This dissertation investigates how substance and other addictive problems are prevalent in every segment of society today. The issues are concerns that are created cross all ethnic, cultural, educational, socioeconomic, gender, and age barriers. While there has been an upward trend in elder and prescription abuse over the past decade, adolescent rates have stabilized somewhat. Yet, when considering the various forms that substance abuse and addiction can take, the statistics are staggering. Substance abuse is a pandemic in the United States. From the abuse of seemingly innocent substances such as marijuana and alcohol to the abuse of street drugs like cocaine and heroin, substance abuse costs individuals and it costs the nation as a whole. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human …show more content…
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers released by the electrical impulses of a neuron, which record sensory experiences called imprints. These imprints are encoded, passed along proper pathways (across a synase), and stored usually at the unconscious level. Dopamine is one of the major agents related to the “pleasure pathway” to and/or through the limbic system and in the development of addiction. 6. Drugs interfere with the brain’s normal functioning and natural chemical, neurotransmitters, and the limbic system, that carry signals from one cell (neuron) to another (receptor). Serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are the three primary neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitter levels and functioning are moderated by certain chemicals either introduced into the body through substance use or produced, as by adrenaline, through certain behaviors such as gambling or sex. 7. The brain has a natural blood-brain barrier that normally does not allow water-soluble molecules to pass through capillary walls. A substance is considered to be psychoactive when it can penetrate that barrier and create changes in neuro-chemistry and subsequent brain
Abstract: The human brain is the most complex organ in the body. Its functions control every aspect of life. It is important to attempt to comprehend the workings of the brain and to learn the effects of natural and unnatural substances on it. In order to look at chemical effects on the brain, one must first get an understanding for the chemicals as well as how the brain works to interpret and react to signals set out by these chemicals, rhythmically and physiologically. Several chemicals observed include: cocaine (and other chemicals), seratonin, and melatonin.
In the brainstem, the most primitive part of the brain, lie clusters of serotonin neurons. The nerve fiber terminals of the serotonergic neurons extend all throughout the central nervous system from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord. This neurotransmitter is responsible for controlling fundamental physiological aspects of the body. In the central nervous system (CNS), serotonin has widespread and often profound implications, including a role in sleep, appetite, memory, learning, temperature regulation, mood, sexual behavior, cardiovascular function, muscle contraction, and endocrine regulation. Not only does this bioamine control physiological aspects of the body, but it also has an involvement in behaviors like eating, sleeping and aggression. Serotonin has been noted to produce an inhibitory effect on the nervous system that calms, soothes and generates feelings of general contentment and satiation.
Neurotransmitters can also produce their effects by modulating the production of other signal-transducing molecules ("second messengers"messengers") in the post-synaptic cells (Cooper, Bloom and Roth 1996). Nine compounds -- belonging to three chemical families -- are generally believed to function as neurotransmitters somewhere in the central nervous system (CNS) or periphery. In addition, certain other body chemicals, for example adenosine, histamine, enkephalins, endorphins, and epinephrine, have neurotransmitter-like properties, and many additional true neurotransmitters may await discovery.
The brain uses neurotransmitters to regulate the functions of the body. The hormones created in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are sent out into the body to regulate its functions. Neurotransmitters connect the entire nervous system
Drugs seem to cause surges in dopamine neurotransmitters and other pleasure brain messengers. However, the brain quickly adapts and these circuits desensitize, which allows for withdrawal symptoms to occur (3). Drug addiction works on some of the same neurobiological mechanisms that aid in learning and memories (3). "This new view of dopamine as an aid to learning rather than a pleasure mediator may help explain why many addictive drugs, which unleash massive surges of the neurotransmitter in the brain, can drive continued use without producing pleasure-as when cocaine addicts continue to take hits long after the euphoric effects of the drug have worn off or when smokers smoke after cigarettes become distasteful." (4)
Chemical messengers transmit information from nerve cells to nerve cells in the body and the brain. Your nerve cells are called neurons, and their chemical messengers are called neurotransmitters. Chemicals like hallucinogens can disrupt this communication system, and the results are changes in the way you sense the world around you. There's still a lot that scientists don't know about the effects of hallucinogens on the brain, though. Some hallucinogens occur naturally in trees, vines, seeds, fungi and leaves.
There is no doubt that there is a prevalence of substance abuse throughout several age groups. To a certain extent, a society is faced with the reality of controlling substance abuse. Or allow it run rampant throughout the community. Often times, we hear and read about the level of substance abuse among teen, young adults and mid-aged adults. Alcohol, medications, illegal drugs, and over-the-counter medicines can be both abused and misused. It is a widespread belief that age plays a role in the level of influence that drugs and alcohol diminishes. As a person becomes older, drugs and alcohol is not as influential in their loves. This widespread belief has truth. However, it is important to understand that substance abuse is still prevalent in the elderly community.
For alcohol, the neurotransmitter that is affected in the brain is GABA; an inhibitory neurotransmitter. The action of the GABA is increased when alcohol is consumed. With heroin, it binds to receptors that are originally meant for endorphins. Endorphins are naturally occurring neurotransmitters that kill pain. With continued use of heroin, the body’s ability to produce endorphins decreases, and the user needs to keep taking more and more of the drug to prevent withdrawal, because the body develops a tolerance to the drug. Methamphetamine affects the dopamine neurotransmitter in the brain, as well as the norepinephrine neurotransmitter. It affects the dopamine neurotransmitter by stopping dopamine when it is release and pumping it back to the neuron that released it.
When thinking about how drugs affect people, friends and family often focus on the visible. They see the changes in personality, financial problems, and deteriorating health. The thing they often don’t ask is how do drugs affect the brain. It’s just as important because the brain plays such an important role in addiction.
The brain is the most interesting yet complex organ in our body. It regulates our body’s basic functions form interpreting and responding to our experiences, shapes our thoughts, behavior and emotions. What is scary is that even though our brain sits at the center of all our human activity drugs can alter important brain areas that are crucial to life-sustaining functions. Drugs affect our brain by acting as a copy receptor that allows the drugs to attach onto and activate the neurons. The chemicals tap into our communication system and interrupts with the way our neurons ordinarily send, receive,
Addiction has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, from my earliest memories of my father, until now as I am a licensed professional in the field of addiction as well as a person in long term recovery myself.
Perhaps most substance abuse starts in the teen years when young people are susceptible to pressure from their peers. One of the main concerns when dealing with substance abuse is the long term problems with substance such as addiction, dependency and tolerance. The physical state of an individual, who is addicted to a substance, will deteriorate over a long period of time. This is due to the chemicals that are being put into an individual body. One of the most important aspects of the effect of substance abuse on society includes ill health, disease, sickness, and in many cases death. The impact of substance abuse not only affects individuals who abuse substances but it affects our economy. Our government resources are negatively impacted by individual who abuse substances. According to (Lagliaro 2004) the implication of drug users extend far beyond the user, often damaging their relationships with their family, community, and health workers, volunteer and wider
It has been discovered that most people who struggle with drug addiction began experimenting with drugs in their teens. Teenage drug abuse is one of the largest problems in society today and the problem grows and larger every year. Drugs are a pervasive force in our culture today. To expect kids not to be influenced by the culture of their time is as unrealistic as believing in the tooth fairy (Bauman 140). Teens may feel pressured by their friends to try drugs, they may have easy access to drugs, they may use drugs to rebel against their family or society, or they may take an illegal drug because they are curious about it or the pleasure that it gives them.
Dubuc, B. (2002, September). How drugs affect neurotransmitters. In The brain from top to bottom. Retrieved December 1, 2013
Drug addiction is a very big problem in today’s society. Many people have had their lives ruined due to drug addiction. The people that use the drugs don’t even realize that they have an addiction. They continue to use the drug not even realizing that their whole world is crashing down around them. Drug addicts normally lose their family and friends due to drug addiction.