Drug Addiction

It involves family and friends and sometimes co-workers, clergy or others who care about the person struggling with addiction. When they first use a drug, people may perceive what seem to be positive effects. Some people may start to feel the need to take more of a drug or take it more often, even in […]

These crack rocks are then typically smoked in glass pipes about 5 or 6 inches long. A person using crack will become fidgety when they are on the drug, and even when they are off the drug. When they are on the drug their nervous system will be stimulated causing their hands to twitch and […]

A month after the second session, a greater percentage in the high-dose groups no longer met diagnostic criteria for PTSD, compared with the low-dose group. Ecstasy pills are sometimes cut with amphetamines (like speed), caffeine and other substances that have some similar effects but are cheaper to produce. The following information includes only the average […]

More studies are needed to better understand how psychedelic and dissociative drugs work. While researchers debate how to describe these drugs and how specific drugs should be classified, they generally group them according to what is known about how they work in the brain. Better understanding these mechanisms is an active area of NIDA-funded research. […]

Other effects include feeling greater empathy toward others and enhanced sensory perception. Just like other drugs that affect sensory perception, ecstasy can be addictive. Symptoms of ecstasy use are similar to that of other stimulants. Shulgin went on to develop a range of new compounds, with varying effects and risks, including MDMA and PMMA (paramethoxymethamphetamine), […]

But he adds that the risks can be minimized by carefully selecting participants and administering the drug in a controlled environment. In a follow-up paper, Johnson and his colleagues reported that 67 percent of participants were still abstinent 12 months after their quit date, and 60 percent of them had not smoked after 16 months […]

Cocaine is a stimulant3 that hijacks the brain’s reward system and floods it with the “feel-good” hormone dopamine. It works by causing dopamine to build up in the brain and send stronger signals. This results in an intense, short-lived euphoria, which is also why cocaine is addictive. Cocaine overdose can cause a heart attack, stroke, […]

We must also share our appreciation for the law enforcement officers who risk their lives each day to keep our communities safe while keeping impaired drivers off of our roadways. The best way to reduce the deadly cost of impaired driving is prevention, which starts by raising awareness of its risks and consequences and by […]

Ask cannabis consumers how the plant affects them, and you’ll likely hear an array of responses. Unlike drugs or medications that contain one active chemical, cannabis is composed of more than 550 different chemical compounds, including more than 100 cannabinoids. It’s little wonder then that this powerhouse plant can alter mood, ease pain, deliver a […]

You can’t take medication specifically approved to treat meth. But substance use treatment with medical detox and behavioral therapies for addiction can help you recover from meth use disorder. Methamphetamine is a man-made stimulant that’s been around for a long time. During World War II, soldiers took meth to stay awake. People have also taken […]