As your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rises, so do the risks. Many people use alcohol to enhance their mood, but alcohol is actually a Depressant that can negatively affect one’s mental and physical health. Only a doctor should prescribe a CNS depressant, and people should only use these drugs for the specified purpose, according to the doctor’s instructions. People who take CNS depressants must be aware of the risks and should never share drugs or take a substance without knowing what is in it.
Depressants affect the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which slows down your brain activity. This can lead to side effects such as relaxation, drowsiness, slurred speech, decreased inhibition, and problems with coordination. However, as more alcohol is consumed, more Depressant effects will develop.
- Examples of CNS depressants include tranquilizers, hypnotics, and sedatives.
- Both alcohol and antidepressants can make you tired, less alert, and uncoordinated.
- There are many effective treatment options available for AUD.
- These side effects may help discourage people with AUD from drinking.
- Plus, the more your brain relies on alcohol to produce dopamine and serotonin, the less it relies on the body to pick up the slack.
Benzodiazepines, for example, can alter mood and trigger depression, especially if you take them for an extended period of time. The risk of depression is greater for older people and those with a history of depression. They used to go by the name central nervous system (CNS) depressants, which pretty neatly describes what they do. They don’t make you “depressed” — they calm down activity in your CNS. People who develop AUD continue to consume alcohol despite experiencing negative consequences. This condition can have a negative effect on health, relationships, and emotional well-being.
Some people may need rehabilitation therapy to stop using the drugs. If a person has any of these symptoms, they should seek immediate medical care. Ultimately, severe symptoms can lead to unresponsiveness, coma, and death. Many CNS depressants work by increasing the activity of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical that prevents or slows the delivery of messages between cells. CNS depressants are medications and other substances that slow down the CNS. Recreational use can be illegal and dangerous, as people may not understand the risks of misuse.
Pharmacology of Alcohol and Alcohol Use Disorder
The amount of alcohol a person consumes affects them more than the type of alcohol they drink. A person should speak with a healthcare professional if they think they have AUD. A psychotropic substance impacts the brain and can affect thoughts, mood, or behavior. Naltrexone may also be used to reduce drinking without quitting cold turkey.
Alcohol is classified as a Central Nervous System Depressant, meaning that it slows down brain functioning and neural activity. Alcohol does this by enhancing the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA. Sometimes, a person may not realize they are at risk of an overdose, such as when they use opioid pain relief medication and then drink alcohol. If you suffer from insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, or seizures, your doctor may prescribe a class of drugs called central nervous system (CNS) depressants.
It is also dangerous to mix alcohol and other central nervous system depressants, as the side effects can be even more magnified. For example, taking Xanax while drinking is potentially lethal because it can lead to over sedation. Most of all, alcohol can impact your reaction time, making it dangerous and illegal to drink and drive. In other words, you think you’re acting and processing things normally, but your brain is slower in its decision-making skills and ability to see objects.
Long-term effects
It also facilitates dopamine release from the nucleus accumbens, although the effect is not potent. Its actions on dopaminergic and opioid peptidergic systems are implicated in the reinforcing effect of alcohol. vanderburgh house After chronic exposure, downregulation of GABAergic and upregulation of NMDA glutamatergic systems typically occur. Normalizing this imbalance might be effective in the treatment of alcohol dependence.
As an individual continues drinking and more alcohol enters the system, it impairs judgment, vision, and alertness; it dulls the senses, affects concentration, and slows reaction time. Some CNS depressants become less effective over time, so that a person may feel the need to take a larger dose. If they stop using the drug, the original symptoms can return more severely than before. You should also talk to your doctor before increasing your dose.
The Role of Art Therapy in Addiction Recovery
Some CNS drugs have antidotes that can reverse their effects. These include Naloxone for opioid overdoses and Flumazenil for overdoses of benzodiazepine. Treatment for CNS depression or CNS depressant overdose depends on the substances involved. These can treat seizure disorders and anxiety, but doctors rarely prescribe them nowadays. Combining them can lead to severe and potentially life-threatening adverse effects. Also, the individual may need more and more of the drug to experience the same benefits.
Side Effects of Alcohol and Other Depressants
Then you already know about the rollercoaster effect alcohol can have on your brain. We looked at how depressants work and the way alcohol relates to that drug (because it’s hella weird). A person should speak with a healthcare professional to learn more about healthy alcohol use. A person should speak with a doctor about healthy alcohol consumption. Yes, initially and in small doses, alcohol does act as a stimulant.
Drinking may lower a person’s inhibitions, which may increase feelings of spontaneity. Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) continue to consume alcohol alcohol detox what to know when you detox from alcohol despite experiencing negative consequences. Although AUD cases may differ in severity, people who receive effective treatment can fully recover.
Options for support groups include Alcoholics Anonymous, Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART), or Women for Sobriety (WFS), among others. Alcohol can depress the central nervous system so much that it results in impairment such as slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions, and an inability to react quickly. Alcohol reduces an individual’s ability to think rationally, lessens inhibitions, and distorts judgment. If an individual consumes too much alcohol too rapidly, they can depress the central nervous system to a point of respiratory failure, coma, or death.
These are chemically different from other CNS depressants, but they work by stimulating the same inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA. CNS depression does not lsd overdose only result from the use of medications and other substances. But, high doses of these drugs can reduce the activity of the CNS to dangerously low levels.