Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Shane Hokanson
Psychology 1010
Professor Campbell
7 February 2017
I chose to do this topic because it really interests me and because there are so many
wonderful and beneficial things that can come from the proper use of of drugs for people with
sleeping disorders, mental health problems, and even diseases. I also think it is amazing to see
the effects of drugs on peoples moods and behaviors. Drugs can really change people for the
better or make them worse. Like the simple process of using pain pills accordingly to keep the
pain of a surgery at bay can be considered a miracle, but some people get addicted to them and
abuse their pain pills. Those same pain pills that are supposed to help you are now causing more
health problems and severely altering the way you think and act. Essentially, those pills are now
The defining features of drug intoxication and addiction can be traced to disruptions in
cell-to-cell signaling. This means that the improper use, or abuse, of drugs can impact your body
all the way down to the way your cells function. Drugs of abuse alter the way people think, feel,
and behave by disrupting neurotransmission, the process of communication between brain cells.
Over the past few decades, studies have established that drug dependence and addiction are
Scientists continue to build on this essential understanding with experiments to further elucidate
the physiological bases for drug abuse vulnerability as well as the full dimensions and
progression of the disease. The findings provide powerful leads to new medications and
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people think that they are just having fun or that they dont have a problem these drugs are
altering them at a cellular level which could lead to long term consequences that can impact their
health.
There are a lot of ways for drugs to impact your brain and they can effect them in
different ways. 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. Substantially there are two main ways that drugs can
affect your brain; The first would be a Agonist, which is a chemical that binds to a receptor and
activates the receptor to produce a biological response. The second would be called a Antagonist,
which is a type of receptor ligand or drug that blocks or dampens agonist-mediated responses. L-
dopa is a drug that is used to help treat patients with Parkinson's disease. Parkinsons disease is a
neurological disorder that affects movement, muscle control, and balance. Parkinsons disease
most commonly affects people ages 55 - 75. The disease is usually progressive, with symptoms
becoming more severe over time. L-dopa is a direct precursor to dopamine, and its
supplementation can increase dopamine levels in the body, making L-dopa an agonist for
dopamine. The use of L-dopa has been reasonably successful in the alleviation of parkinson's
disease symptoms. However, the effectiveness of L-dopa typically decreases when used over a
long period of time, so that many longtime users experience some symptoms of the disease.
(Gilbert, Wegner, & Nock. "Chapter 3." Psychology, Third Edition.). So it is not a longterm
solution for the disease, but it can help people to an extent. (I actually saw this YouTube video
about a guy with Parkinson's disease being treated with medical marijuana and it actually really
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v=zNT8Zo_sfwo )
Some illegal drugs when used in moderation can have positive and beneficial effects for
people suffering from a disease. In the article I came across was talking about using psilocybin
precisely tiny: 10 micrograms for Smiths husband and about half of that for her, which is just
below the threshold of what would normally make a user trip. (Malone, Noreen. "Hacking
Your Brain."). They reported that Smith didnt see swirling wild colors or shifting shapes. She
didnt feel as if the trees and sky were sparkling magically at her. She didnt imagine that she
saw God. Insteadalong with shaking off those winter bluesshe became very, very efficient.
It gives you fresh eyes, she says, for programming or figuring out algorithmic stuff. It made
me really productive in a motivated way. Whatever mental block that was stopping me from
doing something would disappear. Plus, during her four-month-long mushroom experiment, she
got a lot of household chores done. (Malone, Noreen.). Which, to me, is absolutely amazing that
they were able to use this illegal drug and turn it into something that really benefited them and
made their lives more productive. There are so many different ways drugs can be used and lots of
ways they can help people. A lot of the processes and prescription are still in the process of being
perfected. Some drugs may help people or they could have completely negative to no effect on
them. The truth is that all drugs impact people differently and it is hard to find the right one for a
particular situation.
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Works Cited
Malone, Noreen. "Hacking Your Brain." SLCC Library. Marie Claire (US Edition). Dec2016,
Gilbert, Wegner, & Nock. "Chapter 3." Psychology, Third Edition. By Schacter. N.p. pag. 89.
Print.