Kraft 1

Madison Kraft

Katerina Salini

PSY 1010 MWF 10am

February 20, 2017

Mouse Party

I found this activity very informational, and even fun. I thought the graphics and the way

the information was presented aided in my understanding of the effects of the various drugs. I

encountered information that I have not before and I learned much about the topics. There are

three central ideas that I found intriguing; the mimicking that drugs do, effects on the brain, and

the side-effects of the person taking the drug.

Drugs are often taken to find a greater feeling of an emotion, relaxation, happiness,

energy, etc. These are emotions that are natural and we experience them in our daily lives, many

strive to enhance these emotions. To complete this drugs mimic variables in the brain to create

this consequence feeling. Methamphetamines, for instance, mimic dopamine. Ecstasy on the

other hand, mimics serotonin and heroin mimics natural opiates. With the ability to mimic our

brains natural occurrences, the drugs have a great effect on the brain.

Many of the effects of drugs on the brain have similar aspects. With methamphetamines

ability to mimic dopamine, it is accepted into the dopamine transporters as dopamine. Then the

meth enters the dopamine vesicles, and results with excluding the natural dopamine. When the

dopamine has been released from the vesicles it becomes trapped in the synaptic cleft and

overstimulates the cell. Drugs can also block transporters; cocaine for instance, blocks the

transporters and results in the repetitive binding of dopamine and results in overstimulation of

the cell, similar to meth. Heroin also uses its mimicking abilities to affect the brain. Heroin fills
 Kraft 2

opiate receptors and causes the dopamine to spill. These effects on the brain correlate with the

effects that the user experiences.

With the opiate mimic of heroin, the user experiences an immediate feeling of well-being,

and sedation. This is compared to pain killing drugs, that have a similar effect. Meth is related to

its use of the reward pathway, and in this it creates feelings of pleasure and exhilaration.

Similarly, ecstasy overstimulates the cell and has direct effects on mood, appetite, and sleep.

Some outcomes are noticeable to others, such as a cocaine user. A cocaine user is often fidgety,

or cannot remain still. This is due to the cocaine affecting part of the brain that are related to

voluntary movements. Experiencing these feelings, is often lead to the result of addiction to that

substance, and in some cases the drug may disallow these feelings without its use resulting in

lifetime addictions.