Major Depressive Disorder
Depression, also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a common mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and low mood, which can result in thoughts of self-harm or suicide when untreated. These feelings are not caused by grieving upsetting events in one’s life, but rather a result of changes in brain chemistry. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S., with around 7% of adults and 4.4% of children having some form of depression.
Depression can cause more than just sadness; it can affect thought patterns, interpersonal relationships, and interest in daily activities. The disorder also negatively affects the ability to perform daily tasks, like getting out of bed, brushing teeth, sleeping, eating, etc. Given the wide variety of symptoms, depression is quite treatable. Treatment may include talk therapy and medication, or even guided lifestyle changes, which can mitigate the symptoms of the disorder while not necessarily treating it.
Marijuana (Weed)
Marijuana, also known as weed or pot, is a drug composed of the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from plants of the Cannabis genus. Among the common Cannabis plants included are C. sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis. Cannabis and marijuana are often used interchangeably, but marijuana is technically different as it only consists of cannabis products that contain THC, the main component that gives marijuana its psychoactive effects. These effects include relaxation, mild euphoria, and an altered sense of time.
Throughout the 20th century, the legal status of marijuana in the U.S. was ruminated on, adjusted, restricted, and relaxed until the 1990s, when decriminalization efforts began and medical uses of the drug was legalized in multiple states. Now, many states have legalized both medical and recreational applications of marijuana for people over the state-designated legal consumption age.
MDMA ( Molly / Ecstacy )
MDMA, short for 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine and also known as Molly or Ecstacy, is a synthetic drug that has the effects of both a stimulant and a psychedelic. It induces excitement, high energy, and euphoria while distorting one’s perception of time. MDMA is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it has no practical applications outside of recreation and it has potential to be abused.
Possible negative effects include nausea, involuntary jaw clenching, and high blood pressure. The high induced by MDMA can also increase anxiety and cause extended bouts of depressive thoughts in the aftermath of drug use. MDMA overuse very rarely results in death, but there are cases of repeated use causing heart conditions that can lead to fatal complications. Due to its reputation as a club drug, MDMA is often accidentally overused in nightclubs and social gatherings.
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine, or meth for short, is a Schedule II synthetic stimulant, meaning that it can only be obtained through prescription. Meth is extremely addictive and potent whether it’s smoked, snorted, or injected. The combination of its potency and addictiveness make it one of the leading causes of drug overdoses in the United States. It often takes the form of shiny light blue crystals or powder, which earned it the nickname “ice”.
Some of the short-term effects of methamphetamine are intense euphoria, alertness, and high energy. The high is often followed by a period of intense discomfort known as a crash. Crashes can induce nausea, vomiting, paranoia, high blood pressure, and heart problems. Crash symptoms can be mitigated or delayed by taking more doses of methamphetamine, which does provide momentary relief, but will either make the eventual crash much worse or result in a meth overdose. Habitual use of meth can also lead to heart problems, strokes, or even death.
Microaggression
Microaggressions are indirect statements or actions that carry discriminatory or prejudiced undertones. They are harmful towards members of marginalized groups based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. Sometimes, microaggressions can be difficult to spot given their indirect nature, and may even occur by accident. For example, an accidental microaggression may involve a compliment tainted by disparaging insinuations about one’s identity, like “you speak English very well” to an Asian-American with the assumption that they weren’t born in the U.S.
The term “microaggression” was coined in 1970 by psychiatrist Chester M. Pierce to explain the phenomena of discreet slights made towards African-Americans that didn’t seem to qualify as explicit racism. The opposite of microaggressions are macroaggressions, or institutional systems that prevent marginalized groups from succeeding under them. An example of a macroaggression is the implementation of a travel ban against predominantly Muslim countries.
Minority Stress
Minority stress is the concept that people in marginalized groups experience additional stress due to stigma and discrimination. It is widely accepted that this is part of the reason that people in marginalized groups have higher rates of chronic diseases and mental health issues; the constant stress of everyday life causes mental and physical fatigue which makes it more difficult to resist maladies. The reason why minority stress is so insidious is because it is chronic. Discrimination and prejudice are built into every aspect of modern society, from advertisements to social media and beyond. The lack of respite makes activities that would be relaxing or neutral for the majority group stressful and draining for the minority.
Adolescents and teens exposed to minority stress will experience the negative effects more acutely than adults. This is referred to as a developmental collision; the stress associated with being in a minority group strains mental development at a crucial age, amplifying the stress as a result. Part of the issue is that these younger minorities are being exposed to the exact same stressors as older members of their groups because of how ingrained discriminatory stressors are in society.
Misogyny
Misogyny is defined as the hatred of or prejudice against women. It is normally perpetrated by men, but women and nonbinary people can also be misogynistic. The use of the term was popularized in the 70s by second-wave feminists to refer to people, systems, or behaviors that were harmful to women specifically. Misogyny is generally agreed to occur as a result of patriarchy, or male-dominated society.
Originally, it was distinct from sexism against women; misogyny referred more to violence and sexual abuse against women while sexism was more general. However, both words became less distinct as time went on, leading to them being almost interchangeable today. As a result, misogyny can not only refer to people with a contempt for women, but also societal or institutional systems that exist to prevent women from holding positions of power, exercising their civil rights, or gaining other advantages.
Mushrooms
Psilocybin is a chemical compound found in certain mushrooms that has hallucinogenic effects when broken down by the body. These mushrooms, often referred to as magic mushrooms, are generally grown in Mexico and Central America and have been used in native rituals for thousands of years. In modern-day, magic mushrooms are eaten recreationally or taken as a form of informal therapy, given that the hallucinations caused by psilocybin can be vivid and pleasurable.
Magic mushrooms affect everyone who takes them in different ways. Given that they are grown and not synthesized, it is difficult to tell how much psilocybin is contained in each mushroom, which impacts the ability to self-regulate. Common side effects of taking mushrooms include nausea, vomiting, and muscle weakness. In certain cases, intense hallucinations can induce psychosis and exacerbate the conditions of psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia.