Alcohol
psychoactive drug
History
• The Babylonians worshiped a wine goddess as early as 2700 B.C. In Greece, one of the first alcoholic beverages to gain popularity was mead, a fermented drink made from honey and water.
• In the sixteenth century, alcohol (called “spirits”) was used largely for medicinal purposes.
• At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the British parliament passed a law encouraging the use of grain for distilling spirits. Cheap spirits flooded the market and reached a peak in the mid-eighteenth century.
• In Britain, gin consumption reached 18 million gallons and alcoholism became widespread.
• The nineteenth century brought a change in attitudes and the temperance movement began promoting the moderate use of alcohol—which ultimately became a push for total prohibition.
• In 1920 the US passed a law prohibiting the manufacture, sale, import and export of intoxicating liquors. The illegal alcohol trade boomed and by 1933, the prohibition of alcohol was cancelled.
What is it?
- The term 'psychoactive drug' is used to describe any chemical substance that affects mood, perception or consciousness as a result of changes in the functioning of the nervous system (brain).
- Burden to health
- Depressants: they slow down the central nervous system; for example: tranquillisers, alcohol, petrol, heroin and other opiates
Symptoms
- Symptoms include repeated alcohol consumption despite related legal and health issues.
- Some may start their day with a drink and continually drink throughout the day
- Mood swings, aggression when without the drug
Cure/Treatment
- Can't be cured
- Support groups, therapy, detoxification
How it effects your body
Whole body: blackout, dizziness, shakiness, craving, or sweating
Gastrointestinal: nausea or vomiting
Psychological: delirium or fear
Also common: physical substance dependence, problems with coordination, slurred speech, or tremor
• Liver disease, heart disease, sleep disorders, depression, stroke, bleeding from the stomach,
• Birth defects
How it effects your brain
- Alcohol not broken down by the liver goes to the rest of the body, including the brain. Alcohol can affect parts of the brain that control movement, speech, judgment, and memory. (Temporal lobe, frontal lobe0
- Behavioral: aggression, agitation, compulsive behavior, self-destructive behavior, or lack of restraint
- Mood: anxiety, euphoria, general discontent, guilt, or loneliness