Psychopharmacology (Drugs & Psychology) BPS302

Learn about the psychological effect of a range of drugs. Develop your skills in understanding the effects of legal, illegal and prescribed drugs on the mind, body and behaviour. Topics covered include stimulants, narcotics, hallucinogens, marijuana, steroids, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, solvents, sedatives, prescription drugs, etc. Course Structure The course is divided into eleven lessons as follows:

1. Introduction: A history of the use and misuse of drugs in society
2. Effects of drugs on the individual and society
3. Legally restricted drugs: Stimulants and narcotics
4. Legally restricted drugs: Hallucinogens and marijuana
5. Legally restricted drugs: Steroids
6. Legal drugs: Alcohol
7. Legal drugs: Tobacco, caffeine and solvents
8. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs
9. Sedatives and anti-anxiety drugs
10. Prescription drugs for schizophrenia and affective disorders
11. Treatment and preventative education

Aims

• To understand the origins and changes in drug use in society;
• To identify patterns of drug-taking behaviour;
• To identify social, psychological and physical consequences of drug-taking on the individual;
• To understand the effects of stimulants and narcotics on the individual;
• To understand the effects of hallucinogens and marijuana on the individual;
• To understand the effects of anabolic steroids on the individual;
• To determine health and behavioural outcomes of alcohol use and mis-use;
• To determine health and behavioural outcomes of nicotine, caffeine and solvent use and misuse;
• To understand the effects of the major categories of OTC drugs and prescription regulations;
• To understand the effects of sedatives and anti-anxiety drugs on the brain and behaviour;
• To understand the effects of different types of anti-psychotic and anti-depressant drugs on the brain and behaviour;
• To describe different methods of treatment and prevention of drug-abuse and to discuss ways of educating the public as to the outcomes of taking drugs.

What you will do in this course

• Explain through case studies the difference between drug abuse and drug misuse;
• Explain through examples the difference between recreational and instrumental drug-taking;
• Describe major changes in drug taking behaviour from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century;
• Investigate why some people are more likely than others to engage in drug abuse behaviour;
• Contrast the difference of attitudes to drug taking between cultures;
• Differentiate between drug tolerance and behavioural tolerance;
• Differentiate between physical and psychological drug dependence;
• Describe factors contributing to physiological effects of a drug on the body;
• Learn how psychoactive drugs affect neurotransmitters;
• Consider how personal expectations influence the effects of drug taking;
• Learn how cocaine affects the mind and body;
• List side effects of long and short-term amphetamine use;
• Explain how to treat cocaine and amphetamine users;
• Explain how heroin affects the mind and body;
• Describe how narcotics been used successfully in medicine;
• Describe how opiates affect the brain;
• Discuss the effectiveness of the main approaches to treating heroin abuse;
• Discuss the negative effects regular marijuana use has on quality of life;
• Discuss the use of steroids in sport and drug control of athletes;
• Identify health behavioural, and lifestyle outcomes of alcohol use and misuse;
• Develop a case study of a person being treated with anti-anxiety drugs;
• Consider how anti-psychotic drugs work in the brain;
• Identify the main three types of anti-depressants;
• Identify drugs used to alleviate panic attacks and bipolar disorder;
• Consider dilemmas faced when trying to test out new drugs for schizophrenia;
• Discuss the \'bio-psychosocial\' approach to treatment of drug abuse;
• Describe the stage theory of treatment and recovery.

Drugsù is a word used by the medical profession to refer to medicines that can cure or arrest disease or alleviate symptoms, ease pain or provide other benefits. Powerful drugs may have side effects, but commonly used drugs with less potential to harm can be sold over the counter. More powerful drugs often require a medical practitioner\'s prescription. Another definition of drugs is those substances upon which a person may become dependent. These range from mild stimulants eg. Caffeine, to powerful drugs that alter mood and behaviour. The term drugù is therefore any substance which is psychoactive that is, mind altering. It can cover -

• Legal drugs (eg tobacco, alcohol)
• Illegal drugs (eg ecstasy, amphetamines)

Medicinal drugs, (eg insulin, paracetamol, ventol).

Psychopharmacology is the study of the effects on the mind and body of pharmacological substances - drugs.This course will help you develop your skills in understanding the effects of legal, illegal and prescribed drugs on the mind body and behaviour.