Understanding Drugs, Mental Health, and Environmental Issues

What is a drug?

A chemical substance (other than food or water) that affects the mind or body, usually producing effects people consider good.

What were cocaine and heroin used in in the early 1900s?

They were common in over-the-counter medicines before being restricted by the Harrison Act.

What is the Harrison Act?

The 1914 law that restricted the sale of cocaine and heroin.

What was the 18th amendment?

The amendment that prohibited alcohol in the U.S. (Prohibition, 1920-1933).

What are the reasons people use drugs?

Therapeutic uses, recreational uses, spiritual or psychological purposes, escape, and social conformity.

What is drug abuse?

Using an illegal drug or misusing a legal drug in a way that violates accepted medical practices.

What are withdrawal symptoms?

Physical and psychological symptoms that occur after stopping a drug one is dependent on (e.g., shaking, nausea).

What are stimulants?

Stimulants increase alertness and energy.

What drugs fall under the umbrella of stimulant?

Examples: caffeine, nicotine, Ritalin, Adderall, cocaine, crack, amphetamines.

What is the most widely used drug in the US?

Alcohol.

Who is a typical cocaine user vs. a typical crack cocaine user?

Powder cocaine users tend to be wealthier and white; crack users tend to be poorer and minority.

What are depressants?

Drugs that slow down the central nervous system, including pain relievers (analgesics), opioids, sedatives, and hypnotics.

What are hallucinogens?

Stimulants that cause hallucinations, such as LSD, PCP, peyote, ketamine, and ecstasy (MDMA).

What is codependency in terms of drug use?

Behavior from others that enables a substance abuser to continue their abuse.

What is the Fair Sentencing Act?

2010 law reducing the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.

Who used the phrase 'Just say no to drugs'?

Nancy Reagan during the War on Drugs campaign.

What does structural functionalism say about using drugs?

Illegal drug use is an act of deviance and a rejection of social norms emerging from feelings of anomie.

What does symbolic interactionism say about drugs?

Drug use is a social process learned through interaction; recovery reconstructs identity.

What does conflict theory say about drugs?

Drug laws and policies reflect the power of the dominant groups and are used to control less powerful groups.

What illnesses carry a heavy stigma?

Mental illnesses.

What is health?

A complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being.

What is a chronic disease vs. an acute disease?

A chronic disease is long-lasting and persistent, while an acute disease is severe but short-lived.

Chronic disease

long-term, ongoing (e.g., diabetes)

Acute disease

short-term and sudden (e.g., flu)

DSM V

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition; used for diagnosing mental illnesses.

Men's suicides

Men are less likely to experience mood disorders but are more likely to complete suicide.

Women's suicides

Women have higher diagnosis rates of mood/anxiety disorders.

Body dysmorphic syndrome

An anxiety disorder where a person obsessively focuses on perceived physical flaws.

Anxiety

A feeling of worry, nervousness, or fear that can interfere with daily life when persistent.

Problems caused by depression

Missed work, shrinking social support networks, disability, suicide, and higher treatment costs.

Manic-only disease

True mania without depression is rare — most manic episodes are part of bipolar disorder.

Diagnosable disorder prevalence

Around 50% of the US will qualify for a diagnosable disorder at some point in time.

Deinstitutionalization

The movement to close large psychiatric hospitals and move mentally ill patients to community-based treatment.

Reasons for not seeking help

Stigma, cost, lack of access, reliance on medication, distrust of institutions.

Sociology's contribution to environmental issues

Sociology shows how environmental issues are social problems caused by human organization.

Natural environment

Earth's surface and atmosphere, including air, water, soil, and living resources.

Impact of industrialization

Industrialization and technology have had the most impact on our ability to modify the natural environment.

Environmental deficit

Long-term environmental damage from humanity's pursuit of short-term material wealth.

Logic of growth

The belief that technological progress will continually improve living standards.

Silent Spring

A 1962 book by Rachel Carson about the dangers of pesticide use.

Impacts of a disposable society

Huge production of waste, full landfills, and environmental degradation.

Recycling

Reusing materials to reduce waste.

Acid rain

Rain that becomes acidic due to air pollution, damaging plants and wildlife.

Environmental racism

Poor and minority communities face greater environmental hazards (example: Flint, Michigan).

Conflict theory

Believes poorer people suffer more environmental harms due to exploitation by elites.

Ecologically sustainable culture

A culture that meets its needs without threatening the environment for future generations.