Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the most easily accessible toxic substances. Its use in social life is also quite common due to the influence of culture. While some people only consume alcohol in a controlled manner, for others alcohol use becomes an addiction that needs to be treated. In order to understand whether alcohol use causes a problem, it is necessary not only to look at whether the person drinks alcohol regularly, but also whether his social life is affected by alcohol. This includes disrupting one's duties at school, work or home, not being able to go to work or school because of alcohol, physically endangering oneself or others by using machinery or vehicles under the influence of alcohol, relational problems caused by alcohol, arguments with other people, fights, alcohol-related problems. Legal problems are indicators that alcohol use is heading towards addiction.
When alcohol is taken on an empty stomach, it mixes with the blood within the first 5 minutes and reaches all organs, including the brain, after 90 seconds. The direct effects of alcohol on the brain include lowering the body's metabolic rate, speech difficulties, loss of clarity in vision, weakening of reflexes, weakening of decision-making and reasoning power, sleep disorders, and when taken in high doses, it can cause the death of brain cells and the cells that nourish the brain. Alcohol is also an important factor in liver disorders.
Some Facts About Alcohol
Alcohol should not be used to solve sleep problems. Alcohol eliminates REM sleep, thus causing poor quality sleep.
Alcohol does not improve sexual performance. On the contrary, it causes erection in men and numbness in women. It prevents or delays reaching orgasm.
It is likely to occur together with another psychological disorder such as depression and mania.
Since women's body chemistry is different, it is possible for them to be affected by alcohol even with lower doses. For the same reason, women are more likely to have alcohol problems. Alcohol Addiction can be treated with individual and family therapy. In advanced cases, inpatient treatment may also be required.
Amphetamine
Amphetamines (alpha-methyl-phenethylamine), used by physicians to treat narcolepsy, attention deficit and hyperactivity, cause addiction when used uncontrolled. The most typical effects are a feeling of increased performance, weight loss, and paranoid thoughts. The substance creates a state of extreme arousal in the person after being taken through the mouth, nose or vein. After use, a painful withdrawal phase is experienced; anxiety, tremors, muscle cramps, nightmares, stomach aches, constant hunger and dissatisfaction are observed. After long-term use, psychotic disorders, hallucinations and paranoid disorders occur.
Caffeine
It is one of the most commonly used substances that affects the psychological state with its use. Excessive use can lead to addiction called caffeinism. Caffeine is a substance that creates habits and tolerance develops. Excessive use disrupts sleep patterns depending on the person's substance-taking habit. For example, less effect is seen in people with high daily use. While it has positive properties such as increasing attention and concentration in low doses, it can have the opposite effects when used in high doses. "Relaxing" by drinking a cup of coffee is something many people do and it does no harm, but the risk of addiction to caffeine, which is a powerful psychological stimulus, should not be ignored. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola drinks and painkillers. It may also support nicotine addiction as a result of usage habits.
cannabis
Cannabis, also known as Cannabis or Marijuana, is a green or gray mixture formed by drying and crumbling the flowers and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa. It is known as "weed" in slang (other known names are grass, pot, herb, weed, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, chronic). It is smoked as a cigarette (called a cigarette holder or joint) or in a pipe, stick, and sometimes It is mixed into food (cookies, etc.) or into tea to brew. When smoked, its effect begins in 10-20 minutes and lasts for 2-3 hours. When taken orally, its potency is 1/3, but its effect lasts for 12 hours. Because cannabis is gummy and insoluble in water, it cannot be made into an injectable preparation and therefore cannot be taken intravenously.
The short-term effects of marijuana include memory and learning difficulties, perception disorder, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination, increased heart rate, anxiety, hallucinations and panic attacks, as well as the pleasure effect (high) it gives. In some people, intense emotional depression without other physical symptoms. , paranoia, delusions, depression and panic occur. These effects can last hours or days. This effect is more common in people who are prone to anxiety or psychosis. Regular marijuana users experience similar respiratory problems as smokers. The amount of tar and CO taken with marijuana is 3-5 times more than with cigarettes. This may be due to the deeper inhalation of cannabis and its retention in the lungs. Marijuana increases heart rate and blood pressure. This effect is much more pronounced when used with cocaine. Withdrawal symptoms: emotional lability, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, sweating. A sudden and very strong desire to use the substance again is observed.
Some facts about marijuana
It is thought that marijuana is harmless because it is herbal, but on the contrary, it should not be forgotten that there are many poisonous plants in nature.
It is thought that marijuana users will not switch to other drugs; on the contrary, many of those addicted to other substances have switched from marijuana.
It is thought that the effect of marijuana wears off in a few hours, on the contrary, since marijuana can be stored in the body, its effect can last for days or weeks.
Marijuana is thought to be a tool for relaxation, but on the contrary, like other drugs, it delays a person's ability to confront his problems.
It is thought that marijuana opens the mind, on the contrary, people under the influence of marijuana experience mental confusion, difficulty in memory, speech, understanding and decision-making.
Cocaine
Cocaine is a substance that becomes addictive in a very short time and is not a substance used only by the upper classes, as is thought. The substance taken by snorting or injecting is addictive in both forms of use.
Cocaine is immediate-acting and its effects last between half an hour and an hour. Addicts have to take the substance repeatedly to maintain the effect. With cocaine, a feeling of euphoria, increased energy, hyperactivity, talkativeness, anxiety, tension, anger, overconfidence, impaired judgment, and dangerous sexual behavior may be observed.
The permanent effects of cocaine are deformation that may progress to perforation in the nose, lung problems, contracting infectious diseases such as AIDS as a result of intravenous use, cardiovascular problems, cerebral hemorrhage, epileptic seizures, and sudden deaths, especially when cocaine and heroin are used together (known as speedball). . A state of depression called (crash) occurs 30-60 minutes after use. During this time, people experience fatigue, unpleasant dreams, insomnia or excessive sleepiness, increased appetite, stagnation or restlessness and irritability.
When quitting cocaine, the greatest desire to use the substance again is felt. When the substance is stopped, the risk of suicide occurs or increases. When cocaine addicts quit the substance, they try to get rid of withdrawal symptoms with other substances such as alcohol, sedatives, sleeping pills, and benzodiazepines.
Nicotine
Nicotine is an addictive substance like heroin and cocaine. Nicotine is a very powerful poison in liquid form and injection of even a single drop can lead to death. Nicotine causes the development of cigarette addiction, but the real harmful thing is cigarette smoke. In addition to nicotine, cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 substances, 43 of which are carcinogenic. Smoking is one of the leading preventable causes of death today. It can cause respiratory diseases in children, especially if young children breathe in cigarette smoke. While smoking reduces fertility in women, smoking by pregnant women increases the risk of miscarriage. Developmental disorders are also seen in the children of women who smoke during pregnancy. Smoking causes many diseases such as shortness of breath, asthma attacks, impotence, infertility, heart attack, stroke, lung and other organ cancers (larynx, mouth, pharynx, esophagus, pancreas, cervix and bone marrow), and chronic bronchitis.
Volatile Substances
We can define volatile substances as adhesives such as thinner, honey, and substances such as gasoline and acetone. These substances are absorbed into the cloth or filled into a bag and then the vapor is inhaled. They have a high addictive effect. Since it is easy to access and cheap, its use is common in very young age groups, children and young people. Its effects begin 5 minutes after use and can last from a few minutes to several hours. Dizziness, impaired judgment, speech difficulties, staggering, visual disturbances, and loss of consciousness that may lead to coma are the effects seen as a result of volatile substance use. It directly damages the brain and can also lead to the development of delirium, permanent dementia and psychotic disorders in those who use volatile substances, which impair the young person's cognitive abilities such as learning and judgment.
References: dbe.com.tr