Why Do People Use Drugs?

PSY215 DRUGS AND DEPENDENCY sample ONE WHY DO PEOPLE USE DRUGS? LACHLAN SLOAN 30790798 Through place history, quite a little concord away soulad different kinds of medicines to castrate the way they timbre or experience consciousness. Ritualistic design of doses has been commonly pr beiced by discordant cultures such as the mushroom letd trance state utilize by Native Ameri nates Indians to commune with the Great Spirit. Pacific Islanders alcohol addiction Kava as a means of connecting with the supernatural, healing illness and fall upon guests to the community.Whilst Indians referred to being consciously full(prenominal) as the state of Shiva and associated this mould with the worship of one of their prime deities, Shiva. Over time the ritualistic aim of doses has integrated as a part of modern society which butt joint be observed in celebrations such as weddings and birthdays where alcohol is commonly consumed. As there is such a vast range of doses and war ps on tap(predicate) with many established utilizes and categorisations the process of determining why people social function doses becomes intricate rattling rapidly.Norman E Zinberg developed a theory on dose spend which is a widely accepted public wellness model. The land of this theory argues that it is not possible to understand medicine utilize, the do or the outcomes of the drug experience unless you take into account the inter tellingship of f trifleors betwixt the drug, the environment and the man-to-man (Zinberg, 1986). For the purpose of this analysis heterogeneous aspects of influence have been categorised based on Zinbergs theory to coherently play why people use drugs.The categorizations atomic number 18 as follows Individual (cognition, genetics, and somatogenetic/psychological state), drug (perceived functions of drug use in society/ ad hoc purpose for exploitation a crabby make outstance, drug related expectancies and peremptory use) and env ironment (social/contextual aim). Boys et al (2001) recorded among a exact of 364 participants that had utilize cannabis everyplace the past course of study that, the two most frequent reasons for victimization the drug were to just get really stoned or intoxicated (90. 7%) and help you to relax (96. 8%). People utilize drugs often state that they use them to retrieve good.What makes these people feel good is the way in which the chemicals in these drugs influence cognition. This state of tincture good and or being high is attained because most drugs act on the limbic system in the wit, referred to as the pleasure essence. The presynaptic terminal releases the neurotransmitters Dopamine, Noradrenaline and Serotonin via nerves located at the terminal. These neurotransmitters are released and travel to the post synaptic terminal where specific receptor sites are located on the nerve cell for each neurotransmitter.Here nerve bring through potentiality is developed via neur otransmitter action on the receptor site. Prevalent drugs act by blocking, mimicking or stimulating the release of neurotransmitters via the presynaptic terminal. When Dopamine levels are increased, mimicked or reuptake is permitted (blocked) the reward pathway in the brain is affected which when touch on creates feelings of pleasure and euphoria (pleasure is associated with reward). The ingested drug is hence associated with pleasure and reward and the mortal is influenced to continue exploitation the particular drug.Current cognitive-motivational theories of addiction assert that prioritising appetitive, reward-related information plays an ingrained role in the development and continuation of substance abuse (Field & Cox, 2008 Franken, 2003 Wiers et al 2007). A study focused on reward-related attentional processes among 682 young teenages (mean sequence= 16. 14) had participants complete a motivated game in the format of a spatial orienting task as a behavioural ability of appetitive-related attentional processes and a questionnaire to index substance (alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis) use.Correlational analysis showed a dictatorial relationship amid substance use and enhanced attentional engagement, with cues that predicted potential reward and non- punishment (Ostafin et al, 2013). Research since the mid 1960s has established that genetics play a modest (yet relevant) role in the development of drug use problems in some individuals (Pickens, 1988 Farrell & Strang, 1992 Hill, 1993). It has been conveyed by Mcgue (1994) that genetics have an influence on a someones disposition to use drugs.After a review of literature on genetics research in relation to alcoholism, Mcgue established that genetic factors exert a moderate influence on male and female risk for alcoholism. It has been suggested by Hansler (2001) that mental illness motivates sufferers to take drugs ( prescription(prenominal) and recreational), this process can cause drug problems (when a person takes drugs in the hope of escaping their symptoms or becomes dependent on a prescription drug). Examples admit a person suffering from social anxiety ingesting cocaine in order to temperamentally enhance their sociability when going out with supporters.Most of the evidence, however, seems to bear witness that these factors can lead to problems that is, biological, social and/or environmental factors predispose a person to have both a mental health and a substance abuse problem. Aesthetics and physicality are also motivators for drug use. A person will ingest substances to misrepresent the physical personality of their body, primarily due to the fact that they are not satisfied with a particular aspect of their physical self. Examples include performance enhancing drugs (steroids), Viagra and antibiotics.In generator the process of analysing the perceived functions of drug use/specific purpose for using a particular substance, psychoactive drugs are the origin place to leap as due to the broad range of this kin. The classification of psychoactive drugs is sub divided into three categories (with some drugs falling into much than one category) Depressants, Stimulants and Hallucinogens. Depressants give out by inhibiting the activity of the CNS (Central Nervous System), which slows down various material functions such as heart rate and breathing.This classification of drugs has with it a paper inherent within society as having a calming perfume (popularised primarily due to alcohol its acceptance and availability). People generally take this type of drug to relax, another primary function and motivation of the use of depressants is to combat the dos of stress and anxiety (reduces nerves and relaxes muscle). These drugs are typically easy to obtain being available illegitimately and legally. Examples include getting a depressant legally via a doctors prescription or benzodiazepines to treat anxiety and purchasing marijuana from a local ana esthetic drug dealer in order to facilitate stress from do. Stimulants work by stimulating the CNS (increasing brain activity) which causes the body to become more aroused and responsive. therefore stimulants elevate the mood, create excitement and even induce a state of euphoria. Due to the nature of stimulants improving responsiveness this category of drug is associated with increasing peoples energy levels as brain activity is dramatically increased.Stimulants are widely available legally and illegally with the most common being caffeine, which is the most widely used drug in the world (Julien, 2001). Hallucinogens are a class of drug that alter perceptual functions sight, hearing, smell, taste or physical touch. Hallucinogens disrupt how the nerve cells and the neurotransmitter serotonin interact with the CNS. By altering the natural levels of serotonin in the body, hallucinogens alter the way in which your brain processes information relevant to perceptual functions.The pro hibition era of the users perceptual functions allows for the body to generate an intense high. Hence many users of hallucinogens utilise this type of drug to experience the intensity of the high and/or to escape reality. Examples of hallucinogens include magic mushrooms, marijuana and LSD. A mesh based survey of 96 (50 female, 46 male) regular drinking college students over a ten week period) reported on their previous week alcohol use and experience of 24 alcohol-related consequences, including their subjective evaluations of those consequences.Most notably of the results, ranked linear model tests revealed that students drank less and experienced fewer consequences following weeks in which they rated their consequences as more negative (relative to their own typical subjective evaluations), suggesting that viewing ones fresh consequences as aversive prompts self-initiated behaviour change. It was conveyed by Boys et al (1999) that significant relationships between perceived functions and both the persons intentions to use the drug again in the future and the recent use of a particular drug.Data was collected from a cross sectional survey of one century participants aged 16 21 years of age. Higher scores on a five item social/contextual function surmount (Eg. using a drug to help you feel more positive(p) in a social situation) were associated with a greater frequency of recent cannabis use. drug forecast is a psychoactive process that occurs as a response to an individuals expectation that a drug induced loading will occur. Drug expectancy divulges the nature of a person desire to experience the personal effects from a particular drug(s).The effect occurs from a persons own experience with a drug, education, feedback from peers/family and media influence. formerly acquired via direct experience with a drug, the memory network of positive expectancies can be primed by internal or external drug associated cues. Primed expectancies are thought to g uide ulterior drug use (Hersen, 2013). Self-reports from 704 college students were content analysed and used to develop the Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire. Responses were examined using exploratory and confirmatory principle components analysis.Six marijuana expectancies (34. 6% of variance) were identified (a) cognitive and behavioural impairment, (b) relaxation and tension reduction, (c) social and sexual facilitation, (d) perceptual and cognitive enhancement, (e) global negative effects, and (f) propensity and physical effects (Schafer & Brown, 1991). When a person lead offs using a drug on a regular basis they stupefy to become dependent on the drug. As tolerance towards the drug grows in the person they become more dependent on the drug in order to achieve the same effect they attained from their first usage.Drug dependency can manifest in both physical/psychological forms. This can be classified in the sense that the body requires the drug to function properly r elating to either form of classification. When a person abstains from retaining the approach pattern level of the abused drug in their blood withdrawal symptoms begin to act. Those with a physiological dependency experience physical discomfort, shaking, nausea and be sick as withdrawal symptoms. People with a Psychological habituation feel depressive, anxious, aggressive and irritated.Research supports the belief that the negative nature of withdrawal symptoms is associated with drug users proceed abuse of a certain drug (Rogers, 2002). Social/contextual level influences have a massive level of governance over a persons rationalising to use drugs. College students say they utilise alcohol and drugs in order to lessen depression, increase sociability, satisfy curiosity, heighten sexual pleasure, alleviate physical discomfort and expand consciousness (Robbins et al. , 1970). Association with peers tilising drugs is one of the strongest predictors of adolescent drug use (Fergusson et al, 1995 Brook et al, 1990). If other members of the group begin using drugs, some people are influenced to trade sobriety for use in order to fit in and adapt to the group. Motivation for this exists in the individual wanting to conform to the dynamics of the group paired with fear of rejection from the group. An face of this is conveyed by Hohman et al (2013) via a study of data obtained from the National trace of Parents and Youth (N= 1,604).Two hierarchical multiple regression models were developed examining the association between ambivalent attitudes, intentions and later marijuana use. The hierarchical models consisted of an analysis of the moderating effect of ambivalence on the persons intent to use marijuana and the testing of the relievo of ambivalence on literal marijuana use a year later. Results from both hierarchical analyses propose that ambivalence moderated the association of friend norms and subsequent adolescent marijuana use friend norms were better predic tors of marijuana intentions (? 0. 151, t = 2. 29, p = 0. 02) and subsequent use when adolescents were attitudinally ambivalent about marijuana use (? = 0. 071, t = 2. 76, p = 0. 006). The environment of a person greatly influences their talent to drug use. Not only does the social context of a person influence drug use but the environment itself plays a very influential role. A study undertaken in Zinbergs Drug, Set, And Setting The stand For Controlled Intoxicant Use, analysed a group of American soldiers who began using and became inclined to heroin during the Vietnam war.After the war effort, usage virtually ceased, with only 12% of the soldiers remain addicted after returning back to the United States. It is evident that these American soldiers were utilising heroin as a form of escapism, a way to disjoin themselves from the harsh reality they were situated in. Hence it can be judge that a persons socioeconomic status would affect their use of drugs. People living in a neg ative environment and/or of a lower socio economic status would be more apt(predicate) to turn to drug use as a means of transaction with and escaping their predicament.In the process of determining why people use drugs a versatile range of conclusions have been reached via a model representative of Zinbergs theory. We began by stating the ritual usages practiced for thousands of years which have transcended into society after society. We begin with Zinbergs notion of the individual and diverge into the way in which humanity cognition is affected by drugs. As this topic is explored it is conveyed just how supersensitive our brains are to drug use and why we enjoy the temperamental effects drugs create.Genetics, physical and psychological disposition are also conveyed as influencing ratiocination for drug use. Drugs are addressed via the perceived functions of illegal and legal drugs by an analysis of drug categorisations where perceived functions and reasons for use are conveye d. Drug expectancy and tolerance is explained and the reasoning for continued use and addiction is communicated via a study by Schafer & Brown (1991). The social/contextual level of influence is analysed via various studies by Zinberg (1986) and Hohman (2013) conveying environmental and social influences.People ingest a diverseness of different drugs for a variety of different reasons socialisation, environmental factors, perceived norms, to relax, pleasure, to conform, genetics, addiction, out of boredom or curiosity or to escape their problems. 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