Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on the Brain

Authors Avatar

Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on the Brain

        Addiction is a complex phenomenon with important psychological consequences.   There are many factors that influence our behavior.  Everyday teenagers are faced with life changing decisions to make including the use of drugs and alcohol.  What many adolescents do not realize are the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain.  

        Illegal substances can be consumed in various ways.  For substances to exert their effects, they must first get to the brain.  The four common ways of administration are oral consumption, intranasal consumption, inhalation through the lungs, and intravenous use.  To enter the brain a substance’s elements must first get through a chemical protection system.  This consists of the blood brain barrier along with a tight cell-wall and layers of cells around the blood vessels.  Small neutral molecules, like those of amphetamines, can easily pass through the barriers and enter the brain.  At that time, the substances begin to cause their psychoactive effects.

Stimulants are several groups of drugs that tend to increase alertness and physical activity. These groups include pharmaceuticals such as amphetamines and the street drugs commonly called "uppers" or "speed," and (Stimulants).  Among the many drugs, the more commonly used stimulants are cocaine and amphetamines.  Amphetamines increase the heart and respiration rates, increase blood pressure, dilate the pupils of the eyes, and decrease appetite.  Amphetamines are psychologically addictive and users become dependent on the drug to avoid the “down” feeling.  Psychological dependence on drugs can lead to use of stronger stimulants such as cocaine.  Stimulants exert their effects by modifying normal communication that occurs among brain neurons and circuits.  Cocaine and amphetamines have both shown to specifically disrupt the dopamine neurotransmitter system.  This happens because the receptors become over-stimulated on the postsynaptic neuron.  The use of stimulants increases the amounts of dopamine which leads to mood elevation and increased motor activity.  These effects are short-lived with the use of cocaine (Psychostimulants).  As the stimulant level in the brain decreases, the dopamine levels settle back to normal as the “high” dies down.  Animal studies have shown that high doses of stimulants can have permanent neurotoxic effects by damaging neuron cell endings (How Stimulants Affect the Brain and Behavior).  Researchers believe that each time a neurotransmitter floods across a synapse, circuits that trigger thoughts and memories become hardwired in the brain.  The neurochemistry supporting addiction is so strong that people, objects, and places associated with substance use are also imprinted on the brain.  Brain-imaging studies have shown that drug craving may be linked to distinct brain systems involved in memory (Drug Craving and Memory).  Continued uses often lead to dramatic consequences which include neuropsychological impairment and diminished physical health.  Even after a stimulant user discontinues use, impairments in cognition and functioning may persist, and there may even be persistent psychiatric symptoms.

Join now!

Central nervous system depressants slow down the operation of the brain.  Because of this property, some central nervous system depressants are useful in the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders (What are CNS Depressants).  Depressants first affect the areas of the brain that control a person’s conscious and voluntary actions. As dosage increases, depressants begin to affect the portions of the brain that control the body’s automatic, unconscious processes, such as heartbeat and respiration.  Depressants cause varied amounts of time for the user to feel the effects.  A majority of depressants act very quickly; the users begin to feel the ...

This is a preview of the whole essay