This document discusses drug addiction and its effects. It defines addiction as a chronic brain disease caused by drug use that disrupts the brain's communication system. Some people are more vulnerable to addiction based on biological and environmental factors. There are three main types of drugs - depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens - that are explained along with examples. Drug abuse can cause injuries, health problems, changes to the brain, birth defects, and behavioral issues. Prevention strategies discussed include family skills training, school-based drug education, and workplace policies.

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PSY101 project
Arwa AlOsaimi
Deena AlAasim
Maryam AlFawaz
Mneera AlSoairy
Sec : 922

2. Drug & alcohol addiction

3. What Is Drug Addiction?

4. Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain
disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and
use, despite harmful consequences to the
addicted individual and to those around him or
her. Although the initial decision to take drugs is
voluntary for most people, the brain changes that
occur over time challenge an addicted person’s
self-control and hamper his or her ability to resist
intense impulses to take drugs.

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What Happens to Your
Brain When You Take
Drugs?

6. Drugs contain chemicals that tap into the brain’s
communication system and disrupt the way nerve
cells normally send, receive, and process
information. There are at least two ways that
drugs cause this disruption: (1) by imitating the
brain’s natural chemical messengers and (2) by
over stimulating the “reward circuit” of the brain.

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Why Do Some People
Become Addicted While
Others Do Not?

8. No single factor can predict whether a person
will become addicted to drugs. Risk for
addiction is influenced by a combination of
factors that include individual biology, social
environment, and age or stage of development.
The more risk factors an individual has, the
greater the chance that taking drugs can lead
to addiction. For example:
1- Biology.
2- Environment.

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Types of Drugs
There are three main types of psychoactive drugs:
1- Depressants
2- Stimulants
3- Hallucinogens

10. Depressants
Depressants slow normal brain function. Because of this effect,
depressants are often used to treat anxiety and sleep
disorders. Although the different depressant drugs work uniquely
in the brain, it is through their effect on GABA activity that
produces a drowsy or calming effect. GABA works to decrease
brain activity.
Examples of Depressants:
 Alcohol - GHB
 Buprenorphine - Methadone
 Heroin - Inhalants

11. Stimulants
Stimulants are a class of drugs that elevate mood, increase
feelings of well-being, and increase energy and alertness.
Stimulants can cause the heart to beat faster and will also
cause blood pressure and breathing to elevate. Repeated
use of stimulants can result in paranoia and hostility.
Examples of Stimulants:
 Caffeine
 Nicotine
 Cocaine
 Ecstasy
 Methamphetamine
 Amphetamine

12. Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens are drugs which cause altered perception and
feeling. Hallucinogens have powerful mind-altering effects and
can change how the brain perceives time, everyday reality, and
the surrounding environment. They affect regions of the brain that
are responsible for coordination, thought processes, hearing, and
sight. They can cause people to hear voices, see things, and feel
sensations that do not exist.
Examples of Hallucinogens:
 Marijuana
 LSD
 PCP
 MDMA
 Mescaline
 psilocybin

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Effects of Drug Abuse
and Addiction

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Different effects
 Injuries
 Health Problems
 Effects On The Brain
 Birth Defects
 Behavioral Problems

15. Prevention
Family : Evidence-based family skills training programmers.
These programmers target the whole family and offer skills-
building for parents on monitoring and supervision of children's
activities, communication and setting age appropriate limits.
* Family have been found to be the most effective way to
prevent substance use among children and adolescents *

16. Prevention
Schools : Evidence-based drug education based on life skills that offer
personal, social, resistance and communication skills, as well as
information about the short-term effects of drugs through a series of
session offered by trained teachers.
- Workplace : UNODC has many years of experience in
working with employers and employees together to
develop and implement policies against substance
abuse in the workplace. Such policies are designed to
promote the health of employees by preventing
substance abuse and assisting those with a drug
dependence problem. Moreover, through such policies
employers can achieve substantial savings by reducing
absenteeism and increasing productivity.