Psychoactive Drugs

• psychoactive drugs - compounds that are not naturally present in the body but that can nevertheless act on the body to produce changes in mood and/or behavior.
• Psychoactive drugs may be found in plants or they may

  be compounds that have been synthesized in a chemical

  laboratory
• Stimulants - cause a general increase in brain and behavioral activity. They include caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines and cocaine. Stimulant drugs have various modes of action, and differing effects.
• Depressants - cause a general decrease in brain activity. They include the minor tranquilizers such as the barbiturates and benzodiazepines, and alcohol. All depressants act by reducing activity at GABA synapses. Alcohol initially has a stimulating effect as it acts first to depress inhibitory mechanisms. Alcohol and barbiturates have side effects and a high potential for dependence.
• Psychedelics - These are drugs that cause hallucinations. They include LSD, cannabis, certain varieties of mushroom, and perhaps ecstasy. Their effects differ, and they have undesirable side effect
• Opiates - are drugs that have an effect on our endogenous opiate transmitter system, using endorphins and encephalins. They include heroin, codeine and morphine. All have analgesic effects, and the stronger ones produce euphoria and have a high dependence

  potential.
• Antipsychotics - has two groups first is antischizophrenic drugs second is antidepressant drugs
• antischizophrenic drug -chlorpromazine
• Tricyclic or cyclic antidepressants (TCAs) - are an early type of antidepressant. They are a good choice for those whose depression is resistant to other drugs, but some may find their side effects unpleasant.
• TCAs were first introduced in the late 1950s, and they’re still considered effective for treating depression. However, they are not often used as a first treatment.
• MAOI- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor – treatment for major depressive disorder, atypical depression, Parkinson’s disease
• SSRI – Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor- treat depression by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain. treatment for major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders and other psychological conditions
• NARI - Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors- are a group of drugs that exert action primarily by the inhibition of norepinephrine reuptake at the norepinephrine transporter protein for major depression, seasonal affective disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and pain relief