* Cocaine
* Amphetamines (including methamphetamine)
* Cathinones (i.e., bath salts)
* MDMA (ecstasy)
* Nicotine
* Caffeine

Examples of Stimulants

* Increased heart rate
* Blood pressure
* Body temperature

Stimulants Effects on the Body

* Dopamine Reuptake Inhibition
* Increased Release of Neurotransmitters
* Serotonin Reuptake Inhibition

Stimulants Mechanisms of Action

Which of these drugs do people consume to feel alert?

The use of stimulants can lead to significant adverse consequences, particularly with repeated use. Physical symptoms may include nausea, elevated blood pressure, and an increased heart rate. Psychologically, users may experience anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations.

Adverse Effects of Stimulant Use

Repeated use of stimulants can have significant adverse consequences, including physical symptoms such as nausea, elevated blood pressure, and increased heart rate.

Adverse Physical Consequences of Repeated Stimulant Use

Repeated use of stimulants can cause adverse psychological feelings of anxiety, hallucinations, and paranoia.

Adverse Psychological Consequences of Repeated Stimulant Use

Repeated use of stimulants alters normal brain functioning. It can lead to an overall depletion among the monoamine neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin).

Brain Function Alteration from Repeated Stimulant Use

Stimulants are drugs that send more messages throughout the body. You feel more awake, energetic, and alert. Simulants are also a type of psychotropic medication that can be prescribed for ADHD. Common brand names are Adderall and Ritalin. They work by improving the individual's ability to focus on tasks and maintain attention. Some of the side effects include lack of appetite, sleeping probelms, stomachache, and headache.

Columbia University

New Mexico Highlands University

University of South Florida

- Psychotherapeutics

- Opioids

- Depressants

- Marijuana

- Hallucinogens

- Stimulants

- Nicotine


Psychoactive Drugs

* Opioids
* Depressants
* Hallucinogens
* Stimulants

Psychologically Addictive Psychoactive Drugs

* Antipsychotics
* Atypical Antipsychotics
* Anti-depressants
* Anti-anxiety agents
* Mood Stabilizers
* Stimulants

Commonly Prescribed Psychotropic Medications

Stimulants are a category of drugs defined by their capacity to elevate overall neural activity. A significant number of these drugs influence the dopamine neurotransmitter system, which is associated with reward and craving, thus giving them a high potential for abuse.

Stimulants

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Diagram of psychoactive drugs

A cannabinoid is any substance that attaches to the cannabinoid receptors in the brain. There are three types of cannabinoids include; recreational, medicinal, and synthetic.

- Cannabis
- Hemp
- THC

Cannabinoids

Empathogens increase a persons feeling of empathy through the release of dopamine and serotonin. Through the release of serotonin, there is an increase in mood, appetite, and sleep.

- Ethylone
- MDMA

Empathogens

Psychedelics, another name being hallucinogens, are a class of drug that changes perceptions and mood. They affect a persons thinking, emotions, and sense of time.

Psychedelics

A class of psychoactive drugs that is often characterized with symptoms of distorted perceptions and detachment.

- PCP
- Ketamine

Dissociatives

Hallucinogens are a category of psychoactive drugs known for causing significant distortions in a user's sensory and perceptual experiences, affecting how a person sees, feels, and perceives the world. This class of drugs is notably diverse, impacting a variety of different neurotransmitter systems.

Hallucinogens

Depressants, also known as sedative-hypnotics, are a class of psychoactive drugs that suppress the activity of the central nervous system. Due to their quieting effect on the brain, they are often prescribed by medical professionals to manage conditions such as anxiety and insomnia.

Depressants (Sedative-Hypnotics)

The effects produced by all psychoactive drugs are a result of their interactions with the body's natural, or endogenous, neurotransmitter systems.

Psychoactive Drugs' Interaction with Neurotransmitter Systems

The human body possesses an endogenous opioid neurotransmitter system. This system naturally produces small amounts of opioid compounds that bind to opioid receptors, resulting in pain reduction and feelings of euphoria.

Endogenous Opioid System

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is an organization that provides informational resources, such as the 'Commonly Abused Drugs Chart' and the 'Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs Chart,' for individuals seeking to learn more about frequently misused prescription and street drugs.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Resources

An individual is observed to have constricted pupils, slurred speech, and a significantly slowed breathing rate. They appear drowsy and disoriented. This specific combination of physiological and behavioral effects is most characteristic of which class of psychoactive substances?

Opioids are pain-reducing drugs, such as heroin, morphine, methadone, and codeine, that can mimic the body's endogenous opioid painkilling system. Because this system reduces pain and can produce euphoria, opioids have a high potential for abuse.

Opioid Drugs

A hallucinogen is one of a class of drugs that results in profound alterations in sensory and perceptual experiences. In some cases, users experience vivid visual hallucinations. It is also common for these types of drugs to cause hallucinations of body sensations (e.g., feeling as if you are a giant) and a skewed perception of the passage of time.

Hallucinogen

Antidepressants are psychotropic medications prescribed to alleviate symptoms of mood disorders like depression and anxiety. They work by addressing chemical imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain. Different types of antidepressants target different neurotransmitters; for example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase the availability of serotonin, while serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) elevate the levels of both serotonin and norepinephrine. Common SSRIs include Prozac and Zoloft, while tricyclics include Tofranil and Elavil.

Antidepressants

These are a class of antipsychotic drugs that have a high affinity for other types of receptors and not dopamine receptors. They are also known as 2nd Generation Antipsychotics. They can be prescribed for Schizophrenia and other types of severe thought disorders. They can target dopamine and serotonin receptors to treat schizophrenia's negative symptoms, such as withdrawal and apathy; newer drugs may treat both positive and negative symptoms.

Atypical Antipsychotics include: 
- Aripiprazole (Abilify)

- Clozapine (Clozaril)

- Olanzapine (Zyprexa)

- Quetiapine (Seroquel)

- Risperidone (Risperdal)

- Ziprasidone (Geodon)

Atypical Antipsychotics

Antipsychotics are a drug class used to treat psychosis and other related disorders, such as schizophrenia. There are two types of antipsychotics: first-generation or typical antipsychotics include drugs like haloperidol, and second-generation or atypical antipsychotics include drugs like risperidone. Common brand names include Haldol, Mellaril, Prolixin, and Thorazine.

Antipsychotics

A type of psychotropic medication prescribed for anxiety and agitation that occur in OCD, PTSD, panic disorder, and social phobia. Common brand names include benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan), and diazepam (Valium).  They work as GABA agonists. GABA is a neurotransmitter responsible for the suppression of brain activity which assuages anxiety. Other medications such as buspirone (Buspar), antihistamines, and beta-blockers can also be used as anxiolytics to treat the physiological symptoms of anxiety such as racing heart.

Anxiolytics/Anti-Anxiety Agents

A type of psychotropic medication often prescribed for bipolar disorder to treat episodes of mania as well as depression. Common brand names include Lithium, Depakote, Lamictal, and Tegretol. Some side effects involve excessive thirst, irregular heartbeat, itching/rash, swelling (face, mouth, and extremities), nausea,  and loss of appetite.

Mood Stabilizers

Based on the patient's reported symptoms in the case study, which class of psychotropic medication would be the most appropriate first-line treatment to address the cyclical nature of their condition? Justify your answer.

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