Effects Of Stimulants And Depressants On Creativity
By
Christopher John Holvik
Could it be possible that a drug or a
chemical could make a person perform better at certain tasks? Could it possibly
make them more creative? Today I will be discussing different types of
depressants and stimulants and how they affect people in positive and negative
ways. We will look back in history when the drugs were first introduced, for
real life examples. “Anything that can
take you to beyond where you naturally are when you wake up in the morning can
have some creative effect, can have some way of spinning the way you look on
life”
First off,
I would like to touch base on stimulants. Stimulants, also known as psychostimulants
are psychoactive drugs, which temporarily improve either physical or mental
function, sometimes both. Some of the symptoms reported from taking stimulants
are wakefulness, enhanced alertness, endurance, productivity, motivation, and
others. Stimulants are widely used through-out the world as illicit substances
and prescription drugs. At this time, they are commonly used to help people
with some diseases, such as obesity, ADHD, depression, and anxiety. A couple
random examples of stimulants are caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines and cocaine.
Majority of people drink coffee every single day and feel like they cannot function
without, many also believe that it helps in inspiration and creativity. “When you're experiencing a lull in the work
day and a lack of creative inspiration, it might not be such a bad thing after
all to head down to the coffee shop with a colleague for a sip of liquid
inspiration.”
Now
that you know a little about stimulants, I will inform you about depressants.
Depressants, also known as central depressants lower the arousal levels and
excitement in people. They are used to help people with multiple diseases, such
as pain relief, anxiety, depression, and low blood sugar. Depressants can be
prescribed legally or obtained illegally. Some of the most common depressants are
alcohol, marijuana, benzodiazepines, and many more. While stimulants are known
as “uppers”, depressants are the exact opposite and are known as “downers”.
“Marijuana is divine, for providing new
associations and extra-ordinary thoughts”
Majority of people have used or tried a depressant and a stimulant
before in their life, some people use both daily. In the 1600’s, when water was
not safe to drink because of sanity issues, most people’s choice of liquid was
alcohol. In the morning to mid-afternoon most people would drink wine, while
later in the day they would bring out the hard liquors. Eventually coffee was
invented and there was a huge change in the society. When switching from a
depressant to a stimulant people started having amazing ideas and it was the
beginning of the enlightenment. Artists were creating famous pieces of art and
inventors were creating amazing inventions.
For my conclusion, I would like to say that everyone is different and
different stimulants or depressants could possibly make certain people more
creative. Stimulants obviously make people more focused and aware while
depressants make people slow down and more calm, this could be exactly what
some people need. These differences in
mind-set may just be what it takes to make some people get in-touch with their
inner creativity.
Bibliography:
Arthor,
Rob. "Marijuana Promotes Creativity: The Evidence." Robert R.
Arthur. Narco Polo, 21 Oct. 2011. Web. 01 May 2012. <http://suburra.com/blog/2011/10/21/marijuana-promotes-creativity/>.
"Stimulants."
Division of Drug Abuse. ADA, 27 July 2010. Web.
Swartwood,
Michie O. "Stimulant Treatment of ADHD: Effects on Creativity." COMMENT.
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc, 2003. Web.
Holland,
Stephanie. "Can Coffee Boost Your Creativity?" Suite101.com.
22 Sept. 2010. Web. 01 May 2012.
<http://stephanie-holland.suite101.com/coffee-and-creativity-a288717>.
"Depressant."
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Jan. 2012. Web. 01 May 2012.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depressant>.
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