Altered Consciousness
Tommy J. Angelina & Kristian Wagner
Psychoactive Drugs
A chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood.
Stimulants
Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.
Depressants
Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow down body functions.
Opiates
Type of depressant because they are drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body function. They also temporarily lessen pain and anxiety.
Psychedelic Drugs
Drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.
Tolerance
With repeated exposure to a drug, the drug's effect lessens
Withdrawl
Upon stopping use of a drug, users may experience the undesirable effects of withdrawal.
Addiction
A craving for a chemical substance, despite its adverse consequences.
Dependance
Absence of a drug may lead to a feeling of physical pain, intense cravings, and negative emotions.
Interesting Facts
1. The estimated cost of drug abuse exceeds $190 Billion from lack of productivity, health care, and legal costs.
2. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health(NSDUH) reports that cocaine use has declined among Americans over the age of 12 – from about 2.3 million people in 2003 to about 1.6 million people in 2009.
3. More than 4.6 million emergency room visits were related in some way to drugs in the United States in 2009.
Everything We Think We Know About Addiction Is Wrong