Psychology
Rohypnol is a sedative drug used as a short-term treatment for insomnia. It can also be used as a pre-medication in surgical procedures, and some doctors use it to induce anesthesia. The drug causes partial amnesia, and someone might not be able to remember some events that happened when they were under the influence. That is the reason why it is usually called the rape drug, because it is used by revelers to spike the drinks of unsuspecting people, then leading them to do things that they would not have done if they were sober. Apart from its fame as the rape drug, Rohypnol is also used for purposes like causing high intoxication, boosting the impact of heroin and coin. Young people below the age of thirty are the frequent users of the drug, especially in countries where it is available over the counter.
The drug has a handful of negative effects. First, it is a major cause of dizziness and memory loss, as people under the drug intoxication do not have control over their motor. The influence it has on the psychomotor makes it hard for someone to carry out some activities like driving or operating a machine. Severe effects include respiratory depression and dependence on the drug. Dependence occurs on continued use of the drug, and withdrawing it can cause hallucinations and confusion on the patient. One way of consuming the drug is through injections; a method that exposes the users to infections like HIV and other blood-borne diseases. Rohypnol is available over the counter in many parts of the world, as it is prescribed as a pre-surgery amnesia infliction drug that saves the patients from feeling pain.
Marijuana, effects, and debate
Marijuana contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a substance that has psychoactive effects on the brain causing drowsiness, increased appetite, and hallucinations. Many people have related the use of cannabis with memory loss, but there is no substantive research to back that. In little doses, Marijuana causes a feeling of relaxation and well-being, making users feel more attached to the drug. That is the reason why it is common with young people, especially college students. However, with high dosages, it fragments one's memory, making one to speak in incomplete sentences, and has incidences of exaggerated laughter. Other effects of marijuana include hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions. The effect of marijuana smoking on lungs is not known, but the suspicion is that it has the same effects as cigarettes, meaning that it is an exposure drug to lung cancer.
The debate on legalization of marijuana ranges on; with proponents citing its rich medicinal value while opponents say that the drug causes adverse effects on users. The Federal Drug Association authorized the use of cannabis in the treatment of cancer; it is administered to patients after chemotherapy sessions to reduce vomiting and nausea. Supporters of legalization of marijuana argue that the drug does not have known adverse effects like tobacco and alcohol, and its legalization would lead to healing for many patients. Already, the drug has been legalized in many states in the US, mostly on medical grounds, as doctors have also indicated that the drug can be used in managing chronic pain. In fact, research shows that states with the authorization of marijuana in the management of pain have fewer deaths resulting from overdosage of pain killers (Boyette and Wilson, 2015). Legalizing marijuana becomes a tricky regulation problem because it is hard to know genuine concerns and abusive attempts. Already, companies that have been authorized to sell marijuana have a booming business from the sales, which are usually prescribed medical reasons.
Non-substance addictions
Non-substantive addictions are activities like gambling and betting. Even though this addiction does not feed on drugs like other substance abuse related drugs, the effects on the behaviors of addicts are the same. The effects of non-substance addictions like pathological gambling range from physiological to psychoactive and social. For instance, the biggest victims of gambling addictions are relatives, mostly, immediate family. Losing money in gambling feeds the hunger for gambling more, with the hope of winning back money to recover losses; it is a cyclical process that repeats itself many times, whether one loses or wins. It marries perfectly with the aphorism, ‘if it provides relief, it can and will be abused'. Technically speaking, this means that the kind of reparation non-substance addiction provides results to more gambling, for example.
In terms of its effect on users, non-substance abuse is like alcohol, with an addiction that rises when one is near a place of gambling. Addicts prefer to stay away from the society and construct close relationships with insiders so as to feed the addiction. In some cases, addicts commit suicide after losing a lot of money on gambling, more so when they mortgage their gambles on the property. Medically speaking, there is no much ground covered in the study of non-substance abuse, but preliminary conclusions say that the practice has damaging psychological effects, as it sets the brain on a different trajectory, pegged on delusions and unrealistic expectations (Potenza, n.d). As free addiction (free because it is not dependent on any drug), non-substance addiction creates more questions than answers, and it is a cases study on the research about pathophysiology. There is no enough evidence to classify pathological gambling as a mental condition.
Eating disorders
Eating disorders have recently been renamed food addictions, raising the alarm on the high number of people addicted to food. Scientists have discovered that food can trigger the brain chemicals like dopamine, the same chemicals triggered by addictive drugs like heroin and cocaine. The result is an increased urge for food, or specific food items, a factor that is being blamed for the rise of obesity. In retrospect, food addiction, or the eating disorder, is not based on the need to eat more and more, or the kind of dependence that is associated with drugs. Rather, it is construed to be the habits and behaviors of people around food. These behaviors are observed through aspects like one's thoughts about food and attitude towards eating prescriptions like the need to reduce sugar intake.
Eating disorders are characterized by the complete inability to stop consuming certain foods. For instance, for a patient dealing with weight problems, the doctor can prescribe reduced intake of saturated fats and sugars. The patient, instead of stopping, chooses to dodge family members and friends who know about his/her situation, by sneaking to candy shops and gulping mugs of candy, then walks home and sticking to doctor instructions. Some of these habits are formed during childhood, as parents reward children with candy and chocolate, making it look ‘cool'. For addicts, having to stop eating food that has been associated with good times can be hard, and despite the hazard of continued consumption, they just cannot stop it. Eating disorders present serious struggles to the victims, as withdrawal from consuming the particular items can be hard and depressing (Fleming, 2013). Attention on this type of addiction has been on the increase, and proper research is being carried out to put definitive measures on the dependency.
Sexual addiction
Sexual addiction refers to an excessive obsession with certain sexual behaviors and habits like watching pornography, fantasizing, flashing and prostitution. Ladies, for instance, have reported instances of ‘flashing,' an action of sexual fantasy where a man masturbates at the back of the lady without her knowledge (Valenti, 2016). Some of these behaviors are offshoots of traumatic disorders that make men view bodies of colleagues or women in the train as sexual objects. Sexual addiction is usually underestimated because there is no enough data to explain the extent of the problem in modern societies. The situation on sex addiction is not helped by the overemphasis on pornography addiction, which is just one of the many forms of sexual addiction. Talking about pornography, there are more than five million web sites that offer pornography content, and the industry is estimated have $14 billion in revenues every year (Ackman, 2001).
The leading causes of sex addiction are social influences, and the desire to feel validated. Rejection and isolation can make someone use sex as a tool to get attention, an act that leads to addiction, as they seek validation from partner to partner, and lose sexual control of their bodies. Effects of sexual addiction range from acute depression to contraction of sexually transmitted diseases and breakdown of relationships. Use of therapy usually treats the disorder. Some of the standard therapies designed to treat sexual addiction are individual therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, psychodynamic therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.
References
Ackman, D. (2001, May 25). How big is Porn? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2001/05/25/0524porn.html
Boyette, C., & Wilson, J. (2015, January 7). It’s 2015: Is weed legal in your state? CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/07/us/recreational-marijuana-laws/
Fleming, A. (2013, August 20). Food addiction: Does it exist? The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/aug/20/food-addiction-exist-fat-sugar
Potenza, M. N. (n.d.). Non-substance and substance addictions. , 104(6), Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2865686/
Valenti, J. (2016, May 31). Jessica Valenti: My life as a ’sex object’. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/may/28/jessica-valenti-my-life-as-a-sex-object?CMP=fb_gu
