1. Running head: PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS 1
Psychoactive Drugs and Associated Health Effects
Erin N. Bosman
University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire; Harlaxton College

2. PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS 2
Psychoactive Drugs and Associated Health Effects
Psychoactive drugs are substances that act to alter mood, thought, or behavior
(Kolb, B., & Whishaw, I., 2001, p. 173). All drugs come with a risk, as any drug can lead
to an addiction. Nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol are amongst the substances that make up
the category of psychoactive drugs with addictive properties.
Anxiolytic and sedatives, hypnotics or sleeping pills, antidepressants,
antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers are five categories that make up psychoactive
medications (http://www.cqld.ca/livre/en/en/16-medicaments.htm, n.d.). They are taken
socially and used to manage neuropsychological illnesses. For example, psychoactive
substances are often used to reduce anxiety, insomnia, and depression among other
problems. Psychoactive substances are used to alter one’s mood, for spiritual purposes,
and as treatment (http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/p/psychoactive_drug.htm). They
are also often abused (http://www.greenfacts.org/en/psychoactive-drugs/, n.d.).
Psychopharmacology is the study of how psychoactive drugs affect the nervous
system and behavior. While psychoactive drugs can be effectively used as medication, in
some situations they can also lead to negative health effects when abused (Kolb, B., &
Whishaw, I., 2001, p. 173). Some harmful health effects from these drugs include
diseases of the lungs, cancer, and depression (http://www.greenfacts.org/en/psychoactive-
drugs/, n.d.). Some psychoactive drugs can act as a toxin; resulting in sickness, brain
damage, or death (Kolb, B., & Whishaw, I., 2001, p. 173).
Psychoactive drugs tend to be used to gain personal benefit such as a source of
pleasure, a source of energy, or a way to avoid pain; those same drugs can lead to
negatively affecting health in the short or long term

3. PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS 3
(http://www.greenfacts.org/en/psychoactive-drugs/, n.d.). For example, some known
effects of psychoactive drugs include mood swings, anxiety, and trouble with having an
effective sleep cycle. Drug-induced anxiety disorder, drug-induced psychosis, and drug-
induced mood disorders are three short-term effects of psychoactive drugs on mental
health. Long-term effects include depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(http://www.drugs.ie/drugs_info/about_drugs/mental_health/, n.d.).
Many psychoactive substances can cause chemical dependence leading to
substance abuse and chemical imbalances, which can in turn lead to long-term negative
effects. In contrast psychoactive drugs, such as methylphenidate and dextroamphatemine
for ADHD, are often used as treatment for these effects. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder is a developmental disorder that is generally characterized by impulsivity,
hyperactivity, and inattention (Kolb, B., & Whishaw, I., 2001, p. 172). Stimulants and
depressants are often associated both as treatment and as being the source of abuse
leading to these effects (http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/p/psychoactive_drug.htm).
Another condition associated along with psychoactive substances is bipolar
disorder, which is characterized by alteration between periods of depression, periods of
intense excitations, and periods of normal behavior. Bipolar disorder is a manic
depressive order that is difficult to treat due to the opposite effects of mania and
depression. Mood stabilizers are often used for treatment of bipolar disorder, muting the
intensity of one mood, and making the other less likely to occur in response (Kolb, B., &
Whishaw, I., 2001, p. 187).

4. PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS 4
Major depression is another mood disorder that often leads to a disruption in
sleep. Eating habits, and behavior. Major depression can be onset by many variables one
of those being the psychoactive substance of alcohol, which is a depressant. Within a
lifetime, 30 percent of the U.S. population could experience a minimum of one episode
((Kolb, B., & Whishaw, I., 2001, p. 186).
Illnesses and disorders that coincide with psychoactive drugs can affect the
individual themselves, or those who are connected with them. Fetal alcohol spectrum
disorder is depicted by a range of physical and intellectual impairments observed in some
children born to mothers that abused a psychoactive drug, alcohol. Approximately 6
percent of alcoholic mothers have children who suffer from these symptoms.
Psychoactive drug and alcohol- induced illnesses or abnormalities can vary from smaller
physical or psychological effects to larger conditions, such as FASD (Kolb, B., &
Whishaw, I., 2001, p. 184).
To summarize, psychoactive drugs are highly accessible and while they are often
used as treatment for many disorders, they can also be the cause, or contribute to the
cause, of onset of various other disorders and health problems. They can even be toxic,
leading to death. These substances act either agonists or antagonists; Agonists to
stimulate neural activity and antagonists to depress neural activity (Kolb, B., & Whishaw,
I., 2001, p. 209). Drugs influence the brain and behavior and on one hand, they can be
helpful and energizing at times. However on the other hand, they can also be dangerous
leading to negative short-term and long-term effects.

5. PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS 5
References
Blow, F. (2004). Use and abuse of psychoactive prescription drugs and over-the-counter
medications. In Substance abuse among older adults. Rockville, MD: U.S. Dept.
of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
Drugs and mental health. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2015, from
http://www.drugs.ie/drugs_info/about_drugs/mental_health/
Kolb, B., & Whishaw, I. (2001). How do drugs and hormones influence the brain and
behavior? In An introduction to brain and behavior (4th ed.). New York: Worth.
Psychoactive drug. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2015, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/p/psychoactive_drug.htm
Psychoactive Drugs Tobacco, Alcohol, and Illicit Substances. (n.d.). Retrieved February
19, 2015, from http://www.greenfacts.org/en/psychoactive-drugs/
PSYCHOACTIVE MEDICATIONS. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2015, from
http://www.cqld.ca/livre/en/en/16-medicaments.htm