PS268 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Gateway Drug Theory, Languages With Official Status In India, Psychoactive Drug
Document Summary
Test 1 lesson 1-4; chapters 1-5 & 9. Lesson 1 notes: understanding drug use, chapter 1 & 2. Drug problem is poorly defined - lack of information and stereotyping. Need to use rigorous techniques to answer questions and generate conclusions. Who uses drugs? why- self medicate vs. recreational? what makes it a. Problem (dose and # of times) and type of drug - caffeine vs heroin. Neither good nor bad, has multiple effects. Size of effect depends on individual history, expectation for drug effects and environmental setting (especially true of hallucinogens) I believe that drugs are not inherently good or bad because drugs modify ligand signalling. Abnormal neurotransmission can cause great distress to a person not seeking medical treatment. For example, abnormal levels of dopaminergic and/or serotinergic activity is related to schizophrenia, multiple schlerosis and many mood disorders such as depression and bipolar i and ii.