Molekularne podstawy działania wybranych substancji psychoaktywnych

Abstract

W niniejszym artykule przybliżono różne grupy substancji psychoaktywnych, czyli związków chemicznych zmieniających postrzeganie świata. Ich klasyfikacji dokonano na podstawie głównych efektów na psychikę wywoływanych przez te substancje. W artykule wyodrębniono: stymulanty, empatogeny, halucynogeny i depresanty, i scharakteryzowano farmakologiczne mechanizmy działania tych substancji oraz problematykę społeczną w Polsce i w Europie związaną z ich zażywaniem.

Chemsex and Sexual Well-Being in Young Polish Men

“…It is difficult to determine the direction of existing correlations because stressors could lead to the practice of chemsex when eliminating the unpleasant effects of a stressful situation; however, there is also the possibility that chemsex itself causes negative side effects in various forms, such as depression, anxiety, and unpleasant somatic changes. This is extremely important because psychoactive substances are not neutral for the body, and their intake, apart from the pleasant effects of stimulating the reward system, brings several serious side effects [ 4 ]. Nevertheless, regarding the transactional model of stress [ 16 ], this group of individuals may likely have used chemsex either as a form of coping with stress or in connection with ineffective coping and affective problems.…”

“…It is also a dangerous method for coping, as neuroplastic changes can lead to addiction. The mechanisms of individual substances are not fully understood, and the effect of taking such a substance is extremely strong and unpredictable in its consequences [ 4 ]. Taking psychoactive substances is a destructive and maladaptive strategy for coping with stress in various age groups [ 19 , 20 ].…”

“…Therefore, due to the multitude of functions performed by neurotransmitter systems, it is difficult to determine what the effect would be of stimulating them with high strength at the same time. It is important to emphasize that long-term stimulations and the application of certain types of stimuli can lead to neuroplastic changes that often are responsible for addiction [ 4 ].…”

“…Long-term substance use can lead to addiction. The reward system, which is essential for feelings of pleasure, under the constant use of psychoactive substances can become dysfunctional [ 4 ]. Koralewska-Samko, Sadowska, and Spryszyńska [ 19 ] wrote about the destructive impact of substance use, which showed that taking psychoactive substances was a form of coping with stress and could be associated with an increase in aggression in this group of adolescents.…”

Methods of Lysergic Acid Synthesis—The Key Ergot Alkaloid

“…Due to a short-term reduction in serotonin levels, after the LSD interaction with cells subsides, its production in the cells increases abruptly, which may cause disintegration of cortical–cortical neuronal activity—and, consequently, induce increased perception of sensory stimuli and cognitive impairment [ 16 ]. Interestingly, LSD is not addictive, and despite the fact that it is not currently used in medicine, there are ongoing studies on its use in psychiatry—e.g., in the fight against alcoholism [ 17 , 18 ].…”