Stimulants, which are also sometimes called psycho-stimulants, are drugs that are meant to create a temporary improvement of a person’s mental or physical abilities. They are sometimes casually referred to as “uppers.” One of the hallmark effects of stimulants is increased alertness. Stimulants are often defined in contrast to depressants, which have the opposite effects.
There are numerous types of medical, developmental, and mental conditions that can be treated with stimulants, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and narcolepsy. Stimulants can sometimes create a sense of well-being and euphoria. Because of this they are key ingredients of some illegal drugs. Cocaine and methylenedioxymethamphetamine, which is more commonly referred to as ecstasy, both include stimulants.
One of the most common sources of stimulants are caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, and some sodas. If you have ever had a strong cup of coffee in the morning and shortly thereafter had an acutely increased sense of wakefulness then you have already experienced the effects of stimulants. Another common source of stimulants is nicotine, which is found in tobacco. Paradoxically, the effects of stimulants can be both an increase in anxiety as well as a decrease in anxiety. Most tobacco users find that the stimulants in nicotine reduce their anxiety levels.
The effect of stimulants is the result of increased activity in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. In addition to alertness, stimulants may also increase one’s physical endurance, sexual arousal, motivation to accomplish tasks, and ability to stay awake. Heart rate and blood pressure are also increased by stimulants.
These drugs can decrease the sense of hunger, and are sometimes used by dieters to curb their appetites. Due to this, they are an ingredient in many diet pills. Stimulants can also decrease one’s sense of fatigue. People who are trying to stay awake despite sleepiness sometimes take stimulants in the form of pills or caffeinated beverages.
It is important to note that stimulants cannot stave off hunger and fatigue indefinitely, but only temporarily. Also, ingesting too many stimulants can have negative or harmful effects. It is important for people with cardiovascular conditions to be cautious when taking stimulants. Individuals with these conditions should consult with their doctors before using stimulants of any kind. When consulting with their doctors, people with these conditions should also discuss their daily intake of caffeine.
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anon268566
Post 12 |
What are some consequences of using stimulants? |
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anon252009
Post 9 |
I think stimulants are bad, but if it's caffeine, then I think it's fine. |
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anon144159
Post 5 |
definitely agree with the age-restriction on energy drinks. They're advertised for kids with their visual appeal and intense names like 'rockstar', 'monster' and 'red bull'. |
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anon142660
Post 4 |
Those articles were great! Thanks for the advice! |
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LittleMan
Post 3 |
My best friend's dad used to take a lot of stimulants when he was in med school so that he could stay awake to do all of the studying (and partying, I'm sure) that he needed to do, and now, forty years down the road, he's still experiencing side effects.
For instance, he can almost never sleep through the night, since he would stay awake for so long when he was younger that his sleep cycles were permanently damaged, and he just can't sleep normally anymore.
He's also prone to be irritable, and really worries about random things, which he wasn't like when he was younger, according to his buddies, who also like to tell us about their crazy stories from college.
That, the long term effects of stimulants, if anything else, just put me off the whole idea of stimulant abuse. Never mind the better clarity and staying awake for days on end -- I want to be able to sleep through the night when I'm older!
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closerfan12
Post 2 |
Great article! I was preparing a lesson on the negative effects of stimulants, and this was such a help.
Do you think that you could tell me a little more about the effects of cocaine and the effects of amphetamines? That would really help me round out my presentation.
It's for fourteen year old kids, by the way, so if you could keep any information on that learning level, that would be great.
Thanks! |
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rallenwriter
Post 1 |
I love reading articles about stuff like this, because so many people in the world are addicted to stimulants -- and I'm not even talking about the illegal ones.
I mean, you've got people dosing up on caffeine every day and getting grumpy if they miss their three o'clock Coke break, not to mention having that all important first jolt in the morning.
However, even though I am a huge fan of coffee, and am one of those people who you seriously can't even talk to before I've had my first cup, I think that some drinks are taking it too far.
I mean, look at all the crazy energy drinks with hundreds of milligrams of caffeine in them. What with all the side effects of stimulants, intaking that much at any one time is simply dangerous. And many of the people drinking them are children, which makes it even more of a shock to their system.
If people were as concerned about the effects of caffeine as they are the effects of nicotine, believe me; you'd have age restrictions on those energy drinks in a heartbeat.
What do you all think about it -- are the long term effects of stimulants like caffeine as dangerous as those like nicotine, or not? |
