PSYC62H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Headache, Caffeine, Pharmacodynamics
Document Summary
Psychoactive substances have an enormous impact on society. Psychopharmacology: study of how drugs affect mood, perception, thinking, or behaviour. Psychoactive drugs: achieve the above effects by acting in the ns. Definition has limitations: we might make things that do this but we do not call it a drug. Do not restrict the perception of a drug to a specific form or usage risk of excluding nonconforming substances: (ex. caffeine, sugar) Instrumental use: use for the specific purpose of a drug. Use of alcohol to feel more relaxed (glass of wine: socially acceptable. Recreational use: drug use to experience the effects of a drug. Use of alcohol to feel its intoxicating effects. May lead to misuse of drug, drug abuse, and/or drug dependence: (**you don"t have to be dependent on a drug to abuse it**) Getting hammered every month (don"t rely on it on a everyday basis) Trade names: names company applies to the molecule, tylenol acetometaphine.
