recreational drugs

• recreational drugs are drugs used in the absence of medical grounds and are taken for personal enjoyment
• psychoactive drugs alter the way the brain functions and can change our mood, perception and conscious experience
• examples of psychoactive drugs = caffine, nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, LSD, cocaine, heroin
• reward pathway


  a pathway in the brain that when activated causes us to experience a peasant and rewarding feeling that encourages us to repeat the behavior that activated the pathway
• reward pathway = a pathway in the brain that when activated causes us to experience a peasant and rewarding feeling that encourages us to repeat the behavior that activated the pathway
• the reward pathway is a key component in learning
• if we do something that activates the reward pathway we feel good and are likely to do it again
• being rewarded for specific behaviors has an adaptive function e.g. enjoyment after eating high calorie foods would ensure we store enough fat in our body to survive periods of famine
• drugs work by changing the way neurotransmitters operate in the brain
• most psychoactive drugs work on the dopamine system
• heroin increases the amount of dopamine in the reward pathways of the brain by boosting the activation of dopaminergic synapses causing an intensely pleasurable experience
• nucleus accumbens

  an area of the midbrain associated with the brains reward system
• nucleus accumbens = an area of the midbrain associated with the brains reward system
• when a drug is taken the brain naturally reacts to the sudden increase in dopamine and reduces its own natural production of dopamine causing an un pleasurable experience when the drug wears off
• the un pleasurable experience that happens after taking a drug motivates the person to take the drug again to reproduce the high
• repeated drug use causes more down regulation of dopamine production making the person physically dependant on the drug in order to avoid the un pleasurable experience
• withdrawal occurs when the drug is no longer present in the nervous system and symptoms can be unpleasant and dangerous
• withdrawal happens when the brain adapts to the changes imposed by drugs so that it no longer operates normally without the drug
• the brain adapts to the high levels of dopamine caused by drugs and and down regulates its own natural production of it, causing the baseline level of dopamine to lower so to get to the same 'high' more drug is needed
• alcohol

  has a depressant effect on the nervous system, it slows down neural transmission by increasing the GABA
• alcohol = has a depressant effect on the nervous system, it slows down neural transmission by increasing the GABA
• opioids

  reduces GABA activity which leads to overactivity of dopaminergic neurotransmission in the reward pathways of the brain
• opioids = reduces GABA activity which leads to overactivity of dopaminergic neurotransmission in the reward pathways of the brain
• amphetamines

  increases dopamine and noradrenaline in the synapse by changing reuptake process so that it works in reverse
• amphetamines = increases dopamine and noradrenaline in the synapse by changing reuptake process so that it works in reverse
• amphetamines force the release neurotransmitters, can block reuptake and in high doses can slow down their breakdown by enzymes
• cocaine

  increases activity in the dopamine pathway by blocking the reuptake of dopamine
• cocaine = increases activity in the dopamine pathway by blocking the reuptake of dopamine
• nicotine

  increases the amount and transmission of dopamine by blocking the enzyme that breaks it down
• nicotine = increases the amount and transmission of dopamine by blocking the enzyme that breaks it down
• Drug


  Any chemical that affects the body / brain.

  
• Mind altering drugs

  Interfere with neurotransmitters in the brain. Examples include LSD and cannabis.
• Dopamine

  A neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. Can be stimulated by activities such as eating, having sex and taking drugs (which are also all things you can become addicted to).
• Stimulants


  Drugs that make you feel more alert. Examples include caffeine and cocaine.