Risk Factors For Drug
The effects of a drug, and how long they last, depend on a number of factors:
- the type and strength of drugs that you use
- how the drug was made — substances manufactured in home labs may contain bacteria, dangerous chemicals and other unsafe substances, and have an unknown strength. Even one dose may cause an overdose that leads to brain damage or death
- your physical characteristics
- the dose that you take
- how often and for how long you have been using drugs
- how you ingest the drug . Compared with swallowing a drug, inhalation and injection are more likely to lead to overdose and dependence. If you are injecting drugs, sharing injecting equipment will increase your risk of contracting serious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV. It will also increase your risk of serious infection
- your mental health, mood and environment can affect the experience you have when taking drugs. If you have a mental health condition, drugs may exacerbate or complicate the symptoms of that condition
- whether you mix drugs, including alcohol. In particular, alcohol use may lead to high risk behaviour which can result in the serious injury or death of yourself or others.
How Stress And The Nervous System Are Linked
When we are confronted with a stressful experience, the amygdala part of the brain sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus, which activates the nervous system and adrenal glands. These glands respond by pumping adrenaline into the bloodstream. As adrenaline circulates through the body, it brings about a number of physiological changes, such as that pounding heart and rapid breathing.4 Even blood pressure goes up. These changes can happen so quickly that many people dont even notice them.
When adrenaline subsides, the nervous system keeps your body revved up with cortisol. When the threat passes, cortisol levels are meant to fall, but for many people who deal with chronic stress, perceived threats are constant, leading the body to stay at high alert.
Understanding The Nervous System
The nervous system is composed of two parts:
- The central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord
- The peripheral nervous system, which consists of nerves that branch off from the spinal cord and extend to all parts of the body
The big job of the nervous system is to transmit signals between the brain and the rest of the body, including the internal organs. Significantly, without the nervous system we would not be able to move, breathe, think, and more.2
Within the central nervous system lies two subcategories: the sympathetic nervous system, which initiates the stress response, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body rest and return to day-to-day functioning.3
Don’t Miss: Depression Crying All The Time
Signs And Symptoms Of Depressant Drug Use
Depressants affect one of the brains neurotransmitters which in turn causes the individuals brain activity to slow down helps them to relax more. Signs that someone is under the effects of depressants include:
- Drowsiness
- Slurred speech and blurred vision
- Impaired judgment and mental functioning
- Nausea and vomiting
Reversing Damage To The Nervous System
With time, damage to the nervous system is expected to reverse itself in most people. The extent and duration of drug abuse, and how the individualâs body responded to drug abuse, impact this recovery period. Fortunately, CNS repair is possible.
Whether treating CNS injury due to substance abuse or neurological disease, it is possible to repair damage caused to the CNS. These strategies have been developed to repair damage to the nervous system:
- Cell replacement
- Reconstruction of damaged neural tissue
- Rewiring of the CNS
- Medicines
The above strategies focus on promoting neural cell growth so healthy neural connections can be reestablished and neural networks can function properly once again. Due to neuroplasticity, or the brainâs ability to form new connections in response to the experiences it encounters, there is a high potential for neural recovery.
Neuroplasticity is the brainâs way to compensate for injury or disease. New pathways are formed as healthy, undamaged nerve endings grow and connect with other healthy nerve cells.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Past Depression On Your Own
Exercises And Critical Thinking
How Do Cns Depressants Affect The Brain
Most CNS depressants act on the brain by increasing activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid , a chemical that inhibits brain activity. This action causes the drowsy and calming effects that make the medicine effective for anxiety and sleep disorders. People who start taking CNS depressants usually feel sleepy and uncoordinated for the first few days until the body adjusts to these side effects. Other effects from use and misuse can include:
- slurred speech
- problems with movement and memory
- lowered blood pressure
- slowed breathing
If a person takes CNS depressants long term, he or she might need larger doses to achieve therapeutic effects. Continued use can also lead to dependence and withdrawal when use is abruptly reduced or stopped. Suddenly stopping can also lead to harmful consequences like seizures.
Don’t Miss: How To Get Wife Out Of Depression
Role Of The Nervous System In Depression And Anxiety
Have you ever been startled by a horn, a siren, or another loud noise? Ever felt rejected by a non-response from a friend or family member? Have you ever misinterpreted someones intention? If you have, then the good news is that your nervous system is working as intended.
The nervous system – which consists of the brain, the spinal cord and the nerves that run through our entire Body – is involved in every – single – facet – of our lives. The nervous system controls our movements , as well as our speaking, swallowing, breathing, and learning. Our nervous system controls digestion, heartbeat, and sweating, as well as controls all five of our sensessight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste.
The nervous system manages risk and helps us to calm down and feel safe in relationships. In sum, the nervous system is involved in nearly everything, conscious and unconscious.
Comparison Of Anthropometric Parameters
Tables Tables11 and and22 show the comparison of anthropometric parameters of controls and cases. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean age , mean height , mean weight , mean BMI , and mean BSA of controls and cases . This may be due to methodological limitations and smaller sample size.
Also Check: Bipolar Depression How Long Does It Last
Common Types Of Cns Depressants
Take a look at some of the most commonly used CNS depressant drugs and how they may lead to risks for addiction.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a type of depressant that impacts the function of the central nervous system, often leading to a feeling of being relaxed and less reserved. The amount and type of alcohol consumed along with the bodys composition determine how significant this impact is. The more a person drinks , the more likely a person is to develop an addiction. In some cases, alcohol can cause anxiety and aggression.
Alcohol can lead to addiction and dependence. A person may be unable to stop using alcohol without professional treatment. Thats because this substance alters the function of the brain so much that the brain adapts to its presence and wants more of it to continue to feel reduced inhibitions and euphoria. Of course, as tolerance develops, the brain will require more and more alcohol to feel the effects. By the time addiction develops, the body is using alcohol not so much to feel pleasure as to avoid the pain of withdrawal.
Barbiturates
Opioids
Opioids may seem safe to use because doctors prescribe them to treat acute or chronic pain. Yet they are some of the most addictive drugs when misused. Codeine and hydrocodone are two types of commonly misused prescription opioids. When people become addicted to prescription medications, they often switch to an illicit opioid like heroin because it is cheaper and easier to access.
Benzodiazepines
Sleep Medications
What Are The Side Effects Of Zoloft 50 Mg
Can an increase in Zoloft cause anxiety?More than 100 million people worldwide take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors , such as Prozac and Zoloft, to treat depression, anxiety and related conditions, but these drugs have a common and mysterious side effect: they can worsen anxiety in the first few weeks of use, which leads many patients to stop
Recommended Reading: What Should I Do For Depression
The Opioid Crisis: Some Figures
Since 2000, Americans have died of an opioid overdose. Data for 2016 estimates at least 64,000 drug overdose deaths, the highest number ever recorded in the United States.
Overdoses of prescription painkillers in the U.S. is a growing problem, especially among women, according to the
Treatment for CNS depression or CNS depressant overdose depends on the substances involved.
Some CNS drugs have antidotes that can reverse their effects. These include Naloxone for opioid overdoses and Flumazenil for overdoses of benzodiazepine.
A person may need emergency care if they are unaware that they are experiencing a CNS depressant overdose, especially after accidentally misusing their medication or due to a medical problem.
Anyone witnessing signs of CNS depression or an overdose in another person should call the emergency services or local poison control center for guidance.
In these cases, treatment may include:
- monitoring the persons breathing and heart rate.
- giving oxygen via an oxygen mask or respirator
- administering stimulant drugs to increase a persons heart rate
In the U.S., anyone who is concerned that they or someone they know is misusing CNS depressants can:
- access the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website for help and advice
These services offer free and confidential advice, 24/7, in English or Spanish.
Looking For A Place To Start
Reach out to a treatment provider for free today.
- Periods of depression or apathy
- Lack of energy or motivation
- Withdrawal symptoms when not using depressants
- Failing in attempts to stop using the drugs
Another telling sign of abuse is mixing CNS depressants with other drugs, including opioids and alcohol, to increase their effects. This may lead to severe adverse health reactions and possibly life-threatening consequences.
Don’t Miss: Anxiety And Depression Medication List
Hallucinogens: Cannabis Mescaline And Lsd
The drugs that produce the most extreme alteration of consciousness are the hallucinogens, psychoactive drugs that alter sensation and perception and that may create hallucinations. The hallucinogens are frequently known as psychedelics. Drugs in this class include lysergic acid diethylamide , mescaline, and phencyclidine , as well as a number of natural plants including cannabis , peyote, and psilocybin. The chemical compositions of the hallucinogens are similar to the neurotransmitters serotonin and epinephrine, and they act primarily as agonists by mimicking the action of serotonin at the synapses. The hallucinogens may produce striking changes in perception through one or more of the senses. The precise effects a user experiences are a function not only of the drug itself, but also of the users pre-existing mental state and expectations of the drug experience. In large part, the user tends to get out of the experience what he or she brings to it. The hallucinations that may be experienced when taking these drugs are strikingly different from everyday experience and frequently are more similar to dreams than to everyday consciousness.
How Do Drugs Stimulate The Nervous System
Drugs interfere with the way neurons send, receive, and process signals via neurotransmitters. Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter in the body. This allows the drugs to attach onto and activate the neurons.
You May Like: Why Do I Feel So Depressed In The Morning
Role Of The Nervous System: Implications For Depression/anxiety
What are we supposed to do with this? And especially in cases where we are struggling with Anxiety and/or Depression symptoms? One author uses the analogy of a ladder as a metaphor for being aware of the shifts in our nervous systems.
At the top of the ladder, we are calm and comfortable and in no way threatened by those around us. If our nervous system perceives a threat, however, such as a siren or the beginning of an argument, then our nervous system reacts before we get a chance to accurate figure out what is happening – releasing adrenaline, increasing heart rate, sending blood to the muscles in preparation for fighting or running away, and even causing our ears to search for sounds of threat instead of the human voice. We go down the ladder…
Once we can learn to develop an awareness of what is happening, then learn to anticipate the triggers, we can begin to integrate coping skills and new ways of managing those situations that get us closer to what we actually want out of Life, rather than being “keyed up” with Anxiety symptoms, or “down in the dumps” with Depression symptoms. Once we get all of this moving in a more appropriate direction, the higher-level thinking parts of our brain are able to get our nervous system back under control, allowing us to go “back up the ladder.”
Effect Of Psychedelics On The Brain
Most psychedelics work by interacting with serotonin receptors in the brain. Effects include increased breathing and heart rate, dilated pupils, dehydration, increased color perception, a state of empathetic well-being , and visual distortion: things may appear to move, shapes may appear on textures and exhibit a kaleidoscope-like effect, or lighting may dramatically change for no apparent reason.
Read Also: Why Does Anxiety Cause Depression
How Do You Keep The Nervous System Healthy
Follow the prevention guidelines below to keep your body and nervous system healthy:
Is 100mg Of Zoloft High
What are the cons of sertraline?Sertraline side effectsnausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and indigestion.change in sleep habits, including increased sleepiness and insomnia.increased sweating.sexual problems, including decreased sex drive and ejaculation failure.tremor or shaking.tiredness and fatigue.agitation.Sertraline | Side Effects, Dosage, Uses & More Healthline
Recommended Reading: Mental Hospital For Anxiety And Depression
Why We Use Psychoactive Drugs
People have used, and often abused, psychoactive drugs for thousands of years. Perhaps this should not be suprising, because many people find using drugs to be fun and enjoyable. Even when we know the potential costs of using drugs, we may engage in them anyway because the pleasures of using the drugs are occurring right now, whereas the potential costs are abstract and occur in the future.
Drugs And The Nervous System
A drug is any chemical that affects the bodys structure or function. Many drugs, including both legal and illegal drugs, are psychoactive drugs. This means that they affect the central nervous system, generally by influencing the transmission of nerve impulses. For example, some psychoactive drugs mimic neurotransmitters. At the link below, you can watch an animation showing how psychoactive drugs affect the brain.
Read Also: Jobs For People With Anxiety And Depression
Neurological Mechanisms Of Stimulants
Stimulants exert their effects through a number of different mechanisms. Some stimulants facilitate the activity of certain neurotransmitters, specifically norepinephrine and/or dopamine. Others block the action of certain receptors in a process known as receptor antagonism. Still others cause action in other receptors in a process known as receptor agonism.
What Is A Depressant
While stimulants stimulate the central nervous system, depressants depress it.
Depressants reduce the function or activity of the central nervous system by affecting CNS neurons and increasing feelings of drowsiness and relaxation while lowering levels of awareness in the brain.
These drugs also lead to decreased inhibitions or restraint.
Recommended Reading: How To Help Your Daughter With Depression
The Tryptophan Breakdown Metabolic Pathway In Normal Conditions
TDO and IDO1 levels are much lower in the brain than in the periphery , and therefore up to 60% of KYN pathway metabolism in the brain is initiated by the brain penetrant KYN synthesized in the periphery . KYN is further degraded in the brain into different metabolites, depending on the cell type in which KYN is produced or transported . The KYN pathway takes place predominantly in microglia and astrocytes in the central nervous system , however the KYN metabolism is separated in the brain, as kynurenine monooxygenase is expressed in microglia but not in astrocytes , and kynurenine amino-transferase enzymes are expressed in astrocytes but not in microglia . Therefore, the 3-hydroxykynurenine arm of the pathway leading to quinolinic acid production takes place in microglia, and kynurenic acid production takes place in astrocytes. Also, intact neurons can degrade KYN into picolinic acid .
IDO = indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase KYN = kynurenine.
A Note On The Term Narcotics
The term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with sleep-inducing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives. The term is, today, imprecisely defined and typically has negative connotations. When used in a legal context in the United States, the term narcotic drug refers to a substance that is completely prohibited, or one, such as codeine or morphine, that is used in violation of governmental regulation. From a medical standpoint, it is no longer a useful term.
Also Check: What Is Depression Mental Illness