Psychostimulants. Cocaine. Amphetamines.
Dependence on psychoactive substances is one of the most ancient global problems. This disease affects not only a body and all levels of the human personality, but it wrecks his life, his dreams. The circle of his interests and the motivational sphere becomes narrower, the spectrum of emotions is weakened, concentration of attention is impaired, interest to intellectual problems, estimation and analysis of situations vanishes.
We give the following information for acquaintance with the most dangerous psychostimulants. Because of insufficient knowledge on dangerous affect of these drugs on the human body, which is often covered with a romantic veil, the number of people got in dependence is enlarged.
Psychostimulants are substances causing expressed stimulation of the higher psychic functions, which quickly relieve fatigue, sleepiness, lethargy, the flaccidity and increase working efficiency. The common feature of preparations from this group is their ability to cause narcotic addiction and urge that distinguishes them from other preparations possessing stimulating properties (some antidepressants, nootropics, adaptogens, etc.). The basic psychostimulants are cocaine and amphetamines.
Cocaine
Cocaine is a psychoactive substance having property of a psychomotor stimulator. It is an alkaloid with locally-anesthetizing properties, one of the oldest and most dangerous narcotics, especially in a combination with heroin. Cocaine is mainly sniffed or (depending on processing) drunk, introduced in injections and inhalations. A simple and cheap product of cocaine is “a crack” – used for smoking and it acts more quickly, more intensively and more dangerously concerning complications and addiction.
The first psychological factor in formation of psychic dependence on cocaine and other psychostimulants is a need in repeating the effect of the first dose.
The second factor forcing the person to repeat a drug intake, is a very short duration of the period of intoxication. In addition, the higher mood is replaced by a sudden depression and blues.
The third factor forming dependence is a group drug intake.
After some time the fourth factor will be added to these three psychological factors – it is a physical one – a cocaine abstinence syndrome. It is a long period of a person’s morbid state, related to full cessation of taking in any psychoactive substance (abstinence) where both the central and peripheric nervous systems participate.
Amphetamines
Amphetamine is a chemical derivative of ephedrine molecules. And that is after prohibition of cocaine to use, that amphetamine and some its chemical compounds have filled this niche in medicine. They were necessary for treatment of excessive drowsiness (narcolepsy), apathy, feeling of fatigue, which acquired the global scope after the World War I. In addition, they tried to treat cold and some gastric diseases with amphetamines.
Development of chemically pure amphetamine production technology has allowed to introduce it into the body intravenously. As this type of introduction is capable to cause instant and powerful euphorizing effect, amphetamine abuse began to reach the epidemic scale. A special danger is represented with the methamphetamine form for smoking. It is related to the rate of habituation and an opportunity for a large dose of the substance to be introduced to the body and cause a lethal outcome.
Tablets and injections of amphetamines lead to intoxication and dependence which is very similar to cocaine addiction. Both cocaine and amphetamine may cause a specific excitation in case of regular intake, at which a person is capable not to sleep for the whole day, practically to eat nothing and for some time to continue acting continuously as if it were a wind-up mechanism.
Acute effects of amphetamines do not differ in anything from effects of cocaine intake, but the amphetamine intoxication lasts much more longer. And psychic dependence on them is formed sometimes after the first or second intake.
Treatment of cocainic and amphetaminic dependences is complex: it is both a medication therapy, and non-medication approaches, but the main thing, of course is a realized desire of the sick person to get rid of this disease once and for ever.
In our clinic programs for treatment of cocainic and amphetaminic dependences are developed and successfully applied; they are really unique in their essence and according to the results of treatment. Therefore the patients who have appealed for help to our clinic, receive a guaranteed chance to return their life and health.
Work with psychologists in the clinic will help to change the style of life, to find belief and to start psychological reorganizations which will allow to each of you to execute only "good will" of own personality.
