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Pros And Cons Of Psychomotor Stimulants

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A class of drugs that is known to activate the sensorimotor system is

known to us today as psychomotor stimulants. Psychomotor stimulants are

comprised of cocaine, amphetamines, as well as other drugs with similar chemical

compositions. What we know today about psychomotor stimulants is that

they tend to bring about increased feelings of alertness, arousal, and behavioral

elation. It is apparent that this class of drugs brings about both physiological and

behavioral effects. In particular, cocaine has been the topic of much research

because of its unique mechanism of action that brings about high-risk effects

however research may be suggestive of some beneficial effects as well.

Cocaine comes from the coca shrub that is found in South America. It is …show more content…
“Cocaine is used and abused for the “high” and the

“rush” produced by the drug.” (Robinson, 2004) It seems that the cons outweigh the

pros when drug users choose to continue to abuse the drug, however, research shows

that the reason for this is that cocaine can bring about addiction in some individuals.

Typical characteristics of the drug are its exaggerated feelings of exhilaration, alertness,

energy, and euphoria. People on cocaine also claim to feel these overwhelming feelings

of power and pleasure. Addiction is one of the negative side-effects that cocaine can

induce. The question is why does it induce addiction in some and not others?

Addiction is, as we know, one of the side effects of cocaine use. According to

(Robinson, 2004), “…addiction refers to a specific pattern of compulsive drug-seeking

and drug-taking behavior, one that predominates over most other activities in life.” In

this study conducted by Terry E. Robinson, the question of why some subjects, in this

case rats, developed an addiction to drugs while others did not? First, Robinson looked

into what indicators point to the transition from simple drug administration to

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