REVIEW Drugs and Consciousness

Learning Objectives

Test Yourself by taking a moment to answer each of these Learning Objective Questions (repeated here from within the module). Research suggests that trying to answer these questions on your own will improve your long-term memory of the concepts (McDaniel et al., 2009).

Question

9-1 What are substance use disorders, and what roles do tolerance, withdrawal, and addiction play in these disorders?

ANSWER: Those with a substance use disorder may exhibit impaired control, social disruption, risky behavior, and the physical effects of tolerance and withdrawal. Psychoactive drugs are any chemical substances that alter perceptions and moods. They may produce tolerance—requiring larger doses to achieve the desired effect—and withdrawal—significant discomfort accompanying attempts to quit. Continued use may lead to addiction, which is the compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors (such as gambling) despite known adverse consequences.

Question

9-2 How has the concept of addiction changed?

ANSWER: Psychologists debate whether the concept of addiction has been stretched too far, and whether addictions are really as irresistible as commonly believed. Addictions can be powerful, and many with addictions do benefit from therapy or group support. But viewing addiction as an uncontrollable disease can undermine people's self-confidence and their belief that they can change. The addiction-as-disease-needing-treatment idea has been extended to a host of excessive, driven behaviors, but labeling a behavior doesn't explain it. The concept of addiction continues to evolve, as psychiatry's manual of disorders now includes behavior addictions such as "gambling disorder" and proposes "Internet gaming disorder" for further study.

Question

9-3 What are depressants, and what are their effects?

ANSWER: Depressants, such as alcohol, barbiturates, and the opiates, dampen neural activity and slow body functions. Alcohol tends to disinhibit, increasing the likelihood that we will act on our impulses, whether harmful or helpful. It also impairs judgment, disrupts memory processes by suppressing REM sleep, and reduces self-awareness and self-control. User expectations strongly influence alcohol's behavioral effects, and alcohol use disorder is marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use.

Question

9-4 What are stimulants, and what are their effects?

ANSWER: Stimulants—including caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, the amphetamines, methamphetamine, and Ecstasy—excite neural activity and speed up body functions, triggering energy and mood changes. All are highly addictive. Nicotine's effects make the use of tobacco products a difficult habit to kick, but the percentage of Americans who use them continues to decrease. Cocaine gives users a fast high, followed within an hour by a crash. Its risks include cardiovascular stress and suspiciousness. Use of methamphetamines may permanently reduce dopamine production. Ecstasy (MDMA) is a combined stimulant and mild hallucinogen that produces euphoria and feelings of intimacy. Its users risk immune system suppression, permanent damage to mood and memory, and (if taken during physical activity) dehydration and escalating body temperatures.

Question

9-5 What are hallucinogens, and what are their effects?

ANSWER: Hallucinogens—such as LSD and marijuana—distort perceptions and evoke hallucinations—sensory images in the absence of sensory input. The user's mood and expectations influence the effects of LSD, but common experiences are hallucinations and emotions varying from euphoria to panic. Marijuana's main ingredient, THC, may trigger feelings of disinhibition, euphoria, relaxation, relief from pain, and intense sensitivity to sensory stimuli. It may also increase feelings of depression or anxiety, impair motor coordination and reaction time, disrupt memory formation, and damage lung tissue (when inhaled).

Question

9-6 Why do some people become regular users of consciousness-altering drugs?

ANSWER: Some people may be biologically vulnerable to particular drugs, such as alcohol. Psychological factors (such as stress, depression, and hopelessness) and social factors (such as peer pressure) combine to lead many people to experiment with—and sometimes become addicted to—drugs. Cultural and ethnic groups have differing rates of drug use. Each type of influence—biological, psychological, and social-cultural—offers a possible path for drug misuse prevention and treatment programs.

Terms and Concepts to Remember

Test yourself on these terms.

Question

psychoactive drug (p. 104)
substance use disorder (p. 104)
tolerance (p. 105)
addiction (p. 105)
withdrawal (p. 105)
depressants (p. 106)
alcohol use disorder (p. 106)
barbiturates (p. 107)
opiates (p. 107)
stimulants (p. 108)
amphetamines (p. 108)
nicotine (p. 108)
cocaine (p. 110)
methamphetamine (p. 111)
Ecstasy (MDMA) (p. 111)
hallucinogens (p. 111)
near-death experience (p. 112)
LSD (p. 112)
THC (p. 112)
drugs that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment.
drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes.
a powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time, appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels.
psychedelic ("mind-manifesting") drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.
an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations.
the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect.
drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.
a stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco.
a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition.
a powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant; produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria.
a powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid (lysergic acid diethylamide).
the major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations.
compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors (such as gambling) despite known adverse consequences.
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods.
continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk.
(popularly known as alcoholism) alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use.
the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior.
drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine, Ecstasy, and methamphetamine) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.
opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety.

Experience the Testing Effect

Test yourself repeatedly throughout your studies. This will not only help you figure out what you know and don’t know; the testing itself will help you learn and remember the information more effectively thanks to the testing effect.

Question 3.14

1. After continued use of a psychoactive drug, the drug user needs to take larger doses to get the desired effect. This is referred to as .

Question 3.15

2. The depressants include alcohol, barbiturates,

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 3.16

3. Why might alcohol make a person more helpful or more aggressive?

ANSWER: Alcohol is a disinhibitor—it makes us more likely to do what we would have done when sober, whether that is being helpful or being aggressive.

Question 3.17

4. Long-term use of Ecstasy can

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 3.18

5. Near-death experiences are strikingly similar to the experiences evoked by drugs.

Question 3.19

6. Use of marijuana

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 3.20

7. An important psychological contributor to drug use is

A.
B.
C.
D.

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