...and in case you’re
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wondering
How come one of the common side effects of ecstasy is depression? The reason ecstasy produces such a noticeable high is because it stimulates production of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that controls mood. However, it doesn’t take the brain too long to figure out it is out of balance, so it reacts by preventing serotonin from being absorbed by the brain. Because serotonin is needed to keep our moods balanced, in its absence we feel down and depressed. How does smoking marijuana affect your lungs? Aside from THC (the active chemical in marijuana that gets you “high,” there are over 400 other chemicals in marijuana, many of which are also found in tobacco smoke. Prolonged use of marijuana has the same effect on the lungs as smoking cigarettes. What influence does frequent pot smoking have on your short-term memory? Smoking marijuana interferes with one’s ability to process and retain information and to concentrate. This makes it difficult to study and absorb information in school. Forgetfulness is also common, as is losing one’s train of thought easily. What are some of the signs of a physical dependency to a substance? Physical dependency occurs when your body is so used to drugs that it
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gets really sick without them. Withdrawal, the body’s reaction to not getting the drug, is a sign of physical dependency. Withdrawal symptoms depend on the drug. For stimulant drugs like cocaine and crystal meth, withdrawal usually entails depression, lack of energy and fatigue. For depressant drugs, like alcohol and heroin, the withdrawal symptoms are usually shaking, sweating, headaches and nausea. Withdrawal effects usually last up to a week. Tolerance is also a sign of physical dependency. This is when the same amount of the drug that used to get you high/drunk is no longer enough, and your body needs larger or more frequent doses.
What are some of the signs of a psychological dependency on a substance? Psychological dependency means that while your body might not necessarily need drugs, you have trouble coping with everyday life without drugs. Drugs start to be used to manage stress, deal with boredom and give you a lift in your mood, and without them, anxiety, irritability, and emotional flatness is experienced. What are the potential risks of the following methods of taking drugs by injection? Infections such as HIV and Hepatitis C are easily transmitted through sharing needles used to inject drugs. Overdose is also a risk, as the purity of street drugs is often not known to
the user, and injection delivers the drugs directly into the bloodstream.
How does doing drugs affect school? Drugs affect school in all kinds of ways. First of all, the time spent doing drugs, being high and trying to get drugs doesn’t leave a lot of time left for going to class regularly and doing homework. Also, drugs interrupt our ability to concentrate and retain information, making it difficult to learn and remember important material for tests. Most people with problem drug use start to notice their grades dropping; some people stop going to school altogether when drugs start to take over. Do drugs really kill brain cells? There is no doubt that drug use alters brain chemistry and can slow down normal processes, but there are only two types of drugs that actually kill brain cells beyond repair: inhalants (gasoline, solvents, glue, etc.) and alcohol. Yes, it’s true: alcohol is not the fun-and-games all those beer commercials would like you to believe it is. Again, it is not usually one factor that is the cause of drug use. Usually, it is a combination of two or more factors from each list. As a general rule: encouraging environment + at risk person + access to drugs = problem drug use. ////
DRUGS & ADDICTION: FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW