Commonly abused drugs according to NIDA
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
Commonly abused drugs 
The drugs listed below are commonly abused, and affect the brain and physiology in different ways.
Check out information provided by The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) which offers a chart of commonly abused drugs and identifies how they affect you and what the long-term health risks are.
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Commonly Abused Drugs
Stimulants : Cocaine ,Ritalin (one of several medications for ADHD)
Methamphetamine : Ecstasy
Opioids : Heroin
Vicodin and Oxycontin (painkillers)
Depressants(Benzodiazepine): Valium and Xanax (tranquilizers)
Cannabinoids : Marijuana and Hashish
Hallucinogens and Psilocybin :LSD and PCP
Magic Mushrooms
Inhalants : Aerosols, Nitrous oxide, Nitrites (poppers)
Drugs for increasing muscle mass : Anabolic steroids
Teenage drug abuse and addiction:
For most of us, it’s a no-brainer to avoid misuse of drugs: we see that the dangers and destructive long-term effects outweigh any momentary pleasure drugs afford and act accordingly. But it’s also easy to understand why people use and abuse drugs that pose risks to health and well-being. It’s a matter of brain chemistry.
Drugs are chemicals that enter the brain and mess with the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. Some imitate natural neurotransmitters; for example, narcotic pain relievers mimic the effects of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good” chemical. Or they are similar enough to the brain’s natural chemical messengers that they trick brain receptors into activating nerve cells. Stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamines cause the neurons to release too much of the neurotransmitters, causing the sensation users describe as the brain “racing.”
And, in one way or another, almost all drugs overstimulate the pleasure center of the brain, flooding it with the neurotransmitter dopamine. That produces euphoria, and that heightened pleasure can be so compelling that the brain wants that feeling back again and again. Unfortunately, with repeated use of a drug, the brain becomes accustomed to the dopamine surges by producing less of it, so the user has to take more of the drug to feel the same pleasure – the phenomenon known as tolerance.
But what causes people to want to tinker with their brain chemistry in the first place? Some are thrill-seekers, some just curious; some try drugs because their friends use, or they want to be perceived as cool. Even more susceptible, though, are the many people who use drugs in order to cope with unpleasant emotions and the difficulties of life. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that about half of all drug abusers also suffer from a mental illness such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.
People who are suffering emotionally use drugs not so much for the rush but to escape from their problems. They’re trying to self-medicate themselves out of loneliness, low self-esteem, unhappy relationships, stress, and many other types of problems. Drug use doesn’t solve any of those problems, and it can easily make them worse or create new ones. But even if the user knows that, the short-term escape drugs provide can be so attractive that the dangerous consequences of abuse can seem unimportant.
Drug abuse and addiction in teenagers
Teenagers are especially vulnerable to drug abuse for several reasons:
In the adolescent brain, the centers for judgment and self-control are still developing, resulting in many teens being less than careful about the decisions they make and more open to risk-taking
Kids think they’re immortal and nothing can kill them
Teens are notorious conformists, so many are going to want to do what the other kids are doing, or do things that they think will make them look cool
Contemporary adolescence is filled with stress and problems, some of which is exaggerated, but unfortunately some of the stress is experienced fully. Even if a teen over-dramatizes or magnifies a problem, the temptation to self-medicate is real
Although it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between normal adolescent behaviors and drug-related activities, it is possible to get a good picture of what’s going on in your child’s life if you take an active interest in their daily lives.
Many parents rely on the three W’s:
Knowing…
WHERE they are at all times
WHAT they are doing
WHO they are with
Structure is achieved by defining and modeling acceptable behaviors, by limiting unacceptable behaviors, and by making sure your child clearly understands the difference between the two.
Signs and Symptoms of Teenage Drug Use
The following list includes behaviors that may be red flag indicators of teen drug use – particularly if you notice several of these symptoms in your child:
Some Common Warnings of Teen Drug Use :
School performance, declining grades, increased absences, reported truancy
Withdrawal from hobbies, teams, family life
Marked change in behavior ranging from hostility to violence
Changes in energy level, having unusual amounts of energy or increased fatigue
Increased secrecy about possessions or activities
Use of incense, room freshener, or perfume to hide smoke or chemical odors
Wearing new clothes that highlight drug use, or suggest inappropriate conduct, or lack of concern for appearance and grooming
Evidence of drug paraphernalia, such as pipes and rolling papers
Evidence of eye drops used to mask bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils
Missing prescription drugs
Unusual requests for money without reasonable explanations for why they need it, discovering money has been stolen from your home or wallet, or finding objects missing which may have been sold to support a drug habit .
