Category: Australia

Binge drinking leaves you open to a whole host of problems that are far more damaging than a sore head and a lousy hangover.

What is binge drinking?

Different countries class binge drinking in different ways, but a general and accurate description is the practice of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol in a short space of time. It also applies to the many people who go out with the sole intention of getting drunk. Continue reading “Binge Drinking And Brain Damage” →

Let’s get straight to it: Dabble with Ice and you are asking for a struggle with dependence that will lead you a long way down before there is any sign of up! Harsh but very, very true.

Here are some of the things that must be understood about a drug that certainly gives you a rocket ride, but offers a 1^st class, non-stop ticket to addiction.

What’s in a name:

Ice is derived from the chemical methamphetamine hydrochloride. It is the purest and most potent form of methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine is originally produced in powder form, but a synthesizing process takes it from powerful powder to sizzling small rocks that resemble chips of ice.

Continue reading “The Slippery Ice Trail” →

Welcome back. I trust you have read our previous article about drugs, what are they and how they affect our brains. If not, feel free to catch up on it right here.

Today, we will identify all the different types of drugs and why are they separated in such a manner. We will look deeper into their effect on human body, their after-effects, and results of long-term abuse. There are seven types of drugs that have been globally recognized and all drugs fall into one of these seven classifications. The basis of this classification is the parts of our brain that they interact with, and how they affect the brain chemistry. All of these seven can be further separated into so-called “uppers” and “downers”, but that is way too rough of an analysis, so without further ado, here are the seven types of drugs that plague addicts on a daily basis.

Cannabinoids

Seems like a good place to start. Considered by many as the least disruptive and dangerous of all drug types. Cannabis and its derivatives are not all innocent, however, they may not be as addictive as cocaine or do not destroy the careful equilibrium of the human brain chemical balance in such destructive way as heroin would, but there are plenty of issues that come with cannabinoid addiction. It generally impairs the user’s social life and ability to function at peak cognitive performance. Cannabinoids, specifically Marijuana is usually smoked yet it can also be eaten or brewed into a tea. It contains Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC as it is known by most. This is the active ingredient in Marijuana that makes the user feel relaxed, a sense of euphoria, increased appetite and reduced reaction times and motor functions.

Hallucinogens

These type of drugs affect the user in a myriad of different ways. The most prominent are their ability to change the perception of the user. Colors seem more vivid, tastes seem more pronounced and the person feels at peace and connected with people and things around him. Drugs such as Peyote, LSD, and Psilocybin-containing mushrooms are all considered hallucinogens. In high enough doses these drugs may cause the user to hallucinate, see things that are not there. The user to a bystander may seem calm and reserved but these drugs usually stimulate thinking and idea generation. A person high on hallucinogens can stare at a blank wall and marvel in its beauty.

A chemical our brains produce naturally called “Serotonin” is actively used up in conjunction with this type of drug. It correlates to how friendly or moody a person is and also can impact their appetite, body temperature, and various social behaviors. It is not unheard of to witness a person high on hallucinogens embarrassing themselves in public while doing something that they feel is completely normal and adequate.

Inhalants

This is a very brain damaging class of drugs. Usually, they are not even drugs but regular household items repurposed for their effects when inhaled. Paint thinner, gasoline, hair spray and much more canned and pressurized everyday products. They induce euphoria and short bursts of relaxation but is very dangerous as they directly starve the human brain of oxygen and saturate it with chemicals that are meant to clean rust or as an adhesive. Long term users turn into so called “zombies” because they erode away their own brain and when high are very lethargic and generally out of connection with the world around them.

Central Nervous System Depressants

Probably the most widely used type of drugs are the CNSD type drugs. They include alcohol, barbiturates and various anti-anxiety drugs such as Thorazine, Xanax, and Valium. They depress or slow down your bodies central nervous system, slowing down reaction time and severely impairing motor functions. Vestibular apparatus in your brain is no longer able to maintain equilibrium and the user suffers from an inability to hold their balance and gave general difficulty walking and maintaining a coherent thought. Slurred speech, blurry vision and impaired ability to perform precision tasks with their hands are also a very common result of CNSD type drug use. The human body, liver, in particular, is very adaptive to this kind of drugs, which is both a blessing and a curse. Over time it becomes more efficient in filtering and detoxifying the body of these substances and build up a tolerance to them. This means that an addict needs more of it each time it is used, which sadly can result in critical liver failure and death. The lethal dose still remains the same, it’s just that the effects a drug user is expecting are not as prominent anymore so he uses more and overdose is a very real threat.

Opiates

These type of drugs directly interact with your opioid receptors in your brain. They are also called Narcotic Analgesics and have been used throughout history as sedative and pain relief medicine. This class includes such drugs as Hydrocodone, Opium, Codeine, OxyCotin, Morphine and Heroin. There is a long list of prescription drugs that contain opiates or their active ingredients, so listing them all here would be madness. These drugs provide the user with sleepiness or drowsiness as well as intense pleasure and contentedness with the world around them. The so-called opium dens used to be very popular, it was a place for rich and wealthy to smoke opium pipes and lounge on mountains of pillows dreaming their life away. These drugs are the usual choice of people running from something, trying to escape life’s harsh realities.

Central Nervous System Stimulants

A complete opposite of CNSD type drugs, these elevate blood pressure and release chemicals that make you more awake and aware. The user of this type of drug is usually seen hyperactive and can not focus on something for a long period of time. Good examples of these drugs are Cocaine, Methamphetamines, Ritalin, and Crack. They stimulate the user and provide intense waves of pleasure and a general feeling of invincibility. This drains the energy of the human body and come-downs from these drugs are usually very hard and feel like the worst hangover in the world, accompanied by intense fatigue.

Dissociative Anesthetics

Last, but definitely not least, these type of drugs were also used as a type of anesthetic or sedative. They work in a different and quite a bit more intrusive way to combat pain. Where Opiates suppress the pain, DA type drugs cuts it off completely. Drugs like Dextromethorphan, Ketamine, and PCP are few from this class. There have been cases where a drug addict high on PCP has been charging a police officer with aggressive intentions, been shot numerous times in the chest and abdomen but is still able to continue the assault. Until blood loss and organ failure catches up and no amount of pain-blocking drugs can keep a person up. Dextromethorphan or DXM for short can be found in over-the-counter cough syrup and cough suppressing medication, which makes it very accessible and even more dangerous.

This concludes our overview of what drugs are, what types of them are out there and how they affect you and your brain. If you identify yourself as an addict of any one of these drugs, seek help. It is never too late to find a reason to live. Drug addiction leads only one way – down. With the help of professionals and like-minded individuals, anyone can climb out of the abyss of addiction.

Temptation is with us daily. As long as there is something that a person would rather do instead of the thing he is doing, there will always be a temptation. For non-addicts, this may manifest in nothing particularly harmful – that extra slice of pie, season tickets for your sport of choice, making a detour on your way home just so you could pick up a drink from your favorite coffee shop. For an addict, it can mean a wasted potential, trashed house because you realized what you have done and in blind rage and panic you threw everything at the wall, deep and disturbing depression and a complete lack of self-worth. You are back to square one, after all, so what is the point, right?
Not the end of the world.

Contrary to what most relapsed addicts might believe at first, their mistake is neither surprise nor the end of their or anyone else’s world. It is simply a statistic. Most people will relapse since it is more of a question of “when”, rather than “if”. It is also a myth that if a full and dedicated inpatient rehabilitation program is completed and the recovering addict is checked out due to his therapist deeming him ready to return to the world at large, there is less chance of relapse taking place. Temptation is something we all live with and will encounter sooner or later. Statistically, most relapses take place withing first 90 days of rehab course completion. People return to their normal lives and often find themselves surrounded by the same factors that drove them to addiction, to begin with. Old friends who still dabble in drugs, a school bully or a particularly dysfunctional family situation. It can be something as simple and innocent as a smell, a feeling or a combination of these things. For example, if you always had a cigarette after you had your heroin shot, odds are next time you are sitting at your usual shooting-up spot and light a cigarette, your brain will put the two and two together and nag at the back of your mind “hold on, I should be high on heroin right about now”. It can be any number of reasons – poor planning of aftercare, boredom, stress or even overconfidence.

This 90 day danger period is usually followed up by the rehab through various outpatient check-up or relapse prevention programs. This is to make the transition from the serene and peaceful environment of an inpatient rehab to an outpatient one. It is to ensure the patient still retains structure, discipline, and order in their lives.

Double down.

It is important to understand that a relapse can serve as a great benefit to the addict’s well-being in the long run. For many to become addiction free and then to return to its destructive grasp through a bad relapse is the wake-up call they needed to remind them why they wanted to become clean in the first place. A relapse in these cases temper the recovering addicts resolve like red-hot steel is made harder by plunging it into ice cold water. Adversity grows character, any army drill sergeant will attest to that. There is a reason why instructors in countless military organizations worldwide believe that to make a great soldier, first you must break him. A relapse can serve the same purpose if the addict chooses it.

To have a breakthrough, a breakdown is sometimes necessary. A relapse that is turned around and used as fuel to re-ignite the recovering addict can be a great asset in identifying the flaws in the existing rehabilitation program and their individual plan. This trial by fire can be used to highlight the cracks that allowed it to happen, and a new and improved rehab plan can be devised and implemented to further ensure that no more relapses will take hold and the path to addiction recovery remains clear.

 

A problem is only as big as you allow it to be. A relapse can be fatal and utterly destructive. It can also be a reason to double down and become stronger, to identify flaws in oneself and be able to work on them with renewed energy and determination. Don’t let your mistakes rule you, own up and rise above them.

When someone asks you, what are drugs, the first thing you think, of course, are all the movie and mass media classics – cocaine, heroin, and meth. However, many do not understand, that people who have never touched a snorting tube, a syringe or a pipe have also been using drugs. Unless you have never been ill, you too have used drugs sometime in the past.

To put it simply, a drug is a substance that affects the human body and brain in a physiological way when used. Since they affect the human brain in such a profound way, many of these drugs also have a “knock-on” effect that reaches beyond physiology. They can break the brain chemistry balance and affect the person psychologically. This is why so many people can not believe a person they know would ever use drugs since the addicted John Doe is so much different to the good old John Doe they knew all this time.

The brain

There are many different types of drugs, we will go over those at some other time. For now, let us examine how exactly drugs affect us and why their use is such a “catch 22” situation.

The brain, so infinitely complex and scary, it is difficult to explain it and its functions since no one can ever honestly claim, that they have discovered its mysteries and knows everything there is to know about it. What we do know, however, allows us a glimpse into why addiction is a type of disease, and why it is so hard to treat. We go into full detail of this in our previous articles – Addiction: An Unconventional Disease and its additional parts two and three. You should definitely read up on them to understand why it is a disease and how it affects the brain. Without repeating ourselves too much, for the purposes of this article, it is important to understand that a continuous use of drugs essentially changes you as a person. It re-writes your brain and its ability for rational thought. An addiction roots itself so deep in the human brain, that it works at an instinctive level. It is hard to argue with instincts, is it not? If someone throws something at your face, I dare you to remain motionless and don’t blink. Even if you are aware that such a thing will happen at any moment, you will still flinch, blink or brace for the impact in some way. An addiction taps into that most basic of our instincts – self-preservation and survivability. The drug is so ingrained into an addict’s daily life, that its use is perceived by the body quite literally as a matter of life and death. This is why people who think that quitting an addictive drug is as easy as “just stop using”, should be required to undergo the previously mentioned flinching experiment. There would be a lot less useless and downright inconsiderate remarks towards addiction and people who suffer from it.

Use and its various forms

There are hundreds of different drugs out there. Thousands even, if counting the different variations of the existing drugs and of course the recent trend of the designer or synthetic drugs. They all trickle down into seven types, judging by how they affect you and your brain, and in 4 types when judged by the way how they are used and administered. For now, let us focus on the administration.

Injection.

Everyone knows the dreaded needle. As kids, we would hide behind our parents whenever it was time for our flu jabs and other kind of immunizations. It is not pleasant and a painful way of administering a drug. It is, however, extremely efficient. It taps straight into the superhighway of the human body that has an express route to their target – the brain. We are talking of course about the bloodstream. It is also preferred by advanced addicts who need their choice of drug to hit them hard and preferably all at once. This leads to very high chance of lethal overdose.

Insufflation.

This type of administration is very popular with quickly dissolving drugs and specifically powders. Speed, cocaine and many other drugs are usually used this way, by simply snorting it through the nose, where the mucus in nasal passages absorbs it very rapidly. The thin walls of blood vessels allow this to be a very effective way to take dry, fine powdered drugs.

Inhalation.

This type of use banks on the way our body absorbs oxygen. It piggybacks on the same system and is usually “huffed” or inhaled by burning the drug to release its vapor. It is absorbed and introduced into our blood streams through the lungs and its countless alveoli – a network of tiny cells that act as the interface between airborne particles and the human bloodstream. This way is very intense and quick but usually does not last very long.

Ingestion.

Probably the most ancient way of making sure that something outside of the human body is introduced to it – eating it. The most popular drug in the world – alcohol, is used this way. Most pills and quite a few natural drugs are also used in this way. Yet again the drug is hitching a ride down a very natural system – feeding. We usually absorb nutrients and sustenance this way, through stomach and intestines.

 

We will go over the seven distinct types of drugs in our next article. Come back to learn more about drugs, what they are and how they pose one of the biggest threats to modern human civilization – the addiction.