The term, ‘downers’, refers to the entire class of drugs known as depressants. They are chemicals which depress, or slow, the functioning of the brain and central nervous system. There are numerous downers available today with more in the designing stage. All downers fall into one of the two main categories which are tranquilizers and sedative-hypnotics.
Tranquilizers reduce physical and emotional tension. Sedative-hypnotics go a step further and induce sleep. In fact they are commonly referred to as sleeping pills. Most short term effects for all downers include increased muscular relaxation and decreased anxiety. They also decrease inhibitions, slow reflexes and impair coordination. They tend to dull thinking, reduce judgment and interfere with memory. All of these effects are serious liabilities on the road, at work or in other situations where clear thinking and fast reactions are necessary.
Barbiturates were widely available 50 years ago but since then have proved to be not only unpredictable but downright dangerous, even at prescribed doses. After the sheer addictiveness of the drugs, tolerance was perhaps the worst problem. The body adjusts to their effects quickly so increasingly larger doses were needed to achieve results.
The drugs act on all areas of the central nervous system including those that regulate respiration, raising the risk of fatal overdose. The side effects disrupt normal REM sleep and leaves the user feeling hung over, irritable and anxious.
Downers produce intense physical and psychological dependence, making withdrawal very unpleasant. Because of the serious risks involved, including seizures and hallucinations, detoxification should be attempted only under a doctor’s supervision in a medical facility.
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I'm already feeling down and I sure wouldn't want to feel any downer. If I was inclined to take drugs, which I'm not, I wouldn't take any of these. I'm about to take a 2 week vacation and I know that will improve my outlook on life. I just really need a break.
ReplyDeleteI had a go around with tranquilizers in college. I know it was stupid and I thought I could control it. That was a lie I told myself anyway. It took some intervention to get me off of it. That scared me bad enough that I know I'll never try anything like it again.
ReplyDeleteI have a tendancy towards depression. It doesn't take much. My doctor has been trying to get me to try some medication. While I don't like feeling like this, I don't want to get hung up on taking a bunch of meds either. I wonder what kind of person wants to feel 'down'?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this I can understand why some people use downers to commit suicide. It's a sad statement of their life that they can end it like that.
ReplyDeleteWho in their right mind wants to feel that way? I really can't imagine. I know for sure it's not how I want to be.
ReplyDelete