Stress
Stress is the body’s natural reaction to changes in an environment or difficult experiences. When a person experiences a stressful situation, their body’s “fight-or-flight” system activates and increases the production of cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones increase brain activity, alertness, and productivity, but also cause excessive sweating and jitters. Everyone gets stressed sometimes, so having a moderate amount of stress is normal; it only becomes an issue when stress is chronic and stressful situations are constant. Chronic stress comes with all sorts of negative physical and mental health effects, including poor sleep, headaches, frequent nausea, chest pains, anxiety and depression.
Stress is often conceptualized as a pure negative given how uncomfortable it is to feel stressed out. However, there is such a thing as good stress, or rather, situations where stress can be a good thing. Good stress has the same physical effects as bad stress with an actual goal to channel the excess adrenaline and cortisol towards. This is the type of stress that allows people to work extra hard to meet a deadline or study for an exam.
Stroke
A stroke occurs when blood is prevented from reaching the brain, depriving it of oxygen and essential nutrients. There are two main types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes account for around 85% of all recorded strokes, and they happen when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain. This stops blood from passing through the vessel and deprives the brain of oxygen as a result. Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. The resulting blood can put undue pressure on the areas surrounding the vessel, damaging the entire brain as a result.
Strokes are the second leading cause of death in the world, but even if they don’t kill, they can have lasting consequences. Only a couple of minutes without oxygen in the brain can lead to permanent brain damage or loss of feeling in the limbs. With how dangerous strokes can be, it is extremely important to seek medical attention if there is any indication that a loved one is experiencing one. Signs of a stroke include sudden lateral numbness in face, limbs, and body, partial or complete blindness, difficulty speaking, loss of coordination, and intense headaches with no known origin.
Substance
A substance is anything that can be consumed, injected, inhaled, or otherwise absorbed into the body that has psychoactive (affecting a person’s mood, behavior, or thought patterns) effects. Substances can be legal or illicit, natural or synthesized. Common substances include caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, and opioids. Substances are not necessarily drugs even though the terms are often used synonymously, as there are other things that have psychoactive effects on the brain.
Substance Intoxication
Intoxication is a state of mental and physical impairment following the consumption of a psychoactive substance. The length of each intoxication period depends on a person’s age, medical history, substance tolerance, and amount taken. Substances that can cause intoxication include alcohol, marijuana, stimulants, opioids, and inhalants. Generally, substances taken in moderation will lead to a temporary period of intoxication that results in little to no negative side effects down the line.
In some cases, overconsumption of substances like alcohol can lead to moderate or severe intoxication. In the case of alcohol, severe intoxication lasts longer, is more intense, and results in more fatal accidents than mild or moderate intoxication. For substances like opioids, however, severe intoxication can result in an opioid overdose, a condition with a much higher mortality rate than alcohol poisoning. While all forms of intoxication have their risks, it is especially important to be cognizant of the dangers of opioid overdoses