experiences may be manufactured in a brain under
stress.HallucinogensSlide23
Marijuana
Leaves contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol); when smoked or eaten amplifies sensitivity to colors, sounds, tastes, and smells; lingers in body longer than other drugs such as alcoholSynthetic marijuana (K2
,
Spice) mimics THC and has very harmful side effectsRelaxes, disinhibits, and may produce euphoriaIs mild hallucinogen which amplifies sensory sensitivity, impairs motor coordination, perceptual skills, and reaction time
Disrupts memory formation and immediate recallMedical inhaler best for medicinal use to avoid smokeHallucinationSlide24
A Guide to Selected Psychoactive DrugsSlide25
The percentage of U.S. high school seniors who report having used alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine during the past 30 days largely declined from the late 1970s to 1992, when it partially rebounded for a few years. (Data from Johnston et al., 2015.)
Trends in Drug Use
9-6:
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE BECOME REGULAR USERS OF CONSCIOUNESS-ALTERING DRUGS?
Influences on Drug UseSlide26
The biopsychosocial approach enables researchers to investigate disordered drug use from
complementary perspectives: biological, psychological, and social-cultural.
Biological influences:Increased risk when seen in identical twins, fraternal twins, siblings, and biological parentsGenetic predispositions and genetically influenced traitsCulprit
genes that may produce deficiencies
in the brain’s natural dopamine reward systemInfluences on Drug UseSlide27
Psychological influences:
Lacking sense of purpose
Significant stressPsychological disorders, such as depressionSocial-cultural influences:Difficult environmentCultural acceptance of drug useNegative peer influences
Influences on Drug UseSlide28
Kids don’t
smoke if
their friends don’t (Philip Morris
, 2003
). A correlation-causation question: Does the close link between teen smoking and friends’ smoking reflect peer influence? Teens seeking similar
friends? Or both?Peer InfluenceSlide29
Research
findings on drug use suggest three channels of influence for drug prevention and treatment programs:
Educate young people about the long-term costs of a drug’s temporary pleasures.Help young people find other ways to boost their self-esteem and discover their purpose in life.Attempt to modify peer associations or to “inoculate” youths against peer pressures by training them in refusal skills.
Influences
on Drug Use
