Describe the biological effects of substance abuse and stress that impede a healthy lifestyle.
Description should include the following:
- Substance abuse: aside from the physical damage that drugs, alcohol, and tobacco can inflict on the body's organs, substance abuse can prevent subjects from dealing with emotional stress and reality. Different drugs affect biological processes in different ways. Commonly abused categories of drugs include
- opioids and morphine derivatives (e.g., heroin)
- cannabinoids (e.g., marijuana)
- depressants (e.g., flunitrazepam, alcohol)
- dissociative anesthetics (e.g., ketamine)
- hallucinogens (e.g., LSD)
- stimulants (e.g., methamphetamine)
- other compounds (e.g., steroids, inhalants).
- Stress: triggers chemical reactions in the body (e.g., increased blood flow to muscles and brain, decreased blood flow to the skin and digestive organs, reduced effectiveness of the immune system, altered the functions of other organs) that, if not alleviated, can result in
- insomnia
- grinding teeth
- diarrhea
- indigestion
- ulcers
- nausea
- backaches
- headaches, migraines
- uncontrollable twitching
- stuttering
- allergies
- asthma
- high blood pressure
- heart disease.
Process/Skill Questions:
- What are some of the ways substance abuse affects a person's health?
- What are some the types of drugs used by substance abusers?
- What does stress do to a person’s body?