The risk of pleasure. Taking risks is part of human nature. It runs risks to feel alive, to learn more about yourself, test your skills and limits or to risk the physical or mental as a disguised form of suicide. It also runs risks for what they give pleasure, some socially accepted, others not.

An example is the motor racing on tracks suitable for this, then there are racing through the streets in the early morning, ignoring all traffic signs. And when it comes to drugs? They bring together some pleasure (but no one would use). It also brings risks, which may be related to direct effects of drugs, legal risks, and social risks of dependence. The fact that a drug is legal or illegal is not related to its chemical properties or their health risks. A popular criterion is to find that everything that is natural without prejudice. This is not true. Snake venom, virus and bacteria are natural and can cause damage damned.

The scientific criterion medication is called "drugs", psychotropic drug, because they are substances that act in the brain by modifying the way you feel, think and act. Following are some aspects about the drugs most commonly used in our midst. Drugs that depress the central nervous system (CNS) - reduce brain functioning, the person gets off, slowly, floating.

Alcohol

Only in the nineteenth century, alcoholism began to take off as scientific concept of disease. The merit of this design was to remove the moralistic approach of alcoholism as 'addiction', being replaced by 'disease' in its broadest sense, as a clinical entity in which a high intake of alcohol causes mental and physical illnesses.

Alcoholism

It is a major public health problems in the world, is associated with about 50% of accidents with death, 50% of homicides and 25% of suicides. Treatment mainly involves vocational guidance, which may include behavioral and psychological treatment and / or participation in self-help (Alcoholics Anonymous). The pharmacological intervention aims to relieve withdrawal symptoms and prevent relapse. Causes Children of alcoholics become alcoholics often four times higher than children of non-alcoholics, suggesting a genetic factor. People very anxious, shy and repressed, may use alcohol to get a sense of liberation and power. There is an aphorism that psychoanalytic self-criticism is soluble in alcohol. The more severe patients may have greater difficulty in confronting the problem. Many tried to stop several times, but without success. Since these individuals are usually very sensitive to rejection, it is important that doctors treat them with the same concern that would give patients with any chronic illness, to accept the relapse and encourage continued treatment.

Effects of Alcohol

A feature of alcoholic beverages is not shared by any other psychotropic drug, is the power supply. However, they are "empty calories" because they are not associated with proteins, minerals or vitamins. On average, an individual can transform 7g of alcohol per hour. There is no drug detoxification, as intended with the use of injection of glucose (it's rare for an alcoholic has hypoglycaemia) and other resources used in the past that bring more risks than benefits. The adaptation of the central nervous system alcohol establishes a state of physical dependence. This dependence becomes apparent when the reduction of intake or abstaining from alcohol causes subjective distress and objective evidence of abstinence. Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, tachycardia, hypertension, tremors, nausea and vomiting and insomnia. Symptoms are more pronounced, illusions, auditory or visual hallucinations, a small percentage of patients have one or more seizures. The most serious manifestation of alcohol withdrawal is delirium tremens, a severe confusional state characterized by profound agitation, hallucinations, delusions, tremors and convulsions. Treatment In the emergency room as in delirium tremens or severe withdrawal symptoms, we should perform specific medical treatment. Alcoholism is a chronic disease. It is essential to maintain continuity of treatment in order to prevent recurrences.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). It is an organization founded by a former alcoholic, dedicated to the assistance of alcoholics, with self-help. Al-Anon, for friends, relatives and friends of alcoholics, Al-Ateen, for adolescents and children, with a support function. Now present in almost all the world has been successful in recovering alcoholics who seek them.

In addition to these resources, yet one has to treat diseases associated with alcoholism, and hepatic, cerebral, nutrition. Added to this the economic costs (absenteeism, accidents, car accidents), emotional and social caused by alcohol.

Opiates

Several derivatives of opium, is better known as morphine and heroin that attach to receptors in the brain and soon lead to dependence. It has analgesic action may cause an initial euphoria followed by apathy and drowsiness. In an overdose can lead to coma and death by respiratory failure. Abstinence include nausea, muscle aches and diarrhea. Inhalants and solvents are with marijuana among the drugs most used by children and adolescents in Brazil. These include gasoline, paint removers, glue, benzene and acetone. Are depresssores brain can cause initial euphoria, floating feeling, dizziness, with increasing dose cause mental torpor.

CNS stimulants

Increase brain activity, the User is connected, electric. Cocaine is a fine white powder that can be snorted or injected, causes a state of intense euphoria. Cocaine is not refined folders in basic solvents, resulting in the rocks of crack or merla, which are smoked. You act faster and danificante in the brain. At high doses can cause death from cardiac arrest. Disruption of the CNS - the brain starts to work out of the ordinary, not speed, but the quality of operation. Marijuana has euphorizing, tranquilizers and a dream-like state. Chronic use leads to a state of apathy and passivity. Final Thoughts There are innocuous drugs for physical or mental health, all are more or less harmful because of its direct or secondary effects such as transmission of diseases - AIDS and hepatitis among others, accidents, crime and other costs to families and society.

There are different risks to different people. Who has a predisposition to develop a mental illness, the use of a drug can be a journey of no return to the madness. The drugs cited are very common in our country and its use has grown sharply in all social classes. Therefore every effort should be made so that there is awareness and prevention education to their use, and formation of multi-professional teams and groups of self-help for the effectiveness of treatment.