Psychotropic Drugs -
Act on brain and effect its normal functioning slow down and interphere in the functioning of the nervous system.
These drugs alter behaviour, consciosness & power of perception.
They alter mood of a person, so are called mood-altering drugs.
Have visible effect on the behaviour of a person.
Impair the person's judgement.
They make a person increasingly dependent on them. Therefore, called as habit forming or addictive drugs.
Lend to both physical & mental addiction.
Certain terms related to habit forming drugs are -
- Tolerance.
- Drug abuse or drug addiction.
- Withdrawl symptoms.
- Emotional & psychological addiction.
- Physchological drug dependence.
1. Tolerance -
It means less response to a specific dose with repeated use.
2. Drug abuse -
It means after a drug has been taken for some time, it is very hard to give up its use. It is state of periodic & persistent urge.
An addict shows following characters -
(i) A strong urge to take drug.
(ii) To get desired effect, increase the dose.
(iii) Physical & mental dependence on the drug.
3. Withdrawl symptoms -
When a drug is taken regularly for some time, 2 types of addictiction may occur - physical and emotional or psychological.
4. Physical addiction -
Body develops a need for the drug, when the drug suply is cut off, the body shows withdrawl symptoms are -
(i) Severe abdominal pain
(ii) Muscular cramps
(iii) Headache
(iv) Fever
(v) Watering of eyes & nose
(vi) Vomiting & pain in stomach
(vii) Sleeplessness, difficulty in breathing, irregular heart beat.
5. Emotional addiction -
It means a person has strong urge for the drug either for pleasure or to avoid the intense physical disturbance. If the drug is not given, the addict faces severe depression.