The Secret Diary of The Beautiful Mind

  The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day, is marked on 26 June every year to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse. The aim of this year’s campaign is to raise awareness about the importance of treating people who use drugs with respect and empathy; providing evidence-based, voluntary services for all; offering alternatives to punishment; prioritizing prevention; and leading with compassion. The campaign also aims to combat stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs by promoting language and attitudes that are respectful and non-judgmental. This year’s World Drug Day is a call to : Raise awareness about the negative impact of stigma and discrimination on people who use drugs and their families. Raise awareness about the AIDS and hepatitis epidemics among people who use drugs and expand and strengthen HIV and hepatitis prevention programmes. Promote evidence-based, voluntary services for all peo

Both risk and protective factors affect youth at different life stages, from pregnancy through young adulthood, as well as well as in various domains including individual, peer, family, school and community. When not properly identified and dealt with early on negative behavior can further a child’s risks for drug use and other problems. Effective preventative interventions reduce risk and increase protection at each developmental stage, as well as within each domain. The possible impact of any particular risk or protective factor changes as a person ages. Specific risk and protective factors in particular domains, such as the home environment, can have a greater influence on younger children, while peer level risk and protective factors can be more important for adolescents.Early life family dynamics can either increase the risk for drug use, given poor nurturing or ineffective parenting, or reduce the risk through developing strong initial child parent bonding and providing clear, co

  Key findings associated with cannabis use, cannabis-induced, and cannabis-related disorders include the following: Mood :Acute use may be associated with feelings of euphoria, uncontrollable laughter, increased appetite, and difficulty concentrating. In chronic use or withdrawal, patients may report a depressed mood characterized by apathy, lack of motivation, irritability, loss of interest in typical activities, difficulty concentrating, and possibly isolation. Affect : Acutely, affect may span the spectrum from euphoric to anxious. In chronic use, affect may be constricted or flat. Thought process and content : As in any mental status examination, assessing the patient for the presence of suicidality or homicidality and taking appropriate action is critical. Patients may demonstrate flight of ideas, loose associations, and, in some cases, delusions and hallucinations. Cognition : In both acute and chronic use, difficulty concentrating and memory impairment are common. Physical sig

  Cannabis and Mental Illness - Cannabis use is associated with psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.When compared with those who have never used cannabis, young adults who began using the drug at age 15 or younger are twice as likely to develop a psychotic disorder, and four times as likely to experience delusional symptoms. A dose‐response relationship was found; that is, the longer the duration since initial cannabis use, the higher the risk of psychosis‐related outcomes. Cannabis and Cognitive Effects - Cannabis‐dependent teens show short‐term memory deficits as well as delayed recall of visual and verbal information. Teens who continue to use cannabis heavily show poorer complex attention functioning as well as slower psychomotor speed, poorer sequencing ability, and difficulties in verbal story memory. Cannabis and the Respiratory and Cardiovascular Systems Because cannabis is frequently smoked, bronchial and lung diseases are not uncommon. There is a four‐

The active ingredient in cannabis, delta‐9‐ tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is only found in small portions of the cannabis plant, in the flowering tops and in some of the leaves. After consuming cannabis, users typically report the feeling of euphoria and relaxation.As those effects subside, some users report feeling sleepy or depressed, and others may feel anxious or panicked, or have paranoid thoughts or experience acute psychosis depending on pharmacogenetic characteristics and vulnerability. Cannabis use is linked to deficits in tasks of executive functioning. It has negative effects on memory, including the ability to form new memories, and on attention and learning. These effects can last up to 28 days after abstinence from the drug. Functional imaging of brain shows adults who use cannabis heavily often exhibit deficits in executive functioning, attention, learning, and memory within a few days following use. Science confirms that the adolescent brain, particularly the prefrontal c

  Cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances. It has a rich history spanning thousands of years and varying representations throughout human civilization. The more prevalent term ‘marijuana’ typically refers to the dried leaves, stems, and flowering buds of the two more commonly consumed strains of sativa and indica. A few active components of cannabis, namely delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabidiol (CBD), have been found to produce its intoxicating effects, which include feelings of euphoria, altered perception, relaxation, and wellbeing. In India, cannabis is commonly known to have three distinct derivatives; a) ganja (marijuana), the dried flower buds or fruits of the female cannabis plant, b) charas (hashish), the resinous exudation secreted by the plant c) bhang, a grinded paste of only the matured leaves. The use of cannabis has steadily grown in recent years, and more than 200 million people worldwide used cannabis in 2019 alone