Mind-Altering Drugs

At least one third of Americans have used an illicit drug at least once. Drugs attract considerable attention in science, legislation, and the media. Nevertheless, people develop their attitudes about drugs and drug users based on limited information, government policies are formed without a complete picture of the intoxication experience, and researchers often find themselves divided into camps based on the drug they study most often, limiting their ability to benefit from important work done on other drugs. A thorough and accessible review of the subjective effects of drugs and the dominant...

At least one third of Americans have used an illicit drug at least once. Drugs attract considerable attention in science, legislation, and the media. Nevertheless, people develop their attitudes about drugs and drug users based on limited information, government policies are formed without a complete picture of the intoxication experience, and researchers often find themselves divided into camps based on the drug they study most often, limiting their ability to benefit from important work done on other drugs. A thorough and accessible review of the subjective effects of drugs and the dominant theories behind these effects will help inform readers about the experience of intoxication and help researchers learn from studies in other disciplines. This book will provide a clear sense of the theories and techniques behind the investigations of intoxication and how subjective experiences relate to addictive potential, which should help people make educated decisions about drug use, help researchers identify ideal ways to assess a drug's subjective effects, and help clinicians understand their substance-abusing clients better by providing insight into the intoxication that they seek.