Classification and Effects of Various Drugs

Posted on Aug 19, 2024 in Psychology and Sociology

* Classification of Drugs: * As He Promised: * Drug Peace: They promise some form of peace, to soften the moral consciousness (alcohol or ether), for direct analgesia (morphine and codeine), to induce euphoria (heroin); suffocation of the brain (neuroleptics) or psychic brutalization (barbiturates, sedatives, and tranquilizers like Valium). These drugs cause addictiveness. * Drug Energy: They promise some form of energy such as cocaine, crack cocaine, caffeine… Their abuse is harmful, and their effect is comparable to an appliance when you increase the voltage. * Drug Visionaries: To grant or promise any form of mental excursion, both younger (MDMA, ecstasy, designer drugs) and older (mescaline, LSD). Organic extra dangers are involved. * According to Effects: * CNS Depressants: * 1) Alcohol: Its use is encouraged by advertising and traditions. It is a CNS depressant that impairs sexual performance. The effects of alcohol depend on the amount ingested and the frequency of ingestion. * Small amounts cushion awareness, reduce social inhibitions, and produce feelings of relaxation and euphoria. * In most cases, it causes damage to the nervous system and liver, interferes with perception, and diminishes self-consciousness. In chronic alcoholics, it can lead to Korsakoff syndrome (removal from memory of any recent act, although they can remember individual childhood events). * 2) Drugs Sedatives (Barbiturates): In light doses, they have an effect similar to alcohol intoxication. In large doses, they can cause severe mental confusion or psychotic symptoms (loss of contact with reality). An overdose can cause coma or death (paralysis of the brain centers regulating breathing). * 3) Drugs Tranquilizers (Anxiolytics): Used to combat anxiety or relieve stress. Although their addictive power is low, high doses can cause significant physical dependence. * 4) Opiates: Opium is a psychoactive drug used for several pleasurable and medicinal purposes (to relieve headaches). * The two most important substances derived from opium are morphine and heroin. * Morphine was discovered by German chemist Serturner in 1805 and has been one of the most widely used analgesics for pain relief. * During the twentieth century, addiction to opiates revolved around heroin, which was sold in 1898 to relieve cough. * Opiates produce tolerance, physical, and psychological dependence. The drug most commonly used to fight opiate addiction is methadone, a synthetic substance derived from opium.


CNS Stimulants: The stimulating substance used most frequently is caffeine, found in coffee, tea, many soft drinks, and chocolate. * Other stimulants include: * 1) Amphetamines: These were prescribed for a long time to lose weight, and many patients developed dependence. Today, their legal uses are limited to the treatment of narcolepsy, hyperactivity in children, and overdose of sedatives. Amphetamines speed up the use of bodily resources and produce a variety of effects on behavior: increase performance, improve alertness, and fight fatigue. In the long run, they produce “tolerance,” and large doses can cause insomnia and impaired physical and mental conditions. In high doses, they can produce physical dependence and may also cause amphetamine psychosis and paranoid delusions. * 2) Cocaine: This increases the activity of brain pathways. It causes feelings of euphoria, safety, and welfare, and when its effects wear off, users may suffer from sleep disorders, anxiety, or depression. Coca-Cola contained this component from 1886 to 1906. * Visionary Substances: * 1) MDMA (Ecstasy): A synthetic drug with hallucinogenic properties. It can lead to dehydration, increased temperature, muscle tension, faintness, and chills. It can also cause confusion, sleep problems, anxiety, and paranoia. * 2) Marijuana and Hashish: Derived from the hemp plant. Marijuana is made up of leaves, and hashish is a resinous material scraped from the leaves of cannabis. The main substance in marijuana is THC. The effects range from laughter and comic wit to disinhibition, apprehension, and a tendency to get to the bottom of reality. * 3) Psychedelic Substances: A term proposed by psychiatrist Osmond. This group includes LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin. They were used by the hippie movement as a way of self-exploration. They were also influenced by the songs of the Beatles and the aesthetics of Andy Warhol. Such drugs change perception and alter the conception of space, time, and sense of self. These drugs distort perception and knowledge but also enhance sensitivity and produce transmutation of feelings. The sound can be experienced as sight.