Psychopharmacology

Psychopharmacology • The systematic study of the effects of drugs on behavior, cognitive processing, and emotions. • These drugs are called psychoactive or psychotropic drugs – drugs that change behavior, emotions, and cognitive processes by changing the normal activity of the nervous system

Derivation of the Term Psychopharmacology • Psyche – mind • Pharmaka – drugs and medicine (pharmakus) • Logos - study

Factors Influencing the Effects of Drugs • Factors related to the drug itself • 1. the chemical structure • 2. the dosage – how much was taken • 3. how frequently the drug is taken • 4. how long since last taken

Factors Influencing the Effects of Drugs • Factors not related to the drug • 1. mind set of person taking the drug • 2. the setting where the drug was taken • 3. the person’s unique biomedical make up

Good drugs and Bad Drugs? • Drugs are chemicals, they are neither good nor bad. Whether viewed as good or bad depends upon • 1. how much is taken • 2. why it is taken • 3. the context in which is taken

History of Drug Use • Use of naturally occurring psychoactive drugs has existed as long as human history • The use of mushrooms, opium, cannabis, morning glory seeds, alcohol, coca leaves, and even toads have been used for thousands of years

Other Species Use of Drugs • Apes, horses, and horses prefer water with alcohol over plain water • Some birds prefer fermented berries over fresh • Bees prefer the intoxicating nectar of certain flowers • Llamas chew coca leaves • Reindeer have been known to seek hallucinogenic mushrooms • Some ants maintain groups of beetles that secrete intoxicating substances

Drugs in the 19th Century • Major change in the use of drugs –isolation or distillation of the active chemical that caused behavioral changes • 1805 – morphine isolated from opium – used to treat periods of “insanity” • 1857- cocaine isolated from coca leaves – used to treat depression

Recreational and Social Use of Drugs • Most likely existed before recorded history • 19th century saw the use of therapeutic drugs becoming used for recreation • Jacque-Joseph Moreau a French psychiatrist, wrote about the medicinal and social use of hashish in 1845 • Drugs were widely used and their use was acceptable

Recreational and Social Use of Drugs • Recreational use of drugs began to be seen as bad and immoral • Addictive properties became known • More powerful drugs isolated • Larger quantities became available • Latter part of the 19th century laws prohibiting drug use and penalties for use began to be written – not very successful

1950’s • Psychopharmacology said to have begun in the 1950’s with the widespread use of chlorpromazine or Thorazine • Thorazine used as a pre-anesthesia in France to calm people. Tested on people with schizophrenia • Promazine – an antihistamine used in surgery also found to reduce symptoms of schizophrenia • Dramatic increase in the testing of other drugs to treat mental illness and development of new drugs

Illegal Drugs • Making certain drugs illegal or controlled substances, only to be used by MD’s, has done little to curtail the use of these drugs. • May have prevented a major increase in the use of drugs. • Many people see no reason to stop • Drug abuse is wrong, but I am not abusing drugs

What is Drug Abuse? • The self administration of any drug in a manner that deviates from approved medical or societal pattern within a culture. • Problem – What is considered a “deviation”? • Problem – people may not recognize or admit when they meet the criteria of drug abuse

Effects of the “War on Drugs” • Use of narcotics has remained fairly constant since 1975 – use of pharmacological narcotics has dramatically increased • Use of cocaine has fallen, but number of frequent users hasn’t • For young adults major decline in use of cigarettes, hallucinogens, and cannabis. Alcohol use constant – binge drinking has increased

Side Effects of the “War on Drugs” • Development of new more powerful drugs that can be shipped in smaller amounts • Increase in more hazardous ways of taking drugs • Issue of decreasing drug abuse a very complex problem that requires more than just attempting to stop the flow of drugs

Purpose of This Course • Education about the chemicals we call drugs: • What are drugs? • What are their intended effects and side effects? • How do they work? • When can they be beneficial? Harmful? • Remember, just being legal does not make a drug a “good” drug • Nicotine and alcohol

Psychopharmacology