Brain Chemicals
What chemical is responsible for rewards and motivation?
What is Dopamine?
-Increase GABA
-Decrease Glutamate
-Releases Dopamine
Substances can weaken the parts of your brain that are responsible for?
-Risk assessment
-Self control
What is one impact substances can have on relationships?
- Reliability/consistency
-Boundaries
- Connection
What chemical helps regulate mood and sleep?
What is Serotonin?
Name a possible impact of cannabis use
-motivation
-memory
-concentration
How can substance impact:
1. Memory
2. Focus
3. Learning
1. Impair short-term memory
2. Reduce focus
3. Interfere with learning new things
What are two ways substances impact work performance?
- Attendance/performance
-Motivation/organization
-Stress management
-Routines
What chemical slows brain activity and reduces anxiety?
What is GABA?
Name an impact of stimulants
- Energy spike
-increase anxiety
-increase paranoia
-emotional crash
What two effects can substances have on emotions?
- increase emotional reactivity
- Cause emotional numbness
What are three ways substances impact mental health diagnosis?
- Increase mental health symptoms
-Substances provide temporary relief
-Brain chemistry is disrupted
-Symptoms worsen between use
-cravings/reliance increase
What chemical supports thinking, memory and learning?
What is Glutamate?
Name an impact of opioids
-emotional numbing
-physical pain numbing
-reduce ability to experience pleasure
What impacts can substances have on sleep and energy?
- Disrupt sleep cycles
-Insomnia or excessive sleep
-fatigue
What are the two causes substances have on the immune system?
- lower immune functioning
-slower healing
What chemical activates the stress response?
What is Norepinephrine?
What impact might a sedative/benzodiazepine have on the brain?
- Strong GABA activation
- Short term anxiety relief
-rebound anxiety and memory impairment
What impacts can substances have on the nervous system?
- increase stress
-Shakiness, headaches, body tension
-Withdrawal
Name three common challenges that people have with stopping substances.
-Brain chemistry changes
-Withdrawal
-Fear of coping w/out substances
-lack of coping skills