Stimulant
Stimulants are drugs like caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, cocaine, and ecstasy that excite neural activity and speed up bodily functions. People often times use these drugs to stay awake, lose weight, or boost mood or athletic performance. Stong stimulants increase the user's heart and breathing rate, and causes their pupils to dilate. It also causes people to lose their appetites because it increases their bodies to increase their level of blood sugar. Finally, they can increase the user's energy rate as well as their self-confidence. However, these drugs are very addictive, and the crash that comes from stimulants can be very tought to handle.
Caffeine is the most widely used stimulant, and it can be found in a large variety of drinks that we consume every day. Caffeine gives a person energy, and a typical dose of it will last a person 3-4 hours before the effects start to wear off. Discontinuing heavy caffeine intake can cause a person to feel tired more easily, as well as become prone to frequent headaches. An overdose of caffeine can cause a person to become hyper and jittery.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and its use in cigarettes has caused millions of death every year. The danger with nicotine is that it is as powerfully addictive as heroine and cocaine, who many may consider to be much more dangerous drugs. Smokers develop tolerance, which requires them to need more and more in order to feel the same effects that they are accustomed to. Nicotine is a compulsive and mood-altering drug, and its effects can be felt very quickly. Nicotine can cause a person to have diminshed hunger, increased mental activity, and increased alertness. However, nicotine withdrawal symptoms are very painful, and can include craving, insomnia, irritability, and anxiety.
Cocaine offers a quick "rush" or high, and fades almost as quickly as it begins, leaving the user hungry for more and more. Cocaine use can lead to emotional disturbances, suspiciousness, convulsions, cardiac arrerst, or even respiratory failure. As you can see, this is also a vey dangerous, highly addictive drug that has only a short high, followed by a craving for more. Cocaine's psychological effects depend on dosage, form consumed, user's expectations, and user's personality.
Ecstasy is more than just a stimulant, it is also a mild hallucinogen. It comes from amphetamines, and triggers the user to release dopamine. It also increases the good feelings that you experience when your body releases serotonin. For three to four hours after using this drug, users will feel a connectedness with everyone around them, and may cause them to be overly friendly with those around them. Ecstasy's negative effects can cause a person to become hydrated, and, in serious cases, lead to death if not dealt with. Its long term effect is that it can cause a person to have a permanently depressed mood because their body is not producing this serotonin naturally when taking ecstasy.
Amphetamines, the parent drug of methamphetamine, can cause a person to experience feelings of "heightened energy and euphoria" for around eight hours. It triggers a release of dopamine, which makes the brain enhance a person's energy and mood. Men are more highly addicted to amphetamines than are women. Over time, this drug can cause a person to have permanently depressed functioning. Other negative effects include irritability, insomnia, high blood pressure, seizures, social isolation, depression, and occassional outbursts of violence. It is considered one of the most dangerous drugs that exists.
Caffeine is the most widely used stimulant, and it can be found in a large variety of drinks that we consume every day. Caffeine gives a person energy, and a typical dose of it will last a person 3-4 hours before the effects start to wear off. Discontinuing heavy caffeine intake can cause a person to feel tired more easily, as well as become prone to frequent headaches. An overdose of caffeine can cause a person to become hyper and jittery.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and its use in cigarettes has caused millions of death every year. The danger with nicotine is that it is as powerfully addictive as heroine and cocaine, who many may consider to be much more dangerous drugs. Smokers develop tolerance, which requires them to need more and more in order to feel the same effects that they are accustomed to. Nicotine is a compulsive and mood-altering drug, and its effects can be felt very quickly. Nicotine can cause a person to have diminshed hunger, increased mental activity, and increased alertness. However, nicotine withdrawal symptoms are very painful, and can include craving, insomnia, irritability, and anxiety.
Cocaine offers a quick "rush" or high, and fades almost as quickly as it begins, leaving the user hungry for more and more. Cocaine use can lead to emotional disturbances, suspiciousness, convulsions, cardiac arrerst, or even respiratory failure. As you can see, this is also a vey dangerous, highly addictive drug that has only a short high, followed by a craving for more. Cocaine's psychological effects depend on dosage, form consumed, user's expectations, and user's personality.
Ecstasy is more than just a stimulant, it is also a mild hallucinogen. It comes from amphetamines, and triggers the user to release dopamine. It also increases the good feelings that you experience when your body releases serotonin. For three to four hours after using this drug, users will feel a connectedness with everyone around them, and may cause them to be overly friendly with those around them. Ecstasy's negative effects can cause a person to become hydrated, and, in serious cases, lead to death if not dealt with. Its long term effect is that it can cause a person to have a permanently depressed mood because their body is not producing this serotonin naturally when taking ecstasy.
Amphetamines, the parent drug of methamphetamine, can cause a person to experience feelings of "heightened energy and euphoria" for around eight hours. It triggers a release of dopamine, which makes the brain enhance a person's energy and mood. Men are more highly addicted to amphetamines than are women. Over time, this drug can cause a person to have permanently depressed functioning. Other negative effects include irritability, insomnia, high blood pressure, seizures, social isolation, depression, and occassional outbursts of violence. It is considered one of the most dangerous drugs that exists.
Contributors For drug use
Biological Influences- some people may be more susceptible to certain drugs simply based on their heredity. For example, it is hypothesized that alcohol abuse problems can be linked to heredity, even if a person is adopted. Researchers have identified certain genes that cause people to desire drugs more than others, and these genes have been identified in people that have alcohol dependency. It is possible that some people are natually predisposed to become more easily addicted to drugs, although that is not an excuse for drug addiction because a person has to try the drug in order to become addicted to it.
Psychological and Social-Cultural Influences- one psychological factor is that often times drug users are those who feel that they have no meaning or direction in their lives, and feel hopeless. Others may have experienced a great deal of stress or failure and seek a release from their feeling of depression. For young people, drug use is not as much associated with feelings of hopelessness, but is rooted in their social desire to fit in with the crowd. The area that a person lives in can also influence their drug use. For example, people may not find as many opportunities to use drugs in a small town that is relatively drug free, but they will most likely be more exposed to drugs in a big city. People who begin use because they were peer-pressured by their friends are more likely to quit use if their circle of friends changes, and it is easier for them to drop the addiction if their friends around them are not using the drugs. People often times use drugs because they THINK that their friends are using it and are excited about it, but things are not always as they appear. Often times, their friends are also not overly excited about using drugs, but they do it to impress their friends.
Psychological and Social-Cultural Influences- one psychological factor is that often times drug users are those who feel that they have no meaning or direction in their lives, and feel hopeless. Others may have experienced a great deal of stress or failure and seek a release from their feeling of depression. For young people, drug use is not as much associated with feelings of hopelessness, but is rooted in their social desire to fit in with the crowd. The area that a person lives in can also influence their drug use. For example, people may not find as many opportunities to use drugs in a small town that is relatively drug free, but they will most likely be more exposed to drugs in a big city. People who begin use because they were peer-pressured by their friends are more likely to quit use if their circle of friends changes, and it is easier for them to drop the addiction if their friends around them are not using the drugs. People often times use drugs because they THINK that their friends are using it and are excited about it, but things are not always as they appear. Often times, their friends are also not overly excited about using drugs, but they do it to impress their friends.