Category: Illegal Drugs

Signs of drug addiction at physiological level

It is not possible to know, whether a person is addicted to drugs or not. But a few symptoms may expose such an unwanted situation. Read this to know about them.Drug addiction is one of the worst things that is manipulating the youths in the most negative way. Sometimes, the level of addiction is acute enough to kill the person, who is addicted to it.

This addiction can be stopped in many ways. But, as everybody knows that, prevention is better than cure, this article solely deals with the ways to prevent drug addiction. But it should be noted that, if one person is addicted to drugs, then that person should immediately be taken to any organization, who can eradicate this problem. Psychological treatment will not work, once a person gets too much addicted to drugs.

The reasons and the symptoms of drug addiction

Before telling the ways to eradicate the problem, we should peep into the psychology that make a person addicted. The reason, one may get addicted is nothing other than hopelessness. When a person feels hopeless for some reason or the other, one may try drug intake, which, in the long run may lead to severe addiction.

Our research results

Hence, one should give oneself more time before taking such decisions. According to our research as newspsychology it has been found that, 70 out of 100 men who got addicted are due to hopelessness and lack of support. Though, it’s not possible for other persons to know, whether a person will start the drug intake or not, but at the very first stage of drug addiction, one may behave in an improper manner, talk less, or sleep more.

These are the few symptoms, which trigger acute drug addiction. Thus, when you observe your near and dear ones, in such a situation, it is time to take steps and our research work can help you significantly.

Cocaine addiction and a history of cocaine

Cocaine is an extremely addictive drug that has caused many families to break off and have ended several lives as well. Let us look at a background profile on this substance.

Cocaine, a notoriously addictive white powder, is derived from the leaves of the coca plant found in southern United States of America and South America. These leaves were used in earlier times by the Mayans to act as a brain stimulant. But knowledge of other qualities of these leaves was spread all across Europe after Spain conquered South America.

Usually considered to be a brain stimulant, there are many ways of ingesting cocaine, as has been shown in our previous studies. It can be smoked, injection in to the blood vessels, or sniffed or snorted through the nose. Devoid of the way that it is consumed, the effects of cocaine in any form is always the same. But it has been seen from research that out of the total global population, almost 90% uses it as a brain stimulant, whereas the remaining 10% uses cocaine as an addictive drug, who frequently take the drug, say, every week.

The immediate after effects of cocaine are irritation and excitement, along with restlessness and lack of sleep. The following state of effects includes hyper anxiety, delusions and extreme irritation and short temper. The delusion part mainly feels like insects crawling on the skin of the addict. The physiological disorders faced by a cocaine addict usually include high blood pressure, fast breathing, highly dilated pupils and increased heart rate.

Cocaine treatment is a simple medical and psychological procedure to cure cocaine addiction in the best possible way. We have added more details about our research work at newspsychology. There are several drug rehabs all over the country that help people to get rid of their addiction. Several psychologists and doctors are present at these rehabs, and they are always ready to help out an addict in getting cured and getting better. Every addict has the right to get rid of his or her addiction – and that is what these rehab centres do.

Crystal meth leads to several mental disorders

The effects of crystal meth, better known as ice or crack, on an addicts mind can be extremely dangerous, and must be cured right away using the right treatment processes.

The adverse effects suffered by people addicted to crystal meth can easily be diagnosed with just your naked eye. These effects can prove to be fatal for any addict and his or her entire family. The drug, also known as crack or ice, can dry up your gums and skin, which ultimately leads to tooth decay and a scarred face, caused by continuous scratching.

Such symptoms and adverse effects can only be reversed by crystal meth treatment, which can help the addict to gradually regain his normalcy. The problem is much more complicated, because addiction to crystal meth is quite difficult to prevent or cure. The form of crystal meth treatment that is required has to be compassionate as well knowledgeable about the circumstances that led the person towards the world of addiction in the first place.

As per our studies, many emotional and mental effects can arise from addiction to crystal meth. The addict may become irresponsible and may not have any love and compassion for his or her family, including the children. Often, due to this addiction, these people are led towards the path of a criminal, simply because they need to buy crack.

A single crystal meth puff gives approximately a 24 hour hallucinogenic effect, and this sets it apart from the one or two hours high given by cocaine and heroin. These long periods of hallucinating leads several mental disorders such violence, suicidal beliefs, suicidal tendencies, paranoia, dissociative identity disorder, etc.

These mental problems must be cured with proper crystal meth treatment processes, or else the addict may go into a stage where he or she cannot be treated anymore. We at news psychology have conducted social experiments and have come to the conclusion that, the addict’s family must always be beside him or her and help out during the treatment process. This will not only increase the rate of the treatment, but will also ensure that no future addiction occurs.

Interesting Facts About Psychedelic Drugs

Psychiatric treatment often consists of meditation, counselling, speech therapy, group therapy, and usually other non-intrusive drugs. However, there are some interesting facts that you might want to know about psychedelic drugs.

When talking about psychedelic drugs, people usually become weary, because it is associated with substance abuse. However, it is important to understand what psychedelic drugs actually are. These drugs are such that they alter the perception and the cognitive powers of the mind of the person who takes these drugs. Because of the substance which you take, you might also start to hallucinate, and have an out-of-body experience, because of which they are also known as hallucinogens. However, most people fail to notice some important positive effects of the psychedelic drugs, which are even used to treat some important psychiatric disorders of the mind.

Examples of Benefits of Psychedelic Drugs

After careful research, www.newspsychology.com has discovered that some of the drugs, which are conventionally considered harmful, are actually beneficial for certain psychological problems. For examples-

  • Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD is an established cure for anxiety and even acute depression, which is a psychological problem that people suffer from quite commonly.
  • There are also other drugs such as MDMA which in colloquial language is known as ‘ecstasy’ which have been found to cure severe social psychological problems such as anxiety, nervousness, and other psychological symptoms which may result from disease such as autism.
  • Psilocybin is another common drug which people think is harmful. However, it cures important psychological disorders such as smoking, etc.
  • Ayahuasca is another drug which is used to treat drug addiction and addiction to other things quite frequently.

Thus, it has been seen that the drugs, when prescribed in right amounts, can help you recover from some very serious psychological problems. However, there is a fine between drugs for medication and substance abuse, so it should be prescribed to only those individuals who have the ability to handle it. 

Effect of marijuana in human life

Marijuana is a powerful drug which most of the time used as addiction. It has several effects on human psychology. Proper and medical use can make marijuana a good medicine.

Basically marijuana is one kind of herbs which can be used for drug. It can be absorbed as liquid or can be smoked. Here is a controversy about the use of this herb. It can be used as a medicine or a drug but depends on the use how it is absorbed.

Marijuana is commonly known as “cannabis”. Marijuana is a preparation that is intendment to use as a medicine and psychoactive drug. It is often used for effect which heightened mood for relaxation.

But modern use of cannabis is recreational or medical use. But the medical use of marijuana is disputed. Excess consumption of marijuana caused lower blood pressure increasing of heartbeat rate, short term of memory loss and lake of concentration.

Long term effect of marijuana

There is a debate of long term use of it. It can create psychological problem like irresponsible behaviour, negative changes in attention and short term amnesia.

Higher level and frequent use can cause mental imbalance. It creates unnecessary anxiety. It creates depressive disorder. It also has effect on physical health. It can causes brain damage. According to our research at here, excess use of it can be carcinogenic. It is difficult to establish a connection between cancer and cannabis. But there is a rear chance of cancer risk because it affects lung function badly.

A small number of studies show that it increases mortality rate. Consumption of it in pregnancy time can restrict the growth, deficit of offspring and leads to miscarriage. It makes people manic and create suicidal tendency. To get out of it person needs proper counselling and consultation.

Teenagers and Prescription Drug Abuse!

The current study recruited teens in shopping malls across the United States, asking them to complete a web-based questionnaire on their use of substances including alcohol, tobacco, and both legal and illegal drugs. They were also asked whether they struggled with anxiety, felt a desire to be popular, sought out exciting activities, and what level of risk they associated with prescription drugs.
 
Legal drugs such as OxyContin now kill more people than heroin and cocaine combined. While awareness of the dangers of illegal drugs has increased, many teens are still ignorant of the significant physical danger posed by legally prescribed drugs, according to a new study.
 
On the whole, prescription drug use increased in direct proportion to psychological states such as anxiety, and use of other restricted substances such as alcohol. Under some conditions, however, prescription drug abuse accelerated exponentially, such as when the level of anxiety or desire to be popular was at its very highest.
 
"Teens need help before they reach these tipping points for prescription drug abuse. Adults spotting teens with very high levels of anxiety and at least moderate use of other restricted substances should realize that these are students with a high likelihood of prescription drug abuse. Male teens with a high need to be popular and teens in general appear to be at exceptional risk. Campaigns must target parents as well, since they clearly underestimate both the physical risks of prescription drugs and the likelihood that their children will abuse these drugs," conclude the authors.
 

Story Source

  1. This story is based on materials provided by American Marketing Association (AMA). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Referance

  1. Richard Netemeyer, Scot Burton, Barbara Delaney, Gina Hijjawi. The Legal High: Factors Affecting Young Consumers' Risk Perceptions and Abuse of Prescription Drugs. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 2014; 150114105810009 DOI: 10.1509/jppm.14.073

How the cocaine works in the brain?

Cocaine works by increasing the amount of dopamine, a chemical associated with feelings of pleasure, in the brain. Dopamine is part of the brain's reward pathway, and it's released to encourage animals to repeat behaviors, typically those that are key for survival such as eating and reproduction. Researchers have known that cocaine blocks the brain's ability to reabsorb dopamine, increasing its excitatory effects on neurons of the drug reward pathway.
 
In the new study, the research team shows that cocaine's impact on neurons does not fully explain the drug's dramatic effects on reward. In laboratory studies involving rats and mice, the scientists demonstrated that a second mechanism in the brain potently contributes to the abuse potential of cocaine. The second mechanism centers on glial cells, the key component of the brain's immune system. Cocaine binds to glial cells at a location called Toll Like Receptor 4 (TLR4). The glial cells then trigger an inflammatory response in the brain, exciting neurons and further increasing the amount of dopamine pumped into the brain.
 
"We've demonstrated conclusively that cocaine interacts with TLR4 to produce a pro-inflammatory effect in the brain," said Alexis Northcutt, a CU-Boulder research associate in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and lead author of the paper. "The effect is necessary to convey the drug's rewarding effects. Without it, reward is greatly reduced."
The research team found that blocking the ability of cocaine to bind to TLR4 dramatically reduces the rewarding effects of cocaine. That finding suggests that blocking TLR4 on glial cells could be a therapeutic approach for treating drug abuse.
 
Previous research in the lab of CU-Boulder Professor Linda Watkins, the senior author of this study, has shown that a drug known as (+)-naltrexone, can be used to keep opioids from binding to TLR4.
 
"We found the same results when studying cocaine, which means the same drug, (+)-naltrexone, might be useful for treating a wider range of drug addictions," Watkins said. "The exciting news is that this drug is already in development by Xalud Therapeutics."
 
San Francisco-based Xalud Therapeutics, a CU-Boulder spinoff company based on Watkins' research, is currently moving (+)-naltrexone toward human clinical trials.
The research was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and the Department of Defense, as well as the Australian Research Council.

Story Source

  1. The above story is based on materials provided by University of Colorado at Boulder. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Referance

  1. A L Northcutt, M R Hutchinson, X Wang, M V Baratta, T Hiranita, T A Cochran, M B Pomrenze, E L Galer, T A Kopajtic, C M Li, J Amat, G Larson, D C Cooper, Y Huang, C E O'Neill, H Yin, N R Zahniser, J L Katz, K C Rice, S F Maier, R K Bachtell, L R Watkins. DAT isn’t all that: cocaine reward and reinforcement require Toll-like receptor 4 signaling. Molecular Psychiatry, 2015; DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.177

The medical marijuana liquid is hope for epilepsy children

The study involved 213 people, ranging from toddlers to adults, with a median age of 11 who had severe epilepsy that did not respond to other treatments. Participants had Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, epilepsy types that can lead to intellectual disability and lifelong seizures, as well as 10 other types of severe epilepsy. The participants were given the drug cannabidiol, a component of marijuana that does not include the psychoactive part of the plant that creates a "high." The drug is a liquid taken daily by mouth. Participants all knew they were receiving the drug in the open-label study, which was designed to determine whether the drug was safe and tolerated well.
 
Researchers also measured the number of seizures participants had while taking the drug. For the 137 people who completed the 12-week study, the number of seizures decreased by an average of 54 percent from the beginning of the study to the end. Among the 23 people with Dravet syndrome who finished the study, the number of convulsive seizures had gone down by 53 percent by the end of the study. For the 11 people with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome who finished the study, there was a 55 percent reduction in the number of atonic seizures, which cause a sudden loss of muscle tone.
 
A total of 12 people, or 6 percent, stopped taking the drug due to side effects. Side effects that occurred in more than 10 percent of participants included drowsiness (21 percent), diarrhea (17 percent), tiredness (17 percent) and decreased appetite (16 percent).
 
Study author Orrin Devinsky, MD, of New York University Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, said that these are early findings and larger, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials are needed to measure the effectiveness of the drug.
 
"So far there have been few formal studies on this marijuana extract," Devinsky said. "These results are of great interest, especially for the children and their parents who have been searching for an answer for these debilitating seizures."
The study was supported by GW Pharmaceuticals.

Story Source

  1. The above story is based on materials provided by American Academy of Neurology (AAN). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
 

Research reveals decline in illicit drug abuse; Prescription drug abuse on the rise

Research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY™ 2012 annual meeting showed while there has been an encouraging decline in illicit drug abuse across most major metropolitan areas in recent years, prescription drug abuse is climbing.

"Examining trends among various geographical areas, highlighting problem areas and possibly illuminating patterns that may remain otherwise hidden on a larger national level will help determine if we've stemmed the tide of prescription drug abuse or if a national epidemic has surfaced," said study author Asokumar Buvanendran M.D., Rush University Medical Center and Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Chicago.

About the Study

Emergency department drug abuse-related visits were extracted from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) over three years (2007-09) for 11 major metropolitan areas (plus a combined "other" category of various smaller regions). Two types of drug abuse visits were examined; those associated with prescription drugs (e.g., pain medications such as OxyContin®) and those associated with illicit "street" drugs (e.g., heroin, cocaine, etc).

In 2007, the percentage of emergency department visits identifying the involvement of illicit drug abuse (36 percent) was consistently higher than prescription drug abuse (20 percent) for all metro areas except the Phoenix region. Among the metropolitan areas, rates of illicit drug abuse varied in magnitude considerably more than prescription drug abuse. Prescription drug abuse rates were more consistent across metropolitan areas but still displayed a few spikes, with higher rates in Houston (33 percent) and Phoenix (27 percent).

Change over time from 2007-09, for illicit drug abuse, showed a consistent downward trend for all metro areas (8 percent overall), while prescription drug abuse rates over this same time period changed much less, showing a slightly increasing trend (2 percent) with some areas increasing while others decrease.

Overall, in the U.S. the percentage of visits for illicit drug abuse decreased (2007: 36 percent, 2008: 32 percent, 2009: 28 percent) while prescription drug abuse visits increased (2007: 20 percent, 2008: 21 percent, 2009: 22 percent) and the total number of "visits" were: 2007: 301,000; 2008: 352,000; and 2009: 280,000.

"The harsh reality is prescription drug abuse has become a growing problem in our society," said Dr. Buvanendran. "We hope the results of this study will aid physicians in effectively treating patients who struggle with prescription drug abuse, as well as encourage widespread patient education about the safe use, storage and disposal of medications."

Boosting natural marijuana-like brain chemicals treats fragile X syndrome symptoms

— American and European scientists have found that increasing natural marijuana-like chemicals in the brain can help correct behavioral issues related to fragile X syndrome, the most common known genetic cause of autism.

The work indicates potential treatments for anxiety and cognitive defects in people with this condition. Results appear online in Nature Communications.

Daniele Piomelli of UC Irvine and Olivier Manzoni of INSERM, the French national research agency, led the study, which identified compounds that inhibit enzymes blocking endocannabinoid transmitters called 2-AG in the striatum and cortex regions of the brain.

These transmitters allow for the efficient transport of electrical signals at synapses, structures through which information passes between neurons. In fragile X syndrome, regional synapse communication is severely limited, giving rise to certain cognitive and behavioral problems.

Fragile X syndrome is caused by a mutation of the FMR1 gene on the X chromosome. People born with it are mentally disabled; generally experience crawling, walking and language delays; tend to avoid eye contact; may be hyperactive or impulsive; and have such notable physical characteristics as an elongated face, flat feet and large ears.

The researchers stress that their findings, while promising, do not point to a cure for the condition.

"What we hope is to one day increase the ability of people with fragile X syndrome to socialize and engage in normal cognitive functions," said Piomelli, a UCI professor of anatomy & neurobiology and the Louise Turner Arnold Chair in the Neurosciences.

The study involved mice genetically altered with FMR1 mutations that exhibited symptoms of fragile X syndrome. Treated with novel compounds that correct 2-AG protein signaling in brain cells, these mice showed dramatic behavioral improvements in maze tests measuring anxiety and open-space acceptance.

While other work has focused on pharmacological treatments for behavioral issues associated with fragile X syndrome, Piomelli noted that this is the first to identify the role endocannabinoids play in the neurobiology of the condition.

About endocannabinoids

Endocannabinoid compounds are created naturally in the body and share a similar chemical structure with THC, the primary psychoactive component of the marijuana plant, Cannabis. Endocannabinoids are distinctive because they link with protein molecule receptors — called cannabinoid receptors — on the surface of cells. For instance, when a person smokes marijuana, the cannabinoid THC activates these receptors. Because the body's natural cannabinoids control a variety of factors — such as pain, mood and appetite — they're attractive targets for drug discovery and development. Piomelli is one of the world's leading endocannabinoid researchers. His groundbreaking work is showing that this system can be exploited by new treatments to combat anxiety, pain, depression and obesity.

Journal Reference:

  1. Kwang-Mook Jung, Marja Sepers, Christopher M. Henstridge, Olivier Lassalle, Daniela Neuhofer, Henry Martin, Melanie Ginger, Andreas Frick, Nicholas V. DiPatrizio, Ken Mackie, Istvan Katona, Daniele Piomelli, Olivier J. Manzoni. Uncoupling of the endocannabinoid signalling complex in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome. Nature Communications, 2012; 3: 1080 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2045