Psychoactive or Recreational Medicines June, 2014 | Page 2

Categories of Recreational or Psychoactive Drugs
Introduction
A drug as defined by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is every substance that
alters the functions of the human body. A Psychoactive drug or a psychoactive substance,
whereas, is the particular drug which crosses the blood brain barrier and has an effect directly
on the neurons in the Central Nervous System of the human brain, and hence are used for
recreation as well. These recreational drugs encompass three broad categories of drugs. These
drugs act on the perception, mood, consciousness, cognition and behavior of an individual.
These drugs are also used recreationally to alter one’s state of mind purposefully in order to
artificially stimulate ones senses or induce feelings of happiness and euphoria. There are
chances, therefore, that the person will fall victim to the drug’s addiction. In this case, the
person would keep abusing the drug, besides all the psychological and physical health risks. If
the person does not consume the drug in a continuous and regular dosage, the person might
feel irritation and nausea.
The three broad sub-categories of recreational drugs include:

1.

Stimulants

Stimulants, also referred to as “Uppers” are the recreational drugs which causes increased and
enhanced alertness, wakefulness, locomotion, confidence, motivation and arousal. The effect is
not only external, but also every single neuron speeds up and functions faster and more
effectively. After the use of a stimulant, the heart rate and blood pressure will rise and food and
sleep would no longer be required.
These drugs mostly act by facilitating the dopamine or the norepinephrine activity by acting as
an antagonist on the serotonin receptors.
Cocaine, being one of the most addictive drugs, is the most widely abused stimulant. It is used
recreationally in over 100 countries and is generally considered a hard drug. Its addiction may
result in psychological as well as physical damage. Lethargy, psychosis, depression, akathisia,
and fatal overdose are usual psychological problems caused by cocaine. Its usual form of
absorption is through the nasal muscles, which is very dangerous considering that cocaine is in
the form of crystals. These crystals eventually damage the inner nasal walls and the walls of the
larynx and then the bronchioles.
Other forms of widely used stimulants include caffeine and nicotine.

2.

Depressants

Contradictory to the stimulants, the depressants are supposed to suppress/lower the
neurotransmission levels, hence lowering the heart rate and the blood pressure. Depressants
are generally used for pain relief, muscle relaxation, sedation, somnolence and
cognitive/memory impairment. At high doses, it serves as an anesthetic and can even cause
death when taken excessively.

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