Drugs are chemicals that affect the brain by tapping into its communication system and interfering with the way neurons normally send, receive, and process information. Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter.
Drugs that enter the blood stream have faster and definitely more intense effects. The more directly the drug enters the bloodstream determines how fast and intense the drug will take effect. When the drug is administered directly into the bloodstream it is immediately available to the brain whereas when administered orally it has to be absorbed or “otherwise processed”. For example drinking on an empty stomach will cause the alcohol to enter the bloodstream quickly whereas drinking on a full stomach will slow down the process as the food acts like an absorbent sponge. One the drugs enter the bloodstream the drugs quickly enter the brain; although the brain has something called the blood-brain barrier which is designed to prevent harmful chemicals from entering the brain, these drugs have no problem crossing that barrier. To understand how drugs work on the brain, there has to be a basic understanding of the brain itself first. …show more content…
“The brain is a very complicated collection of cells known as neurons or (more informally) nerves. Whenever you think about something, sense something or do something, what is happening at the level of the brain is that various neurons are sending information to one another concerning what you are thinking, sensing or doing. It is at the level of this inter-neuron communication that most drugs have their effects”. These neurons have three parts: the axon, the nucleus and something called dendrites. All three of these send and receive messages in the brain; neurotransmitters are what send the messages. There are many drugs that serve as neurotransmitters. Here are just a few… Dopamine is involved in regulation of movement, reward and punishment, pleasure, energy. Every drug that affects feelings of pleasure, including Cocaine, Amphetamine, opiates, marijuana, heroin and PCP Epinephrine (also called Adrenaline) Excitatory neurotransmitter involved in arousal and alertness. Norepinephrine (also called Noradrenaline) is involved in arousal and alertness, energy and feelings of pleasure; this one is affected by stimulants. Serotonin is involved in regulation of mood and impulsivity; serotonin is affected by alcohol, Hallucinogens, Stimulants and antidepressants. Acetylcholine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in movement, memory function, motivation and sleep affected by PCP and hallucinogens, Marijuana and Stimulants. GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in arousal, judgment, and impulsiveness affected by depressant drugs and marijuana. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter. The last one is endorphins, a substance involved in pain relief and reward or punishment affected by opioids and depressants. Marijuana causes the brain to release the feel-good chemical knowns as dopamine. It’s the same chemical that makes us feel good when we do enjoyable things such as eating and having sex. When the drug is overused there may be feelings of euphoria; this euphoria when experienced often can prevent the positive feelings for other rewarding experiences. Alcohol affects the brain chemistry by altering levels of neurotransmitters; the chemical messengers that pass along the signals that control our thinking and behavior. Alcohol slows down breathing, thinking, heart rate and lowers energy levels as well. It also boosts the dopamine levels in the brain. The brain converts heroin into morphine. Morphine is the drug that binds the cells to the molecules in the brain and the body which affect the perception of pain. Overdosing on heroin can slow breathing leading to brain damage and even death. Morphine is often used to help control pain in a medical setting. Vicodin and OxyContin are opiate painkillers giving off a similar result to heroin and morphine. Many who use opiate painkillers often abuse heroin as well because of the similarities. Heroin also carries the risk of spreading disease such as Hepatitis C as well as AIDS; both of these are caused by unsafe injection procedures. Hepatitis C can lead to liver failure and cancer, not excluding death at any time. LSD is a hallucinogen; this drug is responsible for the parts of
Drugs that enter the blood stream have faster and definitely more intense effects. The more directly the drug enters the bloodstream determines how fast and intense the drug will take effect. When the drug is administered directly into the bloodstream it is immediately available to the brain whereas when administered orally it has to be absorbed or “otherwise processed”. For example drinking on an empty stomach will cause the alcohol to enter the bloodstream quickly whereas drinking on a full stomach will slow down the process as the food acts like an absorbent sponge. One the drugs enter the bloodstream the drugs quickly enter the brain; although the brain has something called the blood-brain barrier which is designed to prevent harmful chemicals from entering the brain, these drugs have no problem crossing that barrier. To understand how drugs work on the brain, there has to be a basic understanding of the brain itself first. …show more content…
“The brain is a very complicated collection of cells known as neurons or (more informally) nerves. Whenever you think about something, sense something or do something, what is happening at the level of the brain is that various neurons are sending information to one another concerning what you are thinking, sensing or doing. It is at the level of this inter-neuron communication that most drugs have their effects”. These neurons have three parts: the axon, the nucleus and something called dendrites. All three of these send and receive messages in the brain; neurotransmitters are what send the messages. There are many drugs that serve as neurotransmitters. Here are just a few… Dopamine is involved in regulation of movement, reward and punishment, pleasure, energy. Every drug that affects feelings of pleasure, including Cocaine, Amphetamine, opiates, marijuana, heroin and PCP Epinephrine (also called Adrenaline) Excitatory neurotransmitter involved in arousal and alertness. Norepinephrine (also called Noradrenaline) is involved in arousal and alertness, energy and feelings of pleasure; this one is affected by stimulants. Serotonin is involved in regulation of mood and impulsivity; serotonin is affected by alcohol, Hallucinogens, Stimulants and antidepressants. Acetylcholine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in movement, memory function, motivation and sleep affected by PCP and hallucinogens, Marijuana and Stimulants. GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in arousal, judgment, and impulsiveness affected by depressant drugs and marijuana. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter. The last one is endorphins, a substance involved in pain relief and reward or punishment affected by opioids and depressants. Marijuana causes the brain to release the feel-good chemical knowns as dopamine. It’s the same chemical that makes us feel good when we do enjoyable things such as eating and having sex. When the drug is overused there may be feelings of euphoria; this euphoria when experienced often can prevent the positive feelings for other rewarding experiences. Alcohol affects the brain chemistry by altering levels of neurotransmitters; the chemical messengers that pass along the signals that control our thinking and behavior. Alcohol slows down breathing, thinking, heart rate and lowers energy levels as well. It also boosts the dopamine levels in the brain. The brain converts heroin into morphine. Morphine is the drug that binds the cells to the molecules in the brain and the body which affect the perception of pain. Overdosing on heroin can slow breathing leading to brain damage and even death. Morphine is often used to help control pain in a medical setting. Vicodin and OxyContin are opiate painkillers giving off a similar result to heroin and morphine. Many who use opiate painkillers often abuse heroin as well because of the similarities. Heroin also carries the risk of spreading disease such as Hepatitis C as well as AIDS; both of these are caused by unsafe injection procedures. Hepatitis C can lead to liver failure and cancer, not excluding death at any time. LSD is a hallucinogen; this drug is responsible for the parts of