Chapter 12- Substance Use and Abuse
Addiction
chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use
People begin taking drugs for a variety of reasons:
To feel good
To feel better
To do better
What environmental factors increase the risk of addiction?
Home and family
Peers and school
What biological factors increase risk of addiction?
Genetics
Dramatic changes in brain development that occur during adolescence
What other factors increase the risk of addiction?
Early use
Method of administration
Cocaine
A powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America.
GHB
A depressant approved for use in the treatment of narcolepsy, a disorder that causes daytime "sleep attacks."
Heroin
An opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance extracted from the seed pod of various opium poppy plants.
Inhalants
Solvents, aerosols, and gases found in household products such as spray paints, markers, glues, and cleaning fluids; also nitrites (e.g., amyl nitrite), which are prescription medications for chest pain
LSD
A hallucinogen manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains.
Marijuana
Marijuana is made from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The main psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
MDMA (Ecstasy / Molly)
A synthetic, psychoactive drug that has similarities to both the stimulant amphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline.
Methamphetamine
An extremely addictive stimulant amphetamine drug