What do depressants do to your body

Tolerance to many depressants can develop rapidly, with larger doses needed to achieve the same effect. The user, trying to reach the same high, may raise the dose to a level that results in coma or death by overdose.

Long-term use of depressants can produce depression, chronic fatigue, breathing difficulties, sexual problems and sleep problems. As a dependency on the drug increases, cravings, anxiety or panic are common if the user is unable to get more. Withdrawal symptoms include insomnia, weakness and nausea.

For continual and high-dose users, agitation, high body temperature, delirium, hallucinations and convulsions can occur. Unlike withdrawal from most drugs, withdrawal from depressants can be life-threatening. These drugs can also increase the risk of high blood sugar, diabetes, and weight gain instances of up to pounds have been reported.

In a study conducted by USA Today , based on Food and Drug Administration data over a four-year period, antipsychotics a type of depressant were the prime suspects in forty-five deaths caused by heart problems, choking, liver failure and suicide. There is no worse feeling than knowing that your friend is dead because you gave him pills you knew relatively little about.

Learn the Truth About Drugs, enroll in the free online courses. Find out the truth about prescription drugs. Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Latner, A. The top drugs of Pharmacy Times, 66, Julien, R.

A primer of drug action. New York: Worth Publishers. Pharmacy Times, 66 , American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Hedden, S. L, Kennet, J. Behavioral health trends in the United States: Results from the national survey on drug use and health. Related Articles. Is Alcohol a Depressant? Can Benadryl Be Used for Anxiety? How to Identify Common Pills.

They lower blood pressure and slow down brain activity, heart rate and breathing. Depressants generally affect the neurotransmitter GABA. Commonly used depressant prescription drugs include those prescribed to treat insomnia and anxiety. These include benzodiazepine drugs like Valium and Xanax, non-benzodiazepine sleeping pills like Ambien or Lunesta and barbiturates like phenobarbital. Marijuana is a depressant as is alcohol. Because their actions differ, the primary side effects, overdose risk and withdrawal effects of stimulants and depressants also differ.

The website rxlist notes that possible side effects of stimulants include stomach upset, headache, insomnia and sometimes psychosis, sudden death, stroke and heart attack. The more serious side effects are more likely to be associated with abuse of the drugs than with therapeutic use. Depressant side effects include dizziness, confusion, lightheadedness and fatigue. Depressant use can also result in loss of consciousness, coma or death generally caused by cessation of breathing.

Those who abuse depressants often experience impaired judgment, reduced inhibitions and an inability to control emotions. Both stimulants and depressants are frequently abused, and people can easily develop dependence and addiction.

Although the specific neurotransmitters that are involved vary between drugs and types of drugs, the process of developing addiction is similar among different drug classes. Drugs affect the body in predictable ways and the body responds.

There isn't a lot of research on treating people for addiction to prescription CNS depressants. However, people addicted to these medications should undergo medically supervised detoxification because the dosage they take should be tapered gradually. Counseling, either in an outpatient or inpatient program, can help people through this process.

One type of counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, focuses on modifying the person's thinking, expectations, and behaviors while improving ways to cope with life's stresses. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has helped people successfully adapt to stop using benzodiazepines. Often prescription CNS depressant misuse occurs along with the use of other drugs, such as alcohol or opioids. In those cases, the person should seek treatment that addresses the multiple addictions.

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