Drug and Chemical dependancy - Research Paper Example

?Drug and chemical dependency Drug and chemical dependency Rank order the substances listed here, from least to most dangerous. What criteria did you use to rank the substances and why? Anabolic Steroids improve the performance of an athlete but increased intake has serious health effects. They can cause fatal damage to the reproductive system since they lead to testosterone derivatives. Ecstasy is name for a drug called MDMA which resembles methamphetamine drug. Ecstasy is not that too dangerous but when taken, the user feels energized. Further, they experience empathy and emotional peace. Solvents are not drugs but poisons found products such as petrol, glue and petrol lighter fuel. Solvents make the user feel high and confident. LSD is a potent hallucinogen that is sold on streets in trips, dots or doses. The effects of LSD are not easy to predict but it has the capacity to change the mood of the user. Further, it can cause visual hallucinations and delusions. The drug alters a person’s ability to make sensible decisions which can be disastrous in the sense that the user may be susceptible to personal harm (Perkinson, 2011). Methamphetamine is a dangerous drug because of the way it is produced. Crystal meth is impure which increases the dangers of taking the street drug go beyond effects such as addiction, nausea and diarrhea, jaw clenching, drug craving, formication, brain damage and hyperthermia. Cocaine has the ability to cause short live and strong depression and crave. People who take cocaine do not sleep and have no appetite. The drug causes increased heart rate, convulsions and muscle spasms. It is a dangerous drug because it makes its users feel angry, anxious, hostile and paranoid even when they have not taken the drug. Heroin is the most dangerous of all the listed drugs because of its severe side effects to the body. The side effects of heroin include sedation, surge of sensation (breathing difficulty), clouded mental functioning and death due to overdose. When a person uses heroin, he or she loses everything because stealing and lying become habitual (Perkinson, 2011). The criteria used in ranking the drugs are the severity of the side effects on the users. 2. You have been struggling with insomnia for some months. You have great difficulty falling asleep, wake up too early and don’t feel well rested. You’ve stopped drinking coffee/tea/energy drinks after 5pm and don’t want to drink alcohol every day, as some friends have suggested. What are the kinds of sleep medications available? Which ones would you consider to be the safest, and why? Types of sleep medication include Benzodiazepines sleep medication Non- Benzodiazepines Melaton receptor agonist pills Antidepressants I would consider non-benzodiazepines pills because they have more safety measures and less dangerous effects. In addition, these medications are linked with lower risk of dependency and abuse. They decrease the time it takes a person to fall asleep. Pills such as ambient that belong to the non-benzodiazepine class helps a person stay a sleep for a long time (Bell, 2002). Other pills such as Sonata and Lunesta should be taken at bedtime since they assist a person to sleep faster. Non-benzodiazepines are the safest pills since they are less likely to lead to withdrawal, addiction and tolerance to previous sleeping medications. Additionally, these pills have a short life which means that an individual does not wake up with a hangover the next day. They also do not distort sleeping pattern which implies that a person can get the same amount of time in sleeping stages as he or she would do in absence of the drugs (Moss, 2002). 3. As a psychiatrist in training, what disorders will you learn to treat and what kinds of medication will you need to be familiar with. Obesity Obesity is a condition in which the body accumulates excess fat. Although obesity is associated with weighty issues, it does not necessary mean that overweight is exactly obesity. Obesity is normally associated with adverse health effects and problems which adequately reduce life expectancy. Obese people are more vulnerable to diseases like heart complications, diabetes, certain cancer types and osteoarthritis (Laban, 1997). Obese conditions are mostly as a result of excessive food intakes accompanied with lack of physical activities which break down the excess fats. Many cases of obesity have been associated with lack of physical activities. Obese people have been known to have low self-esteem and they end may end up not joining other peers in physical activities. Initiation of regular exercises by obese victims should be done to facilitate breaking down of fats. These activities that help in achievement of physical fitness do not necessarily have to be sport competitions. Availing of places for physical activities by the government, schools and parents will greatly help the patients of obese disorders. These authorities should also ensure that they design their buildings in a way that forces people to use stairs. It is pretty oblivious that good diet and physical exercises are key elements in fighting obese (Laban, 1997). 4. What substances are often used as « date rape drugs » Date rape drugs make an individual unable to resist an assault. The most common date rape drugs include ketamine, tranquilizers such as valium, alcohol and gamma-hydroxybutyrate. The date rape drugs are depressants which imply that they function in the nervous system making a person’s response and instincts dull. They often manipulate a person’s memory. When these drugs such as alcohol are taken in moderation, they can be used to relax an individual. However, when taken in excess, these drugs leave a person vulnerable to problems and danger. These substances influence a person’s behavior and the information that an individual utters to people. In turn, an individual is unable him or herself. It is significant to note that date rape drugs starts functioning fast (Moss, 2002). However, the effects rely on the quantity of the drug taken and if it was mixed with other substances. Among these substances, alcohol accelerates the strength of these drugs. An individual can stay safe from these drugs by accepting drinks from faithful friends or bartenders. References Bell, P. (2002). Chemical Dependency and the African American - Second Edition: counseling and prevention strategies. New Jersey, NJ: Hazelden. Laban, R. (1997). Chemical dependency treatment planning handbook. Virginia: Charles C Thomas. Moss, H. (2002). Dual disorders: Counseling clients with chemical dependency and mental illness. New Jersey, NJ: Hazelden. Perkinson, R. (2011). Chemical dependency counseling: A practical guide. New York: SAGE. Read More