Depressants & Their Effects

Depressants and Their Effects In today’s world people are becoming more and more dependant on drugs, in particular, depressants. By definition, a depressant is a chemical agent that diminishes the function or activity of a specific part of the body. There are many different types of depressants ranging from sleeping medications to laughing gas, and of course the most common, alcohol. Like all medications, there are the legal and illegal types. Heroin, marijuana, and GHB which is commonly used as a date rape drug, are among the illegal depressants. Ambien and Benadryl are legal depressants when prescribed by a doctor. They are usually prescribed to relieve symptoms of anxiety and insomnia. The effects of taking depressants can slow down or even stop one’s breathing or heart beat. They slow down brain activity and cause a drowsy or calm feeling. Depressants will make one feel tired or forgetful and may cause long term health problems, or could possibly result in death. While most drugs tend to have similar effects, loss of judgment or the ability to think clearly, depressant drugs are very dangerous and can become addictive without notice. Depressants are often referred by most as “downers” because of their hypnotic, tranquilizing, and sedative effects. Medical depressants often fall into two categories, barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Those that do not fall in these categories include: anesthetics, antihistamines, sedative hypnotics, narcotics, and alcohol. As stated before, there are both legal and illegal depressants, though alcohol is the most common legal depressant. The word alcohol is associated with ethanol, also known as a grain alcohol. Ethanol is the most widely used depressant in the world, and has been for thousands of years. Those who consume alcohol often drink to ease tension, which will eventually allow the consumer to feel more comfortable in their environment. This allows them to “have a good time”, as most people would call