Running head: DRUG PROFILE PAPER

Drug Profile Paper
Sherita Brown
Axia College of UOP

Drug Profile Paper
In this paper I will examine abused substances and their various effects; I will also explain the psychology and Physiology of drug addiction. Addiction begins as a high, as an illusion of being in control, but it eventually turns on the individual. The results are pathological relationships to a mood altering experience that brings negative, life destructive consequences.
People become addicted to drugs due to a combination of factors. For example, genetic factors: some people may inherit a vulnerability to the addictive properties of drugs, meaning that the risk of substance use disorders is higher for individuals who have close relatives with substance abuse disorders (www.drugpolicy.org). The environment is another factor, for example, the home; neighborhood or community where people live has an influence on whether or not an individual develops a substance abuse problem. Additionally, research shows that more than half of people with substance problems also have mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. We can become addicted to anything that alters the consciousness and alters the mood.
Psychological characteristics of an addict are more impulsive and more lacking in impulse control, they are inclined to act in accordance with their mood of the moment and tend not to plan for the future. The most common illegal stimulant is cocaine and amphetamines; these are chemical substances that speed up the central nervous system function, resulting in alertness and excitability. Cocaine is an extremely potent and dependence producing stimulant drug, derived from the coca leaf. According to the text “the acute effects of cocaine vary in degree with the route of administration, the purity of the dose, and the user’s expectations about the experience, with the most characteristic reaction being a powerful burst of energy”. If cocaine is injected intravenously the extremely intense effect often referred to as a rush is felt within a matter of seconds, peaking in three to five minutes and wearing off in thirty to forty minutes. If cocaine is snorted by nose, the effect begins in about three minutes, peaking after fifteen to twenty minutes, and wearing off in sixty to ninety minutes. In addition, repeated use of cocaine produces undesirable mood changes that can only be alleviated when the individual is under the acute effects of the drug.
Methamphetamines were developed in the early 1900’s from amphetamine which are in the family of ephedrine based stimulant drugs. Amphetamines are effective as an arousing agent, antidepressants, and appetite suppressants in addition they were used in bronchial inhalers and nasal decongestants. The effects are similar to those of cocaine, and when taken in large doses abusers of the synthetic drug methamphetamine typically experience paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, and violent behavior. The smoked form of methamphetamine is also known as ice, crystal, crank, and glass. It is tremendously difficult for individuals to control the use of methamphetamine abuse, because the drug alters the brain in such a way that they get addicted rather quickly and need more of the substance to eliminate the experience of painful withdrawal symptoms (Franca Roffé Menhard).
Intravenous injection of meth will make the user experience an intense rush that lasts a few minutes. Oral ingestion or snorting produces euphoria anywhere from three to fifteen minutes after ingestion, however the euphoria effect disappear before the drug concentrate in the blood. This is the main reason that the abuser binge on meth in an attempt to maintain the high. Smoking meth produces euphoria that may last for up to twelve hours. Depressants slow down the central nervous system, they also reduce pain, stress, anxiety, and fear, yet they are extremely addictive typically resulting in a decrease of the individual’s ability to deal with any stress, fear, or anxiety. Alcohol is the most commonly used depressant, and has the potential to cause similar symptoms of stimulants and hallucinogens however; it is for the most part a depressant (U.S Drug Enforcement Administration).
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration “Heroin is the most frequently used illegal depressant other depressants include morphine, codeine, barbiturates, and tranquilizers. Even though morphine and codeine are often used by physicians, they are depressants and like the illegal depressants they can and will cause addiction. Inhalants such as glue, paint thinner, and hair spray are also considered depressants and have the same effect as alcohol”. A narcotic is a term that refers to drugs in general. Common types of narcotics include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, heroin, and opium. Hallucinogens are another category of drugs, they change the perceptual functions. Hallucinogens are not legalized because this type of drug is very dangerous and unpredictable. The most commonly used hallucinogens are LSD and PCP. When individuals use hallucinogens they experience a complete fantasy or hallucination which includes out of body experiences, misperceptions of reality, distortion, and the mixes of senses such as hearing colors and seeing sounds. The combinations of emotions go from one emotion to the next very quickly (U.S National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health).
Furthermore, users may experience what is known as a good tri or a bad trip. Bad trips are similar to panic or anxiety attacks, and can result in violent behavior toward oneself or someone else; it is also possible for a person to suffer a mental breakdown. Marijuana and ecstasy both have characteristics of each drug category. However, marijuana does not bring on hallucinations like hallucinogens or the adrenaline rush of a stimulant. Additionally, marijuana does not completely reduce pain or immense relaxation of depressants. The way in which an individual withdraws from a drug depends on many factors. For example, how long they have been using, what kind of medication or drug is involved, and the rate at which they have been using. If an individual wants to stop abusing drugs weather they are legal or illegal the best option would be to consult a medical professional who can properly outline a course of action which will be effective. An addict should never attempt to withdraw from any medication legal or not on their own, as the effects of such a venture could potentially be deadly (Borg S. Bergman). According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse “The abuse of certain prescription drugs opioids, central nervous system depressants, and stimulants can alter the brain’s activity and lead to addiction. While we do not yet understand all of the reasons for the increasing abuse of prescription drugs, we do know that accessibility is likely a contributing factor.

References
Borg S, B. (2010, November). Addiction search. Retrieved December 21, 2010, from http://www.addictionsearch.com/treatment_articles/article/the-symptoms-of-addiction-withdrawal-different-drugs-different-dangers_67.html

MedlinePlus. (2010, October). Retrieved December 21, 2010, from Drug abuse: http://www.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugabuse.html

Menhard, F. R. (2009, June). Horizon Information Portal. Retrieved December 20, 2010, from http://webpac.punahou.edu/ipac20

Nora D. Volkow, M. (2010, April). National Institue on Drug Abuse. Retrieved December 20, 2010, from http://drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Prescripion.html,

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (2009, November). Retrieved December 21, 2010, from Depressants: http://www.justice.gov/dea/conceren/depressants.html

Chapter 4 The Major Stimulants: Cocaine and Amphetamines, Retrieved December 20, from Axia college materials.