What Are Depressants?
Depressants, also known as “downers”, are any drug that reduces the functioning of the central nervous system or any other part of the body.
Types of Depressants
Depressants are a type of drug that can take several forms; however, the most common type is administered by prescription. Many people are prescribed depressant drugs which have beneficial effects but wind up dependant on their prescription or addicted to them. Depressant drugs can put your health and wellbeing at serious risk. However, this doesn’t just include the standard barbiturates or benzodiazepines. Rather, it also includes things like opioids, alcohol and antipsychotic drugs.
List of Depressants
- Barbiturates – Allobarbital, Amobarbital, Aprobarbital, Alphenal, Barbital, Brallobarbital
- Benzodiazepines – Chlordiazepoxide, Lorazepam, Clonazepam, Adinazolam, Climazolam
- Cannabis – Marijuana, Hashish
- Opioids – Morphine, Heroin, Codeine, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Methadone
How Are Depressants Used and Taken Into the Body?
Following is information on what exactly these drugs are and how they affect the body. Depressants are typically taken into the body in pill form, as they are most often prescription drugs. However, one of the more common depressants is alcohol and the opioid, heroin, is taken intravenously.
How Do Depressants Affect the Body?
Depressants can affect the body in several different ways. The primary effect is feelings of relaxation and the reduction of tension. Users may also feel a bit drowsy. Use over time, however, will cause users to build up a tolerance to the substance. This means that you’ll require more and more of the drug to get the same feelings as you originally did. This is dangerous and can result in an accidental overdose.
What are the Effects of Depressants Abuse?
Should you develop a tolerance to a depressant drug, addiction to the depressant drug is not far after. Even when prescribed an anticonvulsant, for exapmle, you can still build up a tolerance and ultimately become addicted to it. This happens even if your intentions in taking the drug were good.
However, some people take depressants for recreational purposes only. Certainly, the initial effects can be pleasant, but over time, users feel drained, lethargic and generally unwell due to their depressants drug abuse. Side effects can include clumsiness, dizziness, slurred speech and confusion. Serious side effects can span the gamut from loss of consciousness to even death.
Withdrawal from depressant drugs isn’t easy. Suddenly ceasing the intake of many depressant drugs can cause serious symptoms like respiratory depression, seizure, coma or death. That’s why it is highly recommended those quitting depressants do so under professional care and are weaned off the drugs gradually in a professional addiction treatment center.
Specific depressants like alcohol have their own unique withdrawal symptoms like delirium tremens. And the use of alcohol can reduce your ability to make responsible decisions, which can lead to getting behind the wheel of a car and potentially causing an accident or worse.
If you have come across our Addiction Treatment Center web site, is because you or someone you love is in need of help for depressant drug addiction. Cove Center for Recovery is an Addiction Treatment Center offering a premier drug addiction treatment program that can help you or your loved one. Our aim is to treat the whole person, and not just an isolated symptom. During the addiction treatment process we will work with the client to identify the factors that may have contributed to their addiction – home, work, relationships and medical history. We also believe that families have a vital role to play in the recovery process, and each program has a place for family participation, to educate them in the addiction treatment process and to equip them for their role as supporters.