Category: Substance use

According to Mayo Clinic, you should never stop taking your antidepressant just so you can drink alcohol, as it can worsen depression and trigger side effects. The question, 'Can I skip antidepressants for one day to drink?' is one that comes up often, but the medical consensus is a firm no for a variety of important reasons.

Among young adults aged 18-25, non-medical use of prescription stimulants is a significant concern, with college students being particularly at risk [1.5.7]. But what happens if I take Adderall and don't have ADHD? The effects are often dangerous and counterproductive.

Ketamine is a unique dissociative anesthetic that creates a trance-like state, a fact which directly complicates the seemingly simple question: **Is ket an upper or downer?**. Its effects are not static but change dramatically depending on the dosage, exhibiting characteristics of both stimulants and depressants at different levels.

According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 16.8% of people aged 12 or older in the U.S. used an illicit drug in the past month [1.4.3]. Among these substances are a unique class known as dissociatives. So, **what drugs are dissociatives** and how do they impact the brain and body?

In 2021, an estimated 4.9 million Americans aged 12 or older reported misusing prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in the past year [1.7.1]. 'Downers,' the common term for Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants, are drugs that slow down brain activity [1.2.2]. So, what drugs are also called downers?

Overdose deaths involving buprenorphine and other central nervous system (CNS) depressants are a serious risk, highlighting the critical importance of understanding what drugs should you not take with buprenorphine. When multiple sedative drugs are combined, the risk of respiratory depression, coma, and death increases significantly.

The pursuit of intense pleasure through drugs is a complex topic rooted in neurobiology, impacting the brain's delicate chemical balance [1, 5]. Understanding the science behind drug-induced euphoria helps illuminate the significant risks involved and why asking **what drug gives the most euphoria** is linked to dangerous behaviors and severe health consequences [6, 12].

Medications for opioid use disorder, like partial opioid antagonists, have been shown to significantly reduce overdose deaths. One of the most prominent examples is buprenorphine, a crucial tool in modern addiction medicine that helps manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings by activating opioid receptors to a lesser degree than full agonists.

The cannabis plant contains over 60 natural cannabinoids, but it is primarily one chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), that gets you stoned by interacting with your body's endocannabinoid system. Understanding these complex interactions is crucial for navigating the effects of cannabis and other psychoactive substances.

An estimated 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually in the United States [1.7.2]. This raises the question: do other mood altering drugs have the same effect as alcohol? Many mimic its depressant qualities, but their mechanisms and risks differ significantly [1.3.1, 1.4.2].