Altered States of Consciousness
By: Bridget Cardelia and Nadine Worrell
Psychoactive Drugs:
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chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behavior.
Psychoactive Drug Vocab Terms:
Stimulants:
a substance that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body and increase alertness, attention and energy
Depressants:
a chemical substance (such as a drug) that makes a body's systems less active and lowers neurotransmisson levels and lowers arousal
Opiates:
a drug (such as morphine or codeine) that is made from opium and that is used to reduce pain or cause sleep and something that causes people to ignore problems and to relax instead of doing things that need to be done
psychedelic drugs:
also called psychotomimetic drug or hallucinogen , any of the so-called mind-expanding drugs that are able to induce states of altered perception and thought, frequently with heightened awareness of sensory input but with diminished control over what is being experienced. See also hallucinogen
tolerance:
ability and willingness to tolerate something and persons reaction to a specific drug and concentration of the drug is reduced followed repeated use, requiring an increase in concentration to achieve the desired effect.
Withdrawal:
the discontinuance of administration or use of a drug (2) : the syndrome of often painful physical and psychological symptoms that follows discontinuance of an addicting drug
Addiction:
the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity. and compulsive engagement to rewarding stimuli
Dependence:
state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else
Extra Facts:
-Most people do not know that stimulants can cause heart and respiratory problems
-Heroin is one of the most commonly used opiates
-Alcohol is the most commonly used depressant in the world