Their effects Drugs

With the evolution of chemistry and pharmacology more sophisticated mind-bending substances have been discovered – such as LSD and Ecstasy. Sometimes such drugs are useful in medicine, for example, morphine for pain control, but more often we seem to have a perverse inclination to abuse them; some enjoying the stimulating arousal experienced by body and mind, and ignoring the hazards. Young people in particular like experimenting with, and encountering new experiences, it is part of the learning process – but it has its dangers. They can become trapped in an addiction that is difficult to shake off, as the following passage from my manual on Understanding & Managing Stress describes –

Addiction is a form of stress disorder; it occurs when the body’s reaction to the ingestion of a substance, such as a drug, energizes the accompanying memory. It is generally called a ‘high’, caused by an adrenaline rush. Even if it is an unpleasant experience there often seems to be a compulsion to repeat the experience when the level of physical reinforcement, or adrenaline release, is great enough, because the addiction then takes on an uncontrollable stress pattern similar to a post traumatic stress disorder. While normal stress control methods can help, they are usually insufficient by themselves once the addiction takes hold. There are physiological changes to the body that have to be reversed, causing withdrawal problems. Anyone with a severe addiction generally requires patient and sympathetic long-term assistance to beat the habit. Many programmes are ineffective because they do not take into consideration that the physiological and more particularly the psychological imprint of the addiction are permanent. In this sense there is no ‘cure’, only a learned ability to avoid the addiction resurfacing and taking over again, and knowing that in a moment of inattention or weakness they may succumb once more.

We can divide drugs into two categories – prescription & recreational. Some prescription drugs, such as anti-depressants, may cause memory and other problems. Generally the effect only lasts while the drug is being taken, but if students are depressed, taking an anti-depressant may not solve their study problem, it may make it worse – if that is the reason for their depression. Get professional counselling instead. (see page 13 on Stress & Study)

In the recreational category there are many drugs. Alcohol is probably the oldest and most common. Most young people consume alcohol without realising it is a poison that damages both the body (brain) and therefore the mind, if its use is excessive or prolonged. Binge drinking is in this category. I recall working with two drinkers, both of whom had addled their brains with alcohol – the first I had to recommend to his employer that he be ‘retired’ because he could no longer carry out simple clerical procedures without making continual mistakes. The second was so bad that he became lost moving around the house – he couldn’t find his way from one room to another.

Two other drugs that have been popular among young people, including students, are cannabis and ecstasy. The University of Newcastle Upon Tyne recently published the results of an international study, which included Australia, on the effects of these drugs. [Journal of Pharmacology] The news is not good. It found that users of ecstasy were likely to use other drugs, including cannabis.

Regular users of ecstasy suffered mainly long-term memory difficulties, and they were 23% more likely to have problems remembering things than non-users.

Regular users of cannabis reported up to 20% more memory problems than non-users. It was their short-term memory that was mainly affected.

The study found no significant differences between male and female participants.

Dr Jacqui Rodgers, of the School of Neurology, Neurobiology & Psychiatry at the University, among other things, said ‘Users may think that ecstasy is fun and that it feels fairly harmless at the time. However, our results show slight but measurable impairments to memory as a result of use, which is worrying. It is equally concerning that we don’t really know what the long term effects of ecstasy use will be, as it is still a poorly understood drug. The results indicate that users are potentially creating a time bomb of potential cognitive difficulties later in life… The findings also suggest that ecstasy users who take cannabis are suffering from a ‘double whammy’ where both their long-term and short-term memory is being impaired.’

Recently - 2006/7 - another even more deadly drug has been discovered in association with Ecstasy, it is called PMA, and has been added in with the ecstasy powder, unbeknown to drug users, and with deadly results. It has caused several deaths.

GHB is another drug whose use has escalated recently among party goers, and at rave parties. It is cheap and very dangerous, and over dosing - which has been fatal - is too easy, because it is a liquid.

Amphetamines, which are becoming more widely used, are now proving to be a very serious problem, causing all sorts of personal and social problems, including mental derangements and violence.

There is only one really safe way with either legal drugs or illegal drugs –

don’t start & don't experiment!