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Chocolate affects us both negatively and positively. Some people, when they are
sad or depressed, experience a craving for chocolate. On eating chocolate they
report that their mood is elevated and they feel better. This elevation in mood is
temporary though and when this effect wears off, they again revert to their previous
state of mind.
There are many health benefits that are attributed to chocolates. It is good for the
heart. It increases the responsiveness of blood vessels which is useful for preventing
heart disease. It also increases glucose tolerance. Chocolate also contains some
substances which have an anti oxidant effect. This is helpful in preventing cancer.
Chocolate is reported to cause headache, obesity, rectal itching, heart burn and
emotional problems like irritability, confusion, anger and depression.
Chocolate is rich in carbohydrates, which increase the rate with which tryptophan
enters the brain. This increases the level of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that
regulates moods, creating a good feeling.
There are more than 350 chemicals in chocolate. Some of these are believed to
cause allergic reactions. Some scientists believe that phenylethylamine and
Eating chocolate can also give rise to a feeling of anxiety. Phenylethylamine is said
to cause dilation of blood vessels in brain causing headaches. Though it is still
debatable whether phenylethylamine reaches the brain.
Women appear to crave chocolate more than men, including diabetics. Some
amongst these women reported that only chocolate and nothing else could satisfy
their craving. The presence of magnesium in chocolate can account for the fact that
during PMS (Post Menstrual Syndrome) craving for chocolate increases in women, as
during this period a deficiency of magnesium may arise.
With all this contradictory information on the effects of chocolate on mood, one has
to observe from one's experiences and decide whether chocolate is right for one.
But, certainly, large amounts of chocolate will effect us physically or emotionally
one way or another.
Cigarette
The biological factors involved in smoking relate to how the brain responds to
nicotine. When a person smokes, a dose of nicotine reaches the brain within about
ten seconds. At first, nicotine improves mood and concentration, decreases anger
and stress, relaxes muscles and reduces appetite.
Regular doses of nicotine lead to changes in the brain, which then lead to nicotine
withdrawal symptoms when the supply of nicotine decreases. Smoking temporarily
reduces these withdrawal symptoms and can therefore reinforce the habit.
Social and psychological factors also play a part in keeping smokers smoking.
Although many young people experiment with cigarettes, other factors influence
whether someone will go on to become a regular smoker. These include having
friends or relatives who smoke and their parents' attitude to smoking. As young
people become adults, they are more likely to smoke if they misuse alcohol or drugs
or live in poverty. These factors make it more likely that someone will encounter
stress. Most adults say that they smoke because of habit or routine and/or because
it helps them relax and cope with stress.
Energy drinks
with alcohol were more inclined to be involved in risk-taking behaviors. There was
also excessive daytime sleepiness the day following energy drink consumption.
Contrary to expectations, the impact of energy drinks on quality of life and wellbeing was equivocal. Conclusions: Energy drinks have mixed psychological and wellbeing effects. There is a need to investigate the different contexts in which energy
drinks are consumed and the impact on mental health, especially in the
psychiatrically ill.
Coffee
Caffeine intake is so common that its pharmacological effects on the mind are
undervalued. Since it is so readily available, individuals can adjust their own dose,
time of administration and dose intervals of caffeine, according to the perceived
benefits and side effects of each dose. This review focuses on human studies of
caffeine in subjects with and without psychiatric disorders. Besides the possibility of
mild drug dependence, caffeine may bring benefits that contribute to its widespread
use. These benefits seem to be related to adaptation of mental energy to the
context by increasing alertness, attention, and cognitive function (more evident in
longer or more difficult tasks or situations of low arousal) and by elevating mood.
Accordingly, moderate caffeine intake (< 6 cups/day) has been associated with less
depressive symptoms, fewer cognitive failures, and lower risk of suicide. However,
its putative therapeutic effects on depression and ADHD have been insufficiently
studied. Conversely, in rare cases high doses of caffeine can induce psychotic and
manic symptoms, and more commonly, anxiety. Patients with panic disorder and
performance social anxiety disorder seem to be particularly sensitive to the
anxiogenic effects of caffeine, whereas preliminary data suggests that it may be
effective for some patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The threshold
for the anxiogenic effect of caffeine is influenced by a polymorphism of the A2A
receptor. In summary, caffeine can be regarded as a pharmacological tool to
increase energy and effortful behavior in daily activities. More populational (crosssectional and prospective) and experimental studies are necessary to establish the
role of caffeine intake in psychiatric disorders, especially its putative efficacy on
depressive mood and cognitive/attentional disorders.
Illegal drugs
What are the physical and psychological effects of drug use disorders?
While the specific physical and psychological effects of drug use disorders tend to
vary based on the particular substance involved, the general effects of addiction to
any drug can be devastating. Psychologically, intoxication with or withdrawal from a
substance can cause everything from euphoria as with alcohol, Ecstasy, or inhalant
intoxication, to paranoia with marijuana or steroid intoxication, to severe depression
or suicidal thoughts with cocaine or amphetamine withdrawal. In terms of effects on
the body, intoxication with a drug can cause physical effects that range from
marked sleepiness and slowed breathing as with intoxication with heroin or sedative
hypnotic drugs, to the rapid heart rate of cocaine intoxication, or the tremors to
seizures of alcohol withdrawal.
What are causes and risk factors for developing a drug use disorder?
like most other mental-health problems, drug use disorders have no single cause.
However, there are a number of biological, psychological, and social factors, known
as risk factors, that can increase an individual's vulnerability to developing a
chemical use disorder. The frequency with which substance use disorders occur
within some families seems to be higher than could be explained by an addictive
environment of the family. Therefore, most substance use professionals recognize a
genetic aspect to the risk of drug addiction.
What are warning signs that you or a loved one may have a drug use disorder?
While specific symptoms that are used to diagnose drug use disorders are described
below, warning signs that you or a loved one suffer from the condition include the
following:
Recurrent substance use that prevents the sufferer from meeting significant
responsibilities at work, school, or home
Recurrent drug use in situations that may be physically dangerous
Recurrent legal problems as a result of drug use
Continued drug use in spite of continued or repeated social or relationship problems
as a result of, or worsened by the drug's effects
Tolerance, that is either a markedly decreased effect of the drug or a need to
significantly increase the amount of the substance used in order to experience the
same high or other desired effects
Withdrawal, which is defined as either physical or psychological signs or symptoms
consistent with withdrawal from a specific drug, or taking that drug or one
chemically close to that drug in order to avoid developing symptoms of withdrawal
Larger amounts of the drug are taken or for longer than intended.
The person has a persistent urge to take the drug or has unsuccessfully tried to
decrease or control the drug use
Excessive amounts of time are spent either getting, using, or recovering from the
effects of the drug
While the specific effects of drugs on the brain can vary somewhat depending on
the drug that is being used, virtually every drug that is abused has an effect on
what professionals often call the executive functioning areas of the brain. The
functions of those areas can be remembered by thinking about the tasks of the chief
executive officer in any company: planning, organizing, prioritizing, acting when it is
time to act, as well as delaying or preventing action (inhibitory functions) when
appropriate. The parts of the brain that tend to harbor the executive brain functions
are the front-most parts of the brain, called the frontal lobes, including the frontal
cortex and prefrontal cortex. When a person takes drugs, the inhibitory functions of
the brain are particularly impaired, causing the person to have trouble stopping him
or herself from acting on impulses that the brain would otherwise delay or prevent.
This disinhibition can lead to the substance abuser engaging in aggressive, sexual,
criminal, dangerous, or other activities that can have devastating consequences for
the addicted person or those around him or her. Given that the brain of individuals
below about the age of 25 years is in the process of actively and rapidly developing
and is therefore not fully mature, drug use that takes place during the childhood or
teenage years can have particularly negative effects on the younger person's ability
toSimilar to many mental-health diagnoses, there is no one test that definitively
determines that someone has a chemical use disorder. Therefore, health-care
professionals diagnose these conditions by thoroughly gathering medical, family,
and mental-health information. The practitioner will also either conduct a physical
examination or ask that the person's primary-care doctor perform one. The medical
assessment will usually include lab tests to evaluate the person's general medical
health and to explore whether or not the individual currently has drugs in their
system or has a medical problem that might mimic symptoms of drug addiction.