Types of Psychoactive Drugs

Do you drink a lot of coffee? What if I told you that coffee contains caffeine, which is considered a psychoactive drug?

There are three different types or categories of psychoactive (or psychotropic) drugs; depressants, hallucinogenics, and stimulants. Each has its effects on neural activity and body functions. While some of these drugs are considered narcotics, a few are easily purchased and socially accepted.

• What are the types of psychoactive drugs?
• Which drugs fall into each category?
• How is depression medication similar to psychoactive drugs?
• Do psychoactive drugs cause cancer?

Types of Psychoactive Drugs

Let's explore different categories of psychoactive drugs.

Depressants

Depressants can slow down mental and neural processes in the body.

Alcohol

There is a range of effects associated with the use and abuse of alcohol. One of those effects is a slower processing speed in our thought processes and speech. Alcohol also disrupts our memory and can deeply impair our judgment. This is a reason why alcohol is called a disinhibiting drug. In lower doses, alcohol slows down our neural processes. Larger amounts create slower or slurred speech and very low skill performance. Alcohol can even have a long-term effect on our memory when consumed regularly or in large quantities. Chronic and long-term use of alcohol cause shrinkage in brain size resulting from alcohol use disorder (Myers, 2014).

Alcohol, flaticon.com

Barbiturates

Barbiturates have the same effects as large doses of alcohol. They can cause memory and judgment impairment and death in some cases. This is because barbiturates are hard to dose appropriately. Those who take large doses often fall into a coma-like state where they cannot be aroused and may even stop breathing.

Opiates

Opiates are another depressant. Opiates are derived from opium and can be used to create drugs such as heroin, codeine, and morphine. As the opiates react, there is a numbing or painkilling effect. It can take someone only five days to get addicted to opiates.

Hallucinogenic Drugs

Hallucinogenic drugs warp perceptions and conjure up sensory images without the help of sensory input. The most common of these are LSD and MDMA.

LSD

LSD is a very powerful psychedelic drug; the descriptions of reactions to LSD sound extreme, and otherworldly. Those under the influence of LSD see geometric patterns, shapes, and past emotional experiences. Many people claim that they felt a sense of separation from their mind and body. Myers' Psychology for AP says that these symptoms are also typical for those with a "near-death" experience.

LSD acts the same as a serotonin neurotransmitter, which should create extreme happiness. However, although serotonin is released, some do not have happy and uplifting experiences with LSD.

MDMA

MDMA is also known as Ecstacy. Once the effects of this drug begin, they can last up to four hours. MDMA creates the effect of releasing serotonin and the blockage of reuptake. People experience immense dehydration, which can lead to overheating and death. Because of the sudden and immense release of serotonin, damage can occur, resulting in permanent depression in those who use it.

Stimulants

A stimulant excites neural activity and speeds up bodily functions. A person is often more energetic, has a high heart rate, and elevated blood sugar levels. Common and easily obtained stimulants, such as caffeine, can lessen your appetite, and the effects can last up to four hours. But what about other stimulants that are considered far more dangerous? Among these are cocaine and methamphetamine (meth).

Cocaine

Methamphetamine (Meth)

Methamphetamine, or Meth, is an incredibly addictive drug that causes dangerous effects to the body and mental state. Meth will stimulate dopamine release (a neurotransmitter that causes positive mood feelings). One adverse reaction, among many, is that meth can reduce the production of dopamine over time, leaving the user of meth in a permanently depressed state.

So how does a person feel after these eight hours of euphoric happiness? Noted symptoms include seizures, depression, and violent outbursts (most likely due to insomnia).

Psychoactive or Psychotropic Drugs for the Treatment of Depression

Remember, a psychoactive drug is a substance that can change or modify thoughts and behaviors. With this in mind, medications for depression are considered psychoactive. Antidepressant medications work similarly to other psychoactive drugs due to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Each medication, of course, has different dosage necessities and impacts. The use of psychoactive medications as antidepressants is mainly because of their sedative effects. Because of this sedative effect, psychoactive drugs can reduce symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and agitation in those diagnosed with depression.

Psychoactive Drugs and Cancer

Using psychotropic drugs can cause cancer. Those who smoke nicotine-filled cigarettes and cigars may find themselves on the receiving end of a cancer diagnosis. To clarify, nicotine itself does not cause cancer. However, because nicotine is so addictive, it can be difficult for some to quit smoking before being diagnosed with oral, larynx, oesophagus, or lung cancer (National Cancer Institute, 2022).

Alcohol can also be a cancer-causing drug. We know that alcohol has many carcinogens (most likely from the fermentation process). These are linked to causing cancer in the same areas of the body associated with cigarette smoking.